U. S. REPRESENTATIVE DANNY K. DAVIS ANNOUNCED OVER $26 MILLION DOLLAR COMMUNITY PROJECTS

 U. S. REPRESENTATIVE DANNY K. DAVIS ANNOUNCED OVER $26 MILLION DOLLAR COMMUNITY PROJECTS
U. S. House of Representative Danny K. Davis announced at a press conference recently 25 community projects as part of the U. S. House of Representatives initiative.  The projects range from technology, healthcare, education, substance use treatment, mental health services, mentoring programs, affordable housing, and capital improvements.  Attendees included:
•             U. S. Rep. Danny K. Davis
•             Cook County Commissioner Dennis Deer
•             State Rep. Lakeisha Collins
•             Alderman Monique Scott 24th Ward
•             Christa Hamilton, President UCAN
•             Rukiya Curvey Johnson, Interim VP, Community Health Equity,  Rush University System for Health
•             Mayor Nathaniel Booker, Mayor of Maywood
•             Mr. Le Monte Booker, Field Museum's Chief Financial Officer
•             Mr. Sharif Walker, Bethel New Life
•             Lashunda Brown, Chief Officer of Quality and Impact
•             Ms. Jamie Noto, Executive Director, Youth Outreach Services
•             Neli Rowland, A Safe Haven
•             Isaac Lewis, Jr., Strategic Human Services/North Lawndale Community News
•             Representative from Sankofa
•             Representative from Introspect
U. S. House of Representative Danny K. Davis said, “When the U. S. House of Representatives revisited and brought back earmarks it was a great opportunity to strategically identify worthwhile community projects which might never receive funding, special needs, and increase the quality of life for marginalized communities.”
The community projects are a part of the U. S. House of Representatives’ earmarks which provide an opportunity for Members of Congress to identify community projects in their legislative districts.  Congressman Danny K. Davis’ community project include programs and capital projects across the 7th Congressional district, but also specifically in the following areas:

Cities in District:
Bellwood
Berkeley
City of Chicago
Forest Park
Maywood

Community Areas in Chicago:

North Lawndale

Downtown

East Garfield Park

West Garfield Park

Austin

Michigan Ave.

Englewood

Near Westside

U. S. Representative Danny K. Davis’

2023 funded Community Projects
A Safe Haven Foundation
•             The Behavioral Health Center Expansion Initiative project is a good use of taxpayer funds because it increases access to quality substance abuse and mental health services to disenfranchised adult men, women, and families experiencing or at-risk of homelessness to improve social, emotional, and economic well-being and stability.
•             $2,000,000

Ashunti Residential Management Systems, Inc.
•             The Ashunti Campus project is a good use of taxpayer funds because it increases long-term, residential, supportive housing for formerly-homeless individuals in Chicago to provide housing security and improve social, emotional, and economic well-being and stability.
•             $2,000,000

Bethel New Life, Inc.
•             The Mildred Wiley Wellness Hub project is a good use of taxpayer funds because creating a multi-faceted community wellness hub will greatly increase westside residents’ access to health, nutrition, and community services to improve well-being.
•             $750,000

City Colleges of Chicago, Malcolm X College
•             The Malcolm X College Initiatives for Minority Male Mentoring and EMT Diversity and Inclusion project is a good use of taxpayer funds because it would improve college and emergency services certification completion for low-income students underrepresented in higher education and the health fields.
•             $1,000,000

City of Chicago
•             This Prairie District Affordable Housing project is a good use of taxpayer funds because increasing affordable housing will improve housing security and community well-being for marginalized, low, and very low-income residents on the near south side of Chicago.
•             $2,000,000.

Field Museum of Natural History
•             The Field Museum Facilities Upgrades project is a good use of taxpayer funds because it would allow the world-famous Field Museum of Natural History to modernize its air-handling systems to improve energy efficiency, indoor air quality for its visitors and staff, and humidity levels to help safeguard its priceless collections as well as to significantly reduce its overall carbon footprint and operating expenses.
•             $2,000,000.
Mount Sinai Hospital
•             The Mount Sinai Hospital ICU Expansion project is a good use of taxpayer funds because renovating and expanding the Sinai Intensive Care Unit will help address the increased health needs of and improve the advanced health care quality for low-income residents on the westside of Chicago.
•             $2,000,000.

Mount Vernon Community Foundation
•             The Mount Vernon Affordable Housing and Community Services Expansion project is a good use of taxpayer funds because increasing affordable housing and community services on the westside of Chicago will increase housing security and community well-being for residents in under-resourced communities in Chicago.
•             $2,000,000.

Near North Health Service Corporation
•             The Near North Health’s Center Infrastructure Improvement project is a good use of taxpayer funds because it would improve access to affordable, high-quality primary and specialty healthcare for residents living in communities lacking primary care, mental health, and oral health services and who have been disproportionately affected by persistent, pre-existing health and economic disparities.
•             $2,000,000.

New Age Services Corporation
•             The Expansion of New Age Services Corporation’s Client Center Treatment project is a good use of taxpayer funds because it increases access to substance abuse and mental health services to help individuals improve social, emotional, and economic stability.
•             $600,000.
 
Primo Center for Women and Children
•             The Trauma-Informed Network of Care for Chicago’s South and Westsides (TIN for Chicago) project is a good use of taxpayer funds because providing trauma-informed mental health services to homeless children experiencing trauma will improve their social-emotional well-being while improving the coordinated trauma-informed care network on the south and westsides of Chicago.
•             $800,000.

Strategic Human Services
•             The Strategic Human Services Youth Employment Intervention and Media Podcast Training Program project is a good use of taxpayer funds because out-of-school programs that develop the journalism skills of high school students promote interest in and expand diversity within the high-demand careers of communications and media as well as strengthen pre-employment and college readiness skills.
•             $832,140.

UCAN
•             The Expansion of UCAN Services Supporting Foster Youth and Community Wellbeing project is a good use of taxpayer funds because expanding social services to foster youth and community well-being programs will improve the economic and social-emotional welfare of youth and community safety.
•             $1,000,000.

United Cerebral Palsy Seguin of Greater Chicago
•             The Supportive Living, Community Day Services, and Housing Site Project for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities project is a good use of taxpayer dollars because expanding the array of supportive and affordable housing for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities will improve housing security and social-emotional well-being for vulnerable individuals.
•             $750,000

Youth Outreach Services
•             The Ensuring & Empowering Homeless Youth in IL07: Independence, Life Skills & Workforce Development project is an important use of taxpayer funds because it expands the array of affordable housing and support services for homeless youth which will improve housing security and social, emotional, and economic well-being of vulnerable individuals.
•             $750,000
 
FY22 Funded Projects
Austin People’s Action Center   $450,000              
Providing funding for technology training to disadvantaged and marginalized youth is a good use of taxpayer funds because it provides pathways to engage in education, encourage post secondary education in technology fields, and reduce the racial tech gap.

Bright Leadership Institute          $502,500              
Providing funding to expand out-of-school programs that provide mentoring and enrichment, career and entrepreneurship opportunities, and coding experience to youth ages 12-18 is a good use of taxpayer funds because it helps reconnect youth at-risk for disengagement from school or criminal justice involvement to their communities.

Centers for New Horizons            $450,000              
Providing funding for the renovation of the historic Elam House is a good use of taxpayer funds because it will substantially expand critical social services to women and children with histories of trauma and poverty.

East-West University     $240,000              
Providing funding to upgrade administrative and educational technology is a good use of taxpayer funds because it strengthens student services and increases student success in courses and completion.

Fifth City Chicago Reformulation Corporation    $475,000
Providing funding for facility renovations of a local community center is a good use of taxpayer funds because it will substantially expand access to important social services - such as job training, food assistance, and youth activities.

Habilitative Systems, Inc.             $500,000             
Providing funding for facility renovations and equipment is a good use of taxpayer funds because it continues essential physical and mental health services in a safe and fully-accessible environment.

Rush University Medical Center $650,000              
Providing funding for high-caliber information technology programming in Chicago is a good use of taxpayer dollars because it helps youth who are currently under-represented in STEM fields to enter and succeed in these in-demand, well-paying careers. 

Sankofa Safe Child Initiative       $265,892              
Providing funding to expand trauma-informed mental health services to adolescents involved with the juvenile justice system and their families is a good use of taxpayer dollars because programs like these have been shown to counteract negative outcomes such as mental health disorders, aggression, and continued involvement with the criminal justice system.

Urban Transformation Network                $263,885
Providing funding to expand out-of-school programs in urban agriculture and green technology via aquaponics to high school students is a good use of taxpayer funds because it develops interest in and expands diversity within careers related to science and urban agriculture.

Village of Maywood       $620,969             
Providing funding for law-enforcement-led youth-engagement activities is a good use of taxpayer dollars because it promotes positive relationships with residents and provides educational and cultural opportunities for youth.

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