Early Wednesday morning July 7th, 2010, ONE and LAC travelled with leaders from EZRA, Mercy Housing Lakefront, and Lincoln Park Community Shelter to City Hall. Stephanie Sideman from EZRA led the bus chants hailing “What do we want?” “Affordable Housing!” “When do we want it?” “Now!” All of the leaders and staff were gearing up for a day of excitement, learning, and the progression of the Sweet Home Chicago Ordinance in City Council. We listened in the City Hall chamber as Julie Dworkin, Director of Policy from the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless and Alderman Walter Burnett, Jr. gave an overview of the ordinance and fielded questions. Many alderman such as Thomas Tunney, Helen Shiller and Ariel Reboyras, asked very challenging questions and discussed how the ordinance would impact TIF funds throughout the city and individual wards.
In addition, we had many leaders from all of the Coalition’s organizations present testimonies in support of the ordinance. Doug Baschiere from the Lawrence House represented ONE and did an amazing job discussing how the Sweet Home Chicago campaign could improve his living residence and many others. After a long day, we finally returned to the bus and as we ate lunch we were able to debrief the events of the day and hear feedback from the leaders. Many of our leaders were curious as to when we would have a vote that would take the ordinance out of the Joint Finance and Housing Committee. It looks as though that will happen at the next hearing on July 28th. At this point, we have 26 aldermen in support of the ordinance. With the help of Business and Professional People for the Public Interest (BPI), the Coalition has been working hard to gain more support.
Heartland Health Outreach, part of Heartland Alliance, an ONE member, is commemorating its 25th anniversary through a series of events this year. The celebration will culminate in the dedication of a grove of 25 trees along Uptown's lake shore. The event will take place on Thursday, July 29 from 8:45 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Randall Doubet-King, former ONE president, will help to officiate, and Li-Young Lee, a renowned poet who resides in Uptown, will read one of his poems.
HHO provides vital healthcare services that support the stability of our communities and save lives every day. The organization began providing services in 1985, after receiving a health care for the homeless demonstration grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Pew Memorial Trusts in December, 1984.
“At the time,” reports Heidi Nelson, HHO Executive Director, “Harold Washington was the mayor of the City of Chicago, and remembering back to that time, he was the first public official to recognize the serious problem of homelessness in the city.”
HHO's health center moved to Uptown in 1994 with the support of ONE and its member institutions, including Weiss Hospital, as well as Aldermen Helen Shiller and Mary Ann Smith. Mental health services were expanded in the 1990’s through the ACCESS demonstration, which led to the development of Pathway’s Home, providing permanent supportive housing in Uptown for residents with multiple chronic health issues. Oral health services and interpreting services were also added in that decade.
HHO has established itself as a national model for providing healthcare to some of the most vulnerable populations in our community. Like many ONE members, HHO is facing potentially drastic cuts to their service provision on account of the state budget crisis. Staff and program participants have worked together with ONE and the Responsible Budget Coalition to push legislative leadership to craft a responsible budget that does not cut mental health services, raise class sizes in CPS, or cut other vital services. Most recently, two staff members from HHO volunteered to become deputy registrars in order to help register and educate voters on the issues that directly impact our community.
Heidi Nelson, who is leaving HHO and Chicago after 18 years at HHO's helm, reflects, “we would not be the organization we are today without the strong support of this amazing and unique community. Uptown will always value and protect diversity of all kinds, and welcome the newcomer. That is what HHO, ONE and Uptown are all about.”
While surely it is sad news for our community that we are losing the leadership of Heidi Nelson, we wish her and her family the best of luck. Ms. Nelson will be directing an agency in Massachusetts that provides healthcare to people who are homeless. Take care and best wishes from ONE!
The July 29 event will feature a drumming group, reflections on the meaning of trees, and refreshments. It will take place 8:45-10:00 a.m. on North Simonds Drive, just north of Lawrence and east of Lake Shore Drive. R.S.V.P. to Bianca at 773-751-1739. Reservations for this event are preferred but not required.
Every year on June 30th the CeaseFire program is thrown into the budgetary spin cycle, with youth and community getting the short end of the stick. CeaseFire is a proven program that engages high-risk youth in an effort to address violence.
ONE and the CeaseFire team held a prayer vigil and barbeque at the corner of Thorndale and Winthrop on June 30th. The vigil was to stress the point that CeaseFire is a much needed program for our community. Ending CeaseFire at a time when the level of youth activity is at its highest makes no sense. Many of these youth experience inconsistency in every aspect of their daily lives, and need programs such as CeaseFire to change their thoughts about violence and its negative effects on a community. In many instances, the mentorship of the CeaseFire team is the only consistent positive communication these youth receive. To end this program when community safety is at risk only shows that the State of Illinois plays a lead role in being inconsistent.
CeaseFire would like to extend thanks to the local clergy, community and staff of ONE that participated in the vigil. Many voices make a difference.
Working in collaboration with the Better Government Association, the Board of Elections and the University of Illinois in Chicago, ONE is bringing a new level of civic skills to the north side of Chicago with our Summer Training Series. See the documents attached below for registration information!
The trainings will take place on July 20, 21, 27 and August 3. The topics are as follows:
Citizen Watchdog Trainings with the Better Government Association
7pm on July 20 and 27 at Loyola University
Citizen Watchdog Training teaches you how to keep an eye on government. Veteran investigative journalists, professors and legal professionals share their watchdog tricks of the trade. You’ll learn about the structure of government, basic journalism skills, and the ins-and-outs of the Freedom of Information Act. Plus, you’ll hear from whistle-blowers who exposed corruption and demanded change. We’ll work with you to investigate government waste and corruption, and we’ll show you how to advocate for reform.
Deputy Registrar Training with the Chicago Board of Elections
12:30 on July 21 at North Shore Baptist Church
Become deputized to register your friends and neighbors to vote!
Understanding and Organizing Around TIFs with UIC Community Scholars
12noon on August 3 at Truman College
Come learn about an exciting new tool for organizing around TIFs developed in collaboration with the School of Urban Planning at UIC!
Be sure to register for these trainings quickly because space is limited. Call ONE if you have any questions. 773-769-3232
Youth representatives from Voices of Youth in Chicago Education (VOYCE) had a meeting scheduled on June 21 with Drew Beres, Special Assistant to Chicago Public Schools’ Chief Executive Officer, Ron Huberman. The purpose of this meeting was to secure funding for VOYCE-sponsored freshman retreats at several CPS high schools throughout the city. At 10:00, VOYCE youth from seven different community organizations marched upstairs and waited, only to be disappointed by Mr. Beres not showing up. Bernard McCune, acting director of the CPS Office of College and Career Preparation, arrived in place of Mr. Beres. As the meeting started, VOYCE youth were informed that the department Mr. McCune heads cannot fund VOYCE retreats. As a result, VOYCE youth mobilized a plan to attend the upcoming board meeting in order to express their need for financial support from CPS.
The day of the board meeting was June 23. Some VOYCE youth woke as early as 4:00 in the morning in order to be in line at 5:30 a.m. so they could secure a position on the meeting agenda. Youth wore VOYCE t-shirts in an array of colors, showing their unity and strength. When the board meeting started, Mr. Beres approached VOYCE youth to ask them not to speak during the board meeting. After seeing all the different colored VOYCE shirts in the room, Mr. Beres pledged to meet with VOYCE in the next week. In spite of Mr. Beres’ plea, VOYCE youth testified to the board. The powerful pleas of the youth caught the ear of Mary Richardson-Lowry, President of the Board of Education.
On the day of the scheduled meeting with Mr. Beres, VOYCE youth filled a conference room at Dyett High School and gave a powerful presentation on VOYCE and its impact. As the meeting concluded, CPS officials asked VOYCE youth to submit budget reports and told them to expect funding soon. By organizing and unifying around one common goal, VOYCE youth have shown CPS the seriousness of supporting young people and their ideas on education reform.
This year, for the first time, Goudy School’s No Child Left Behind Parent Advisory Committee hosted a Parent Fair. The fair was very successful because it was attended by parents and community members alike. Organizations presenting at the fair included Alternatives, the Vietnamese Association of Illinois, Christopher House, LIFT, Chinese Mutual Aid Association, Northside Community Federal Credit Union, Asian Human Services, the Chicago Fire Department and more. All of these organizations came and shared resources, informing parents and community members of different programs available in our community. The success of this fair is a great achievement for the Goudy School NCLB/PAC.
By: Salvador Perez, 6th Grade Teacher
Daniel Boone Elementary School
“ A community school? In our school? It doesn’t sound like a good idea.”
“It will increase the operating costs and these people are going to be
using our classrooms and facilities. Who is going to be supervising them?”
“Are the instructors qualified to teach these children?”
These were some of the staff comments and questions that arose at Daniel Boone Elementary when we received the proposal to implement a Community School Program in our school in 2003. A significant portion of the faculty was resistant to the idea of other members of the community “invading our school.” Finally, after several meetings in which the potential benefits of the Community School were analyzed, we decided to give it a try.
It was worth it. After six years of service, the Community School has proven to be an extremely effective way of providing academic and extracurricular activities and services for our students and their families.
Prior to the implementation of our Community School, teachers provided some after-school programs, but these were mostly limited to remedial academic programs.
Through the Community School program, our school now offers a large variety of programs for diverse ages and interests such as the “Stretch and Grow” and the “Clap, Sing and Read” programs for kindergarteners and the Homework Club, Book Club and Drama Club for older students. Soccer, Gymnastics, Yoga and Volleyball classes are available for those students who prefer kinesthetic activity. For our diverse community, we offer computer classes and language programs such as English as a second language, Spanish, Arabic and Assyrian.
I am one of two teachers working in the 5th and 6th grade Homework Club and I love it. It has giving me the opportunity and the luxury to work on a one-to-one basis with some of the most needy students in our school and really make a difference in their education by been available to them when they need me. The Community School program has proven to be an effective way of providing essential academic and extracurricular opportunities for our students and their families.
Congratulations to the following Raffle Prize Winners. Please claim your prize at the ONE Office, 4648 N. Racine, Chicago, IL 60640. Hours: M-F, 9:00-5:00
GRAND PRIZE: Two Tickets to anywhere in the Continental US
WINNER: Willie Tello
$25.00 Pasha Restaurant Gift Card (I)
WINNER: Andaaz Jewelers
$25.00 Pasha Restaurant Gift Card (II)
WINNER: Ya Chun Chai Chan
$25.00 Pasha Restaurant Gift Card (III)
WINNER: Adrian Sanchez
$25.00 Pasha Restaurant Gift Card (IV)
WINNER: Tin Lay
Ethiopian Diamond Gift Card
WINNER: Vincente Mojica
$25.00 BP Gas Gift Card
WINNER: Rosario Guillen
TWO Cubs Tickets
WINNER: Deannat Shelby
Stuffed Animal with ONE T-shirt
WINNER: Maria Kokitko
Francis Ellis Candles (Retail $50)
WINNER: Knox
Two tickets to "The Freshmen" Comedy Group
WINNER: Jimmy
Free Hand Car Wash (I)
WINNER: Marina Vasquez
Free Hand Car Wash (II)
WINNER: OU Wenya
Free Hand Car Wash (III)
WINNER: Georgie Hoskins
Four Tickets House of Blues Gospel Brunch ($150 value)
WINNER: Ludie Harris
Yoga Class
WINNER: Luke Prucnai
$10 Gift Certificate Urban Bikes (I)
WINNER: Blanca Brito
$10 Gift Certificate Urban Bikes (II)
WINNER: Rentas/Depaul
$10 Gift Certificate Urban Bikes (III)
WINNER: Irene Granador
$10 Gift Certificate Urban Bikes (IV)
WINNER: Hwang Yin Wen
$10 Gift Certificate Urban Bikes (V)
WINNER: Mario Aguilar
$10 Gift Certificate Urban Bikes (VI)
WINNER: Martha Pineda
Las Ramblas Gift Certificate
WINNER: Manching Wong
Doug Baschiere, Lawrence House resident and member of the tenant organization, says he has faith things can change for Lawrence House if they can persuade owners Sam and Don Menetti to keep the building up.
Lawrence House residents “take the Moses approach” with vigil
Doug Baschiere, Lawrence House resident and member of the tenant organization, says he has faith things can change for Lawrence House if they can persuade owners Sam and Don Menetti to keep the building up.
It was more of a collective, spiritual groan than anything. Hundreds of people gathered on the street Monday evening – singing, praying, raising their hands – all petitioning for the same thing: that the residents of Lawrence House be kept safe from harm.
It wasn’t just hypothetical. This Sunday, there was yet another fire in the 12-story Uptown building when a 5th floor unit caught on fire while its occupant was at church. Five people were sent to the hospital for smoke inhalation, although there were no futher injuries and the cause of the fire is still unknown.
To many residents, the struggle to fix serious building code violations, problems with pests, vermin and the like has become a religious one. Doug Baschiere compares the tenant organization to Moses, continually asking Pharoah to free his people.
“We pray that you can change the hearts of those who can make decisions,” prayed one local pastor, while another asked for, “freedom from dirt and freedom from vermin.”
Baschiere, who’s lived in Lawrence House for almost 3 years, says he wants to try and be more diplomatic with the building’s owners, Don and Sam Menetti, who’ve been blamed for the building’s problems.
He’s had his own problem with roaches and mice and seen quite a few of his neighbors struggle to get work orders done or deal with the building staff.
“We know it’s never going to become a triple-A hotel, but we do want to try to keep things comfortable and appealing,” says Baschiere.
He acknowledges that the Menettis have fixed some code violations, and he wonders what the real costs are for operating the building, or if the family keeps the building for tax write-off purposes. Baschiere says they might never really know, but in the mean time, he’ll keep petitioning for things to change.
“Moses just kept coming back to Pharoah,” he says. “You can wear a person out that way. Hopefully, something will change.”
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Activists interrupt yuppie dinner plans to talk about rats, mice and bedbugs in low-income housing
I felt like a secret agent, standing at the intersection of North, Milwaukee and Damen at nightfall Wednesday, waiting for something to happen. I glanced from side to side, wondering where the action might come from and when it would start.
A few seconds later, they arrived. A load of protesters on a bus, who started chanting as soon as they filed out of their seats.
“Slum landlords have got to go!” they shouted, taking over the sidewalk that surrounds the Wicker Park Tavern, a swanky bar in the Northside neighborhood owned by brothers Sam and Don Menetti.
Why were activists taking to the streets in this upscale neighborhood, outside a club? Well, the Menettis don’t just own a bunch of city bars – they also own the Lawrence House, a low-income apartment building in Uptown. The activists, from Organization for the North East and other housing organizations in Chicago, were there to deliver a message to the Menettis: they say conditions there have been deteriorating for years and something needs to be done about it.
Tenants complain of vermin, pests, security problems and fire code violations. They’ve petitioned for repairs, but say they’ve gotten no answers.
They delivered a letter to the Menettis, but as you can see in the video (around 1:10), it was not well received. Sam Menetti threw the letter back in lead activist, Cory Muldoon’s face, and reportedly shouted, “I’m going to f*@& you up.” Later, Cory told me that a student reporter asked the Menetti brothers for comment, and they told them to tell Cory that if he was looking to get hurt, he was on the right track. ONE has since filed a police report.
It was one of the best protests I’ve ever been to for three reasons: it was fun, it was short, and it got to people who usually don’t give a damn about subsidized housing conditions.
It’s not that people who are well-off are heartless jerks who don’t care that others are suffering. Big hearts and grinches come in all colors, shapes, sizes and socioeconomic statuses. It’s just that when you’ve got a lovely condo and can afford to go out for dinner on a warm summer night, you forget about suffering because you’re not suffering.
And so protesters reminded them of it, in a space where they couldn’t escape. Surprisingly, people on the street and in the restaurant seemed genuinely interested in what was going on and didn’t react with anger.
Activists, yuppies, low-income communities – they all need each other. We need to share and hear the concerns of our neighbors and collaborate on solutions. People who have means and the ears of their elected officials need to know about the suffering that their neighbors are facing.
I’ll have more about what’s going on at Lawrence House and with other Menetti properties soon. Keep your eyes peeled for action.
