lisc/chicago · lisc/chicago’s new communities program (ncp) lead agencies and their partners...

To give disadvantaged middle school studentsthe chance to succeed in high school andbeyond, a school must provide more thanjust academics; it must also nurture students’health, families, and communities. That isthe theory behind LISC/Chicago’s newIntegrated Services in Schools (ISS) program,which got off to a running start this year.

Funded by an $18 million grant from theAtlantic Philanthropies with the ChicagoCommunity Trust as fiscal agent, ISS is creating networks of relationships between five Chicago schools and NewCommunities Program lead agencies. The goal is nothing less than transformingthe educational achievement and life out-comes of middle school students by sup-porting all aspects of their lives.

Chicago was chosen from among 30 citiesto receive the grant, and in turn five leadagencies within the New CommunitiesProgram selected school partners. The fiveschools are Ames Middle School in LoganSquare, which will partner with the LoganSquare Neighborhood Association; MarquetteElementary in Chicago Lawn, which will part-ner with the Southwest Organizing Project;Orozco Elementary in Pilsen, which will partner with The Resurrection Project;Perspectives-Calumet Middle School in Auburn Gresham, which will partner with the Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corporation, and ReavisElementary in Kenwood, which will partner with the Quad CommunitiesDevelopment Corporation. Each school and lead agency will also work with a community-based heath care partner, the local Center for Working Families®, and a range of other organizations to implement the ISS program.

See "ISS," Page 3

SUMMER 2008

Growing a Healthy

CommunityPG 2

Column by Brian White,

Lakeside CDCPG 3

Middle School in the U.S.PG 4

"Getting it Done"Conference Draws 1,000

PG 5

Briefs

PG 5

First Quarter LISC Grant & Loan ActivityBack Page

Working Capital

www.lisc-chicago.org

ONE NORTH LASALLE ST. 12TH FLOOR

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60602

(312) 360-0800

FAX (312) 360-0183Local Initiatives Support Corporation/Chicago

IN THIS ISSUE:

LISC/CHICAGOBoard of Advisors

CHAIRPerry Pero

The Northern Trust Co. (retired)

VICE CHAIRValerie JarrettThe Habitat Co.

David AndersonHighland Capital Enterprises

James CapraroGreater Southwest Development Corp.

Franklin Cole (Emeritus)Croesus Corporation

Katherine DonofrioIntegrys Energy Group

Dorothy EvenAllstate Insurance Company

DeShana ForneyIllinois Housing Development Authority

Laurence FreedJoseph Freed and Associates

Frances GrossmanShoreBank Corporation

Lori HealeyCity of Chicago Mayor’s Office

Daniel KaatzWashington Mutual

Michael LewisHarris Trust and Savings Bank

Wallace Lewis, Sr.State Farm Insurance Companies

John G. MarkowskiCommunity Investment Corporation

John NewmanArnold Randall

Chicago Department of Planning & Dev.

Hipolito RoldanHispanic Housing Development Corp.

Gene SaffoldJPMorgan Chase

Ellen SahliChicago Department of Housing

Scott SwansonCharter One Bank - Illinois

David VitaleChicago Public Schools

Thomas WeeksWeeksWeldon Development Company

Andrew J. MooneyExecutive Director

LISC/Chicago

LISC/Chicago’s New Communities Program (NCP) lead agencies and their partnershave been “Getting it Done” for five years now. On March 26-27, they shared their stories at a conference by that name with more than 1,000 community devel-opment practitioners from 57 cities across the country.

The conference featured a reception during which 28 “Community Heroes” from NCPcommunities were honored, evening events in three NCP neighborhoods that rangedfrom salsa dancing lessons to a walking tour of Garfield Park Conservatory, bus toursof five NCP neighborhoods, “tool kit” workshops on key aspects of comprehensivecommunity development, and roundtable discussions on issue topics such as theforeclosure crisis and the impact of immigration on community development.

Reflecting on the first five years of NCP, Bishop Arthur Brazier, chair of the NCPWoodlawn, sounded a hopeful note. “This has resulted in a dream no longerdeferred,” he said. “LISC offers our communities the best hope for economic and cultural sustainability. It’s deeply gratifying to see our plans become reality.”

Brazier noted that during the past four decades, most communities represented within NCP have experienced a “cycle of decline” in spite of the best efforts of com-munity-based groups. LISC provides the best of both worlds, he said, in that neigh-borhood resources are greatly augmented, but without giving up local control.

A sampling of those who attended the conference revealed a hunger to find outwhat’s working in Chicago – and how to transplant it.

Glenn Hudson of LISC/Richmond said he relished the opportunity to hear about NCP’s “holistic approach to sustainable communities – beyond bricks and mortar,concentrating on families, doing healthy community check-ups. One group does-n’t have to do it all. It’s critical that you’re bringing all the right partners.”

PAGE 5NFL, Bears, & LISCTeam Up for New

Football Field Evanston Township High School’s LazierField will get a new football field thanksin part to a $200,000 grant from theNational Football League GrassrootsProgram, a partnership between theNFL Youth Football Fund, the ChicagoBears, and LISC. The grant is part of$5.43 million in awards made nation-wide to community organizations revi-talizing playing fields in underservedneighborhoods. The new field will givean additional 1,000 young people a safeplace to play, including Evanston TownshipHigh School students, local youth sportsgroups and students at local schools.

LISC/ChicagoDirector Joins

AdvisoryCommittees

This spring, Mayor Daley choseAndrew Mooney, Executive Directorof LISC/Chicago, along with TheodoreSwain of Gould and Ratner, to lead ateam of experts in advising him on theissue of tax assessments and makinglong-term recommendations to reformCook County’s assessment system. Thetask force is part of the Mayor’s effort tomake the assessment system fair andmore predictable for property owners.

Mooney will also sit on a Commissionlaunched by the John S. and James L.Knight Foundation and the Aspen Instituteon the Information Needs of Communitiesin a Democracy. The commission, com-posed of national leaders in journalism,community development and policy,will look into whether the informationneeds of citizens and communities arebeing met and make recommendationsfor public policy and private initiativesthat will help better meet communityinformation needs.

First Quarter LISC Grant & Loan ActivityIn the first quarter of 2008, LISC/Chicago committed $1,058,115 in grants and loans to a wide vari-ety of projects across Chicago.

Seven agencies in the New Communities Program received grants totaling over $630,000 includinga grant of $12,125 to The Resurrection Project in Pilsen to support the planning of a capital campaign.

Through The Homestead Fund, a $96,000 loan was made to St. Edmund’s RedevelopmentCorporation for predevelopment expenses associated with a 53-unit mixed-income new construc-tion project.

The People’s Community Development Association of Chicago received a $50,000 grant from TheMain Street Fund to support the Philemon Restoration Project, which provides job training andplacement for ex-offenders in the East and West Garfield Park communities.

A broad spectrum of sixteen community organizations received grants from The Civic Life Fund,including the Puerto Rican Cultural Center, which received $16,300 to support two youth pro-grams – a greenhouse at Pedro Albizu Campos High School and a youth radio station.

The Leadership Fund made a $34,000 grant to Metropolitan Area Groups for IgnitingCivilization (MAGIC) to support 50 high school students in learning how to influence media.

"Getting it Done" Conference Draws 1,000

The Newsletter of the Chicago Program of Local Initiatives Support Corporation

Farmers' marketsbring communities

more than food NCP communities are finding creative ways toaddress the lack of grocery stores and fresh food.In Logan Square and Humboldt Park, and thissummer in Quad Communities, Englewood andWoodlawn, NCP partners are coordinating farm-ers’ markets that will increase neighborhoods’access to healthy food while providing positivepublic spaces to foster a sense of community.

Support for the markets from LISC/Chicagoincludes a $29,250 grant to the Quad CommunitiesDevelopment Corporation (QCDC) for a feasibilitystudy and marketing of the farmers’ market. Thestudy found overwhelming support for the initia-tive; 98% of survey respondents across all incomelevels said they would shop at a farmers’ market. Italso helped QCDC design the market in response tospecific community needs. According to BernitaJohnson-Gabriel, Executive Director of QCDC, themarket will have prepared foods, non-food vendorsand entertainment in addition to farmers’ stands.

“We wantit to bemore thana farmers’market,”Johnson-Gabr i e lsaid, cit-ing thecommu-n i t y ’ sneed fora neighborhood gathering place. “We want it tofeel more like an event every week.”

LISC/Chicago shares that enthusiasm. Accordingto Susana Vasquez, New Communities ProgramDirector for LISC/Chicago, many communitiesnamed providing public spaces and improving accessto healthy food as issues during their quality-of-lifeplanning process. “We’re proud to support proj-ects that address so many issues at once,” she said.

Integrated Services in Schools: Transforming schools, communities & lives

Students in ISS schools take advantage of tutoring,

academic and art programs.

The Greater Auburn-Gresham DevelopmentCorporation (GADC) leads Illinois SenatorDick Durbin on a tour of the Auburn GreshamNeighborhood. From left to right: 21st WardAlderman Howard B. Brookins, Jr.; BarbaraHolt, District Director, First Congressional District;Andrew Mooney, LISC/Chicago ExecutiveDirector; 17th Ward Alderman Latasha Thomas;Denise Nicholes, owner, Perfect Peace Café& Bakery; Senator Durbin; Julie Welborn,owner, Perfect Peace Café & Bakery; CarlosNelson, Executive Director, GADC; ErnestSanders, NCP organizer at GADC; CortezCarter, GADC Board President.

TOP LEFT: Bishop Arthur Brazier, Chair of NCP/Woodlawn, addresses

community leaders from across the nation at the Conference.

TOP RIGHT: Over 1,000 people gather from 57 cities across the

nation to attend the Conference.

LEFT: The community of South Chicago had plenty of accomplishments

to share at the Conference.

The NFL Grassroots Program will helpEvanston Township High School

revitalize its football field as it did forLane Tech High School, above, whereBrendon Ayanbadajo and AdewaleOgunleye helped the team warm upfor their first game on their new field.

15965:32531_MKCO_Newsletter_R2.qxd 6/9/08 6:52 AM

creo

WORKING CAPITAL – The Newsletter of the Chicago Program of Local Initiatives Support Corporation – SUMMER 2008

"ISS"(Continued from cover)

According to Chris Brown, Directorof Education Programs for LISC/Chicago, ISS is already showingsigns of success.

“There’s a huge sense of excite-ment at the local school level andin the community,” Brown said.He added that concrete plans forhealth clinics at each school andfor summer programs are mak-ing the plans a reality. “Peopleare energized about the fact that we’re going from planning to implementation,” he said.

Brown cited the health program-ming at Perspectives and thedepartmentalization of middlegrades at Reavis as two initialsuccesses. He said of the newprogramming at Reavis, “Kids will be learning more becauseteachers will be teaching whatthey know. This will better pre-pare students at Reavis to makethe transition to high school.”

While the improvement of the fiveschools is taking off, The AtlanticPhilanthropies and LISC/Chicagoboth envision ISS as more than afew specific programs. It’s an effortto create a model of what a middleschool should be, and then to usethat model to advocate for changeat the local, state, and federal levels.

In the words of Chris Brown, ISS isa “great opportunity to make individual schools better, and also to make the case of how we can improve all schools.”

The familiar sounds of the famous Mexican songs “CielitoLindo” and “Los Machetes” filled the air last Wednesday morning at Orozco Community Academyin Chicago, as eighth grader AdanRamirsez strummed his guitarrón with fellow students in the school’s newMariachi band before an invited audi-ence of civic, educational and philan-thropic leaders. I was privileged to bethere, and to listen to the first tangibleresults of a major Atlantic investment instrengthening supports for young peoplein the critical middle school years.

Adan, the child of immigrant parents -- his mom works in a factory and his dad as a mechanic -- explained that playing in the Mariachi band “makes afterschoolfun,” adding: “I have somewhere to goand something to do.”

As much as Adan likes the sense of pur-pose and fun that the band brings to theafterschool hours, he is not short on ideas about what he wants to accom-plish in his life. He wants to be an attor-ney, and so he is focused on doing well in middle school and then graduating from high school, college and law school. Adan’s goals should be music tothe ears of everyone who believes that all children, regardless of poverty, immi-gration status or ethnic or racial back-ground, deserve the opportunity to suc-ceed in school and in life. There is no higher obligation for those of us who areadults than to make things better for thecoming generation. Those of us in phi-lanthropy have a heightened obligationand opportunity to do so.

My visit to the Orozco Academy and thesurrounding Pilsen neighbourhood wasprompted by the official launch of an effort that will support thou-sands of middle-school students like Adan in achieving their goals.

Pilsen was once a Polish neighborhood -- the local RomanCatholic Church still advertises a now defunct Polish language

mass -- but now Spanish is the local ver-nacular. Nearly 98 per cent of OrozcoAcademy’s students are of Mexicandescent. Coralia Barraza, the school’senergetic school principal, came to theU.S. from Guatemala illegally at 18,worked in a factory for eight years, wasnaturalised, and went on to earn a bach-elor’s degree and two master’s degrees.

If anyone understands the complex needs of Orozco’s middle-school stu-dents, it is Ms. Barraza, who describedwith passion the academic, linguistic, cultural, physical, psychological and social challenges her students face. Forthe students to succeed, she believes they need to devote time to many activi-ties, including working on “mastering content areas” such as reading, math and social studies; receiving instruction in English, because many of them “don’tspeak English at home”; participating inphysical fitness activities; and getting themental health attention they need.

She noted the severe mental strain thatimmigrant Mexican-American studentsoften experience, reinforcing my strongsupport of Atlantic’s commitment to jus-tice for immigrants.

“These kids feel under pressure. They comein to my office crying, fearing that their par-ents are going to be deported. They feel thepressure, lots of pressure, and that’s why Iam glad we have the grant.” Ms. Barrazaadded, “We need to give them the opportu-nity to be who they are and who they want to be in future. Three or four monthsago, they would never have thought that

they would be in a Mariachi band performing in public, buttoday they are. They need to understand what’s possible.”


PAGE 2

PAGE 3

PAGE 4LISC invites commentaries from neighborhood partners for publication in this newsletter.This issue’s column is by Brian White, Executive Director of Lakeside CommunityDevelopment Corporation.

Diverse Communities Depend on Diverse Housing: Affordable Housing is Key ComponentRogers Park is a community known for its diversity, abundantrental housing stock, and proximity to Lake Michigan. It ishome to a world-class university, offers an abundance of tran-sit, and is a short commute to north suburban job markets.These community assets have made it an attractive target forreal estate developers, who have converted hundreds of rentalproperties into condominiums and who are also building hun-dreds of new luxury rental apartments. These redevelopmenttrends have created challenges for families with children, sen-iors living on fixed incomes, and lower-income individuals, all of whom need safe, decent, and affordable housing.

Lakeside Community Development Corporation was formedin 2005 to respond to these trends. Our organization wasfounded on two premises. The first is that diverse and inclu-sive communities are the ideal. The second is that racial, economic, and cultural diversity dependson a diverse housing stock. The loss of affordable housing can undermine community diversity byreducing housing opportunities for seniors, young families, and the working poor. In 2006,Lakeside completed a first-ever inventory of multifamily rental buildings in Rogers Park that pro-vides a strong case of support for our community development strategy. The study showed thatbetween 2003 and 2006, more than 2,700 rental units were lost, mostly to condo conversions.During 2006, 42 buildings comprised of 907 units were in development as conversions and 2,130rental units were in buildings whose condition was poor, suggesting their loss was imminent.

Lakeside responded to the study’s key findings in several ways. First, we worked with otherorganizations to create a strong plan for preserving and expanding rental housing options inRogers Park. This work has been coordinated through a coalition known as Partners for RogersPark, whose Housing Committee is chaired by Lakeside. Second, we expanded our HUD-certi-fied housing counseling services for renters seeking apartments, low-income seniors threatenedwith displacement due to rising housing costs, and new homeowners living in small, self-man-aged condominium associations. Third, we expanded technical assistance services to help land-lords and property owners identify sources of affordable housing and navigate through differentcity and state programs that support affordable rental, co-operative, or owner-occupied housing.

The progressive and diverse community culture in RogersPark and the dynamic housing market provide both chal-lenges and opportunities for Lakeside. Our research doc-uments the tough conditions facing low-income familiesand individuals, as well as property owners whose operat-ing expenses are driving up housing costs. However, plenty of organizations and individuals are interested inpreserving the neighborhood’s racial, economic, and cultural diversity. Through our collaborative partnershipsand our own extensive experience inhousing, organizing, and advocacy, weare confident we can help stabilize andexpand the supply of quality affordablehousing that is a necessary conditionfor that diversity to remain.

Middle School in the U.S.: Too Often the Missing Link in the Chain of Student Success Excerpts from the Atlantic Currents newsletter, April 3, 2008 by Gara LaMarche, President and CEO of TheAtlantic Philanthropies. The Atlantic Philanthropies made an $18 million grant to LISC/Chicago to support theIntegrated Services in Schools (ISS) program. (See "Integrated Services in Schools" on the cover).

As seasonal farmers’ markets return to Chicago’s neighborhoods, this year even more communities will have access to fresh summer vegeta-bles. In partnership with lead agency Teamwork Englewood, LISC’s New Communities Program (NCP) is breaking new ground with a proj-ect that not only brings fresh produce to a “food desert,” but creates a host of new opportunities for both the community and individuals.

The Wood Street Urban Farm at 5814 S. Wood St. will supply Englewoodand beyond with homegrown greens, tomatoes, herbs, and more. It is the first urban farm site in Chicago operated by Growing Home, a non-profit organic agriculture business with a mission to create job opportuni-ties. Developed with guidance from Teamwork Englewood’s quality-of-life plan and $40,000 in LISC/Chicago grants to Growing Home, theWood Street farm grows organic produce while giving job training to about 30 people a year, most with histories of homelessness, substanceabuse, or incarceration.

The farm’s first full growing season was last year, and this year all three ofthe farm’s greenhouses – totaling 8,400 square feet of year-round indoorgrowing space – will be planted for maximum production of a wide variety ofvegetables and herbs. Crops are then sold directly to Englewood neigh-bors as well as to restaurants and at other markets across Chicago.

Tending the crops are about 25 interns who are a part of Growing Home’s 6-month job training program. The interns spend mornings on the farm learning about urban crop production and also gain market-ing, sales, landscaping, and customer-service skills. Growing Home then helps place them in permanent jobs, often with gourmet markets,restaurants, or elsewhere in the food industry. Two of the program’s graduates are now permanent employees at the Wood Street farm.

According to Lindsey Morris Carpenter, Growing Home’s Urban FarmsManager, the Wood Street farm is already a success.

For the interns, she says, “the biggest benefit is self esteem. It feels so good to be outside through the course of the season. You feel so muchmore connected to the earth.” Curious kids are beginning to stop by tocheck out the greenhouses, and as the weather gets nicer, Morris hopesthe community will get more involved with the farm.

“I know our presence is welcome,” she said. “Hopefully people will startgetting more connected – either just saying hi or coming to buy food.” She emphasized that the farm has a stake in the neighborhood, and hopes to help neighbors with gardening and keeping their block clean. The farmfosters a sense of community; she added, “it will hopefully be contagious.”

A grant of $33,915 to Teamwork Englewood, in partnership with Lindbloom High School and Growing Home, will help launch a new farmers’ market in Englewood that will bring the produce from Wood St. to a weekly market with other produce vendors.

Growing a Healthy Community: Urban Farming in Englewood

Brian White, Executive Director,Lakeside Community

Development Corporation

TOP: Growing Home farmer Chrissy Kirchhoeffer in one of the smaller greenhouses at the Wood Street Urban Farm.

MIDDLE: Tyra Rogers, a former program participant and now Growing Home employee, sorts tomato seedlings.

BOTTOM: Growing Home program participants Felicha J. and Jemelah T. give tours at the Growing

Home market garden at 5045 S. Laflin.

A RogersPark student

helps conduct housing

audits.

Studentsin an ISSschooltake

advantageof

tutoring

TOP: Adan Ramirsez strums his guitarrónwith fellow Orozco Mariachi band members.

MIDDLE: Gara LaMarche, President andCEO of the Atlantic Philanthropies, speaksat the launch of Integrated Services in Schools

(ISS) at Orozco Community Academy.

BOTTOM: Coralia Barraza, Principal of Orozco Community Academy, leads

Jonathan Fanton, President of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation andGara LaMarche, on a tour of the school.

15965:32531_MKCO_Newsletter_R2.qxd 6/9/08 6:52 AM

creo


"ISS"(Continued from cover)

According to Chris Brown, Directorof Education Programs for LISC/Chicago, ISS is already showingsigns of success.

“There’s a huge sense of excite-ment at the local school level andin the community,” Brown said.He added that concrete plans forhealth clinics at each school andfor summer programs are mak-ing the plans a reality. “Peopleare energized about the fact that we’re going from planning to implementation,” he said.

Brown cited the health program-ming at Perspectives and thedepartmentalization of middlegrades at Reavis as two initialsuccesses. He said of the newprogramming at Reavis, “Kids will be learning more becauseteachers will be teaching whatthey know. This will better pre-pare students at Reavis to makethe transition to high school.”

While the improvement of the fiveschools is taking off, The AtlanticPhilanthropies and LISC/Chicagoboth envision ISS as more than afew specific programs. It’s an effortto create a model of what a middleschool should be, and then to usethat model to advocate for changeat the local, state, and federal levels.

In the words of Chris Brown, ISS isa “great opportunity to make individual schools better, and also to make the case of how we can improve all schools.”

The familiar sounds of the famous Mexican songs “CielitoLindo” and “Los Machetes” filled the air last Wednesday morning at Orozco Community Academyin Chicago, as eighth grader AdanRamirsez strummed his guitarrón with fellow students in the school’s newMariachi band before an invited audi-ence of civic, educational and philan-thropic leaders. I was privileged to bethere, and to listen to the first tangibleresults of a major Atlantic investment instrengthening supports for young peoplein the critical middle school years.

Adan, the child of immigrant parents -- his mom works in a factory and his dad as a mechanic -- explained that playing in the Mariachi band “makes afterschoolfun,” adding: “I have somewhere to goand something to do.”

As much as Adan likes the sense of pur-pose and fun that the band brings to theafterschool hours, he is not short on ideas about what he wants to accom-plish in his life. He wants to be an attor-ney, and so he is focused on doing well in middle school and then graduating from high school, college and law school. Adan’s goals should be music tothe ears of everyone who believes that all children, regardless of poverty, immi-gration status or ethnic or racial back-ground, deserve the opportunity to suc-ceed in school and in life. There is no higher obligation for those of us who areadults than to make things better for thecoming generation. Those of us in phi-lanthropy have a heightened obligationand opportunity to do so.

My visit to the Orozco Academy and thesurrounding Pilsen neighbourhood wasprompted by the official launch of an effort that will support thou-sands of middle-school students like Adan in achieving their goals.

Pilsen was once a Polish neighborhood -- the local RomanCatholic Church still advertises a now defunct Polish language

mass -- but now Spanish is the local ver-nacular. Nearly 98 per cent of OrozcoAcademy’s students are of Mexicandescent. Coralia Barraza, the school’senergetic school principal, came to theU.S. from Guatemala illegally at 18,worked in a factory for eight years, wasnaturalised, and went on to earn a bach-elor’s degree and two master’s degrees.

If anyone understands the complex needs of Orozco’s middle-school stu-dents, it is Ms. Barraza, who describedwith passion the academic, linguistic, cultural, physical, psychological and social challenges her students face. Forthe students to succeed, she believes they need to devote time to many activi-ties, including working on “mastering content areas” such as reading, math and social studies; receiving instruction in English, because many of them “don’tspeak English at home”; participating inphysical fitness activities; and getting themental health attention they need.

She noted the severe mental strain thatimmigrant Mexican-American studentsoften experience, reinforcing my strongsupport of Atlantic’s commitment to jus-tice for immigrants.

“These kids feel under pressure. They comein to my office crying, fearing that their par-ents are going to be deported. They feel thepressure, lots of pressure, and that’s why Iam glad we have the grant.” Ms. Barrazaadded, “We need to give them the opportu-nity to be who they are and who they want to be in future. Three or four monthsago, they would never have thought that

they would be in a Mariachi band performing in public, buttoday they are. They need to understand what’s possible.”


PAGE 2

PAGE 3

PAGE 4LISC invites commentaries from neighborhood partners for publication in this newsletter.This issue’s column is by Brian White, Executive Director of Lakeside CommunityDevelopment Corporation.

Diverse Communities Depend on Diverse Housing: Affordable Housing is Key ComponentRogers Park is a community known for its diversity, abundantrental housing stock, and proximity to Lake Michigan. It ishome to a world-class university, offers an abundance of tran-sit, and is a short commute to north suburban job markets.These community assets have made it an attractive target forreal estate developers, who have converted hundreds of rentalproperties into condominiums and who are also building hun-dreds of new luxury rental apartments. These redevelopmenttrends have created challenges for families with children, sen-iors living on fixed incomes, and lower-income individuals, all of whom need safe, decent, and affordable housing.

Lakeside Community Development Corporation was formedin 2005 to respond to these trends. Our organization wasfounded on two premises. The first is that diverse and inclu-sive communities are the ideal. The second is that racial, economic, and cultural diversity dependson a diverse housing stock. The loss of affordable housing can undermine community diversity byreducing housing opportunities for seniors, young families, and the working poor. In 2006,Lakeside completed a first-ever inventory of multifamily rental buildings in Rogers Park that pro-vides a strong case of support for our community development strategy. The study showed thatbetween 2003 and 2006, more than 2,700 rental units were lost, mostly to condo conversions.During 2006, 42 buildings comprised of 907 units were in development as conversions and 2,130rental units were in buildings whose condition was poor, suggesting their loss was imminent.

Lakeside responded to the study’s key findings in several ways. First, we worked with otherorganizations to create a strong plan for preserving and expanding rental housing options inRogers Park. This work has been coordinated through a coalition known as Partners for RogersPark, whose Housing Committee is chaired by Lakeside. Second, we expanded our HUD-certi-fied housing counseling services for renters seeking apartments, low-income seniors threatenedwith displacement due to rising housing costs, and new homeowners living in small, self-man-aged condominium associations. Third, we expanded technical assistance services to help land-lords and property owners identify sources of affordable housing and navigate through differentcity and state programs that support affordable rental, co-operative, or owner-occupied housing.

The progressive and diverse community culture in RogersPark and the dynamic housing market provide both chal-lenges and opportunities for Lakeside. Our research doc-uments the tough conditions facing low-income familiesand individuals, as well as property owners whose operat-ing expenses are driving up housing costs. However, plenty of organizations and individuals are interested inpreserving the neighborhood’s racial, economic, and cultural diversity. Through our collaborative partnershipsand our own extensive experience inhousing, organizing, and advocacy, weare confident we can help stabilize andexpand the supply of quality affordablehousing that is a necessary conditionfor that diversity to remain.

Middle School in the U.S.: Too Often the Missing Link in the Chain of Student Success Excerpts from the Atlantic Currents newsletter, April 3, 2008 by Gara LaMarche, President and CEO of TheAtlantic Philanthropies. The Atlantic Philanthropies made an $18 million grant to LISC/Chicago to support theIntegrated Services in Schools (ISS) program. (See "Integrated Services in Schools" on the cover).

As seasonal farmers’ markets return to Chicago’s neighborhoods, this year even more communities will have access to fresh summer vegeta-bles. In partnership with lead agency Teamwork Englewood, LISC’s New Communities Program (NCP) is breaking new ground with a proj-ect that not only brings fresh produce to a “food desert,” but creates a host of new opportunities for both the community and individuals.

The Wood Street Urban Farm at 5814 S. Wood St. will supply Englewoodand beyond with homegrown greens, tomatoes, herbs, and more. It is the first urban farm site in Chicago operated by Growing Home, a non-profit organic agriculture business with a mission to create job opportuni-ties. Developed with guidance from Teamwork Englewood’s quality-of-life plan and $40,000 in LISC/Chicago grants to Growing Home, theWood Street farm grows organic produce while giving job training to about 30 people a year, most with histories of homelessness, substanceabuse, or incarceration.

The farm’s first full growing season was last year, and this year all three ofthe farm’s greenhouses – totaling 8,400 square feet of year-round indoorgrowing space – will be planted for maximum production of a wide variety ofvegetables and herbs. Crops are then sold directly to Englewood neigh-bors as well as to restaurants and at other markets across Chicago.

Tending the crops are about 25 interns who are a part of Growing Home’s 6-month job training program. The interns spend mornings on the farm learning about urban crop production and also gain market-ing, sales, landscaping, and customer-service skills. Growing Home then helps place them in permanent jobs, often with gourmet markets,restaurants, or elsewhere in the food industry. Two of the program’s graduates are now permanent employees at the Wood Street farm.

According to Lindsey Morris Carpenter, Growing Home’s Urban FarmsManager, the Wood Street farm is already a success.

For the interns, she says, “the biggest benefit is self esteem. It feels so good to be outside through the course of the season. You feel so muchmore connected to the earth.” Curious kids are beginning to stop by tocheck out the greenhouses, and as the weather gets nicer, Morris hopesthe community will get more involved with the farm.

“I know our presence is welcome,” she said. “Hopefully people will startgetting more connected – either just saying hi or coming to buy food.” She emphasized that the farm has a stake in the neighborhood, and hopes to help neighbors with gardening and keeping their block clean. The farmfosters a sense of community; she added, “it will hopefully be contagious.”

A grant of $33,915 to Teamwork Englewood, in partnership with Lindbloom High School and Growing Home, will help launch a new farmers’ market in Englewood that will bring the produce from Wood St. to a weekly market with other produce vendors.

Growing a Healthy Community: Urban Farming in Englewood

Brian White, Executive Director,Lakeside Community

Development Corporation

TOP: Growing Home farmer Chrissy Kirchhoeffer in one of the smaller greenhouses at the Wood Street Urban Farm.

MIDDLE: Tyra Rogers, a former program participant and now Growing Home employee, sorts tomato seedlings.

BOTTOM: Growing Home program participants Felicha J. and Jemelah T. give tours at the Growing

Home market garden at 5045 S. Laflin.

A RogersPark student

helps conduct housing

audits.

Studentsin an ISSschooltake

advantageof

tutoring

TOP: Adan Ramirsez strums his guitarrónwith fellow Orozco Mariachi band members.

MIDDLE: Gara LaMarche, President andCEO of the Atlantic Philanthropies, speaksat the launch of Integrated Services in Schools

(ISS) at Orozco Community Academy.

BOTTOM: Coralia Barraza, Principal of Orozco Community Academy, leads

Jonathan Fanton, President of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation andGara LaMarche, on a tour of the school.

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To give disadvantaged middle school studentsthe chance to succeed in high school andbeyond, a school must provide more thanjust academics; it must also nurture students’health, families, and communities. That isthe theory behind LISC/Chicago’s newIntegrated Services in Schools (ISS) program,which got off to a running start this year.

Funded by an $18 million grant from theAtlantic Philanthropies with the ChicagoCommunity Trust as fiscal agent, ISS is creating networks of relationships between five Chicago schools and NewCommunities Program lead agencies. The goal is nothing less than transformingthe educational achievement and life out-comes of middle school students by sup-porting all aspects of their lives.

Chicago was chosen from among 30 citiesto receive the grant, and in turn five leadagencies within the New CommunitiesProgram selected school partners. The fiveschools are Ames Middle School in LoganSquare, which will partner with the LoganSquare Neighborhood Association; MarquetteElementary in Chicago Lawn, which will part-ner with the Southwest Organizing Project;Orozco Elementary in Pilsen, which will partner with The Resurrection Project;Perspectives-Calumet Middle School in Auburn Gresham, which will partner with the Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corporation, and ReavisElementary in Kenwood, which will partner with the Quad CommunitiesDevelopment Corporation. Each school and lead agency will also work with a community-based heath care partner, the local Center for Working Families®, and a range of other organizations to implement the ISS program.

See "ISS," Page 3

SUMMER 2008

Growing a Healthy

CommunityPG 2

Column by Brian White,

Lakeside CDCPG 3

Middle School in the U.S.PG 4

"Getting it Done"Conference Draws 1,000

PG 5

Briefs

PG 5

First Quarter LISC Grant & Loan ActivityBack Page

Working Capital

www.lisc-chicago.org

ONE NORTH LASALLE ST. 12TH FLOOR

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60602

(312) 360-0800

FAX (312) 360-0183Local Initiatives Support Corporation/Chicago

IN THIS ISSUE:

LISC/CHICAGOBoard of Advisors

CHAIRPerry Pero

The Northern Trust Co. (retired)

VICE CHAIRValerie JarrettThe Habitat Co.

David AndersonHighland Capital Enterprises

James CapraroGreater Southwest Development Corp.

Franklin Cole (Emeritus)Croesus Corporation

Katherine DonofrioIntegrys Energy Group

Dorothy EvenAllstate Insurance Company

DeShana ForneyIllinois Housing Development Authority

Laurence FreedJoseph Freed and Associates

Frances GrossmanShoreBank Corporation

Lori HealeyCity of Chicago Mayor’s Office

Daniel KaatzWashington Mutual

Michael LewisHarris Trust and Savings Bank

Wallace Lewis, Sr.State Farm Insurance Companies

John G. MarkowskiCommunity Investment Corporation

John NewmanArnold Randall

Chicago Department of Planning & Dev.

Hipolito RoldanHispanic Housing Development Corp.

Gene SaffoldJPMorgan Chase

Ellen SahliChicago Department of Housing

Scott SwansonCharter One Bank - Illinois

David VitaleChicago Public Schools

Thomas WeeksWeeksWeldon Development Company

Andrew J. MooneyExecutive Director

LISC/Chicago

LISC/Chicago’s New Communities Program (NCP) lead agencies and their partnershave been “Getting it Done” for five years now. On March 26-27, they shared their stories at a conference by that name with more than 1,000 community devel-opment practitioners from 57 cities across the country.

The conference featured a reception during which 28 “Community Heroes” from NCPcommunities were honored, evening events in three NCP neighborhoods that rangedfrom salsa dancing lessons to a walking tour of Garfield Park Conservatory, bus toursof five NCP neighborhoods, “tool kit” workshops on key aspects of comprehensivecommunity development, and roundtable discussions on issue topics such as theforeclosure crisis and the impact of immigration on community development.

Reflecting on the first five years of NCP, Bishop Arthur Brazier, chair of the NCPWoodlawn, sounded a hopeful note. “This has resulted in a dream no longerdeferred,” he said. “LISC offers our communities the best hope for economic and cultural sustainability. It’s deeply gratifying to see our plans become reality.”

Brazier noted that during the past four decades, most communities represented within NCP have experienced a “cycle of decline” in spite of the best efforts of com-munity-based groups. LISC provides the best of both worlds, he said, in that neigh-borhood resources are greatly augmented, but without giving up local control.

A sampling of those who attended the conference revealed a hunger to find outwhat’s working in Chicago – and how to transplant it.

Glenn Hudson of LISC/Richmond said he relished the opportunity to hear about NCP’s “holistic approach to sustainable communities – beyond bricks and mortar,concentrating on families, doing healthy community check-ups. One group does-n’t have to do it all. It’s critical that you’re bringing all the right partners.”

PAGE 5NFL, Bears, & LISCTeam Up for New

Football Field Evanston Township High School’s LazierField will get a new football field thanksin part to a $200,000 grant from theNational Football League GrassrootsProgram, a partnership between theNFL Youth Football Fund, the ChicagoBears, and LISC. The grant is part of$5.43 million in awards made nation-wide to community organizations revi-talizing playing fields in underservedneighborhoods. The new field will givean additional 1,000 young people a safeplace to play, including Evanston TownshipHigh School students, local youth sportsgroups and students at local schools.

LISC/ChicagoDirector Joins

AdvisoryCommittees

This spring, Mayor Daley choseAndrew Mooney, Executive Directorof LISC/Chicago, along with TheodoreSwain of Gould and Ratner, to lead ateam of experts in advising him on theissue of tax assessments and makinglong-term recommendations to reformCook County’s assessment system. Thetask force is part of the Mayor’s effort tomake the assessment system fair andmore predictable for property owners.

Mooney will also sit on a Commissionlaunched by the John S. and James L.Knight Foundation and the Aspen Instituteon the Information Needs of Communitiesin a Democracy. The commission, com-posed of national leaders in journalism,community development and policy,will look into whether the informationneeds of citizens and communities arebeing met and make recommendationsfor public policy and private initiativesthat will help better meet communityinformation needs.

First Quarter LISC Grant & Loan ActivityIn the first quarter of 2008, LISC/Chicago committed $1,058,115 in grants and loans to a wide vari-ety of projects across Chicago.

Seven agencies in the New Communities Program received grants totaling over $630,000 includinga grant of $12,125 to The Resurrection Project in Pilsen to support the planning of a capital campaign.

Through The Homestead Fund, a $96,000 loan was made to St. Edmund’s RedevelopmentCorporation for predevelopment expenses associated with a 53-unit mixed-income new construc-tion project.

The People’s Community Development Association of Chicago received a $50,000 grant from TheMain Street Fund to support the Philemon Restoration Project, which provides job training andplacement for ex-offenders in the East and West Garfield Park communities.

A broad spectrum of sixteen community organizations received grants from The Civic Life Fund,including the Puerto Rican Cultural Center, which received $16,300 to support two youth pro-grams – a greenhouse at Pedro Albizu Campos High School and a youth radio station.

The Leadership Fund made a $34,000 grant to Metropolitan Area Groups for IgnitingCivilization (MAGIC) to support 50 high school students in learning how to influence media.

"Getting it Done" Conference Draws 1,000

The Newsletter of the Chicago Program of Local Initiatives Support Corporation

Farmers' marketsbring communities

more than food NCP communities are finding creative ways toaddress the lack of grocery stores and fresh food.In Logan Square and Humboldt Park, and thissummer in Quad Communities, Englewood andWoodlawn, NCP partners are coordinating farm-ers’ markets that will increase neighborhoods’access to healthy food while providing positivepublic spaces to foster a sense of community.

Support for the markets from LISC/Chicagoincludes a $29,250 grant to the Quad CommunitiesDevelopment Corporation (QCDC) for a feasibilitystudy and marketing of the farmers’ market. Thestudy found overwhelming support for the initia-tive; 98% of survey respondents across all incomelevels said they would shop at a farmers’ market. Italso helped QCDC design the market in response tospecific community needs. According to BernitaJohnson-Gabriel, Executive Director of QCDC, themarket will have prepared foods, non-food vendorsand entertainment in addition to farmers’ stands.

“We wantit to bemore thana farmers’market,”Johnson-Gabr i e lsaid, cit-ing thecommu-n i t y ’ sneed fora neighborhood gathering place. “We want it tofeel more like an event every week.”

LISC/Chicago shares that enthusiasm. Accordingto Susana Vasquez, New Communities ProgramDirector for LISC/Chicago, many communitiesnamed providing public spaces and improving accessto healthy food as issues during their quality-of-lifeplanning process. “We’re proud to support proj-ects that address so many issues at once,” she said.

Integrated Services in Schools: Transforming schools, communities & lives

Students in ISS schools take advantage of tutoring,

academic and art programs.

The Greater Auburn-Gresham DevelopmentCorporation (GADC) leads Illinois SenatorDick Durbin on a tour of the Auburn GreshamNeighborhood. From left to right: 21st WardAlderman Howard B. Brookins, Jr.; BarbaraHolt, District Director, First Congressional District;Andrew Mooney, LISC/Chicago ExecutiveDirector; 17th Ward Alderman Latasha Thomas;Denise Nicholes, owner, Perfect Peace Café& Bakery; Senator Durbin; Julie Welborn,owner, Perfect Peace Café & Bakery; CarlosNelson, Executive Director, GADC; ErnestSanders, NCP organizer at GADC; CortezCarter, GADC Board President.

TOP LEFT: Bishop Arthur Brazier, Chair of NCP/Woodlawn, addresses

community leaders from across the nation at the Conference.

TOP RIGHT: Over 1,000 people gather from 57 cities across the

nation to attend the Conference.

LEFT: The community of South Chicago had plenty of accomplishments

to share at the Conference.

The NFL Grassroots Program will helpEvanston Township High School

revitalize its football field as it did forLane Tech High School, above, whereBrendon Ayanbadajo and AdewaleOgunleye helped the team warm upfor their first game on their new field.

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lisc/chicago · lisc/chicago’s new communities program (ncp) lead agencies and their partners...

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