The State Of The Southland: Rich Township

Calvin Jordan has been the Rich Township Supervisor since 2020. Photo provided by STH Media.
Calvin Jordan has been the Rich Township Supervisor since 2020. Photo provided by STH Media.

The State Of The Southland: Rich Township

By Tia Carol Jones

Rich Township was incorporated in 1850 and includes 10 municipalities: Country Club Hills, Flossmoor, Hazel Crest, Homewood, Matteson, Olympia Fields, Park Forest, Richton Park, Tinley Park and University Park. According to the U.S census, the Township’s population is more than 76,000. According to the Rich Township website, the Township is 74.1 % African American, 16.17% white, 1.1% Asian, 2.9% other and 4.9% multiracial.

Calvin Jordan has been the Rich Township Supervisor since 2020. Jordan has served as a Rich Township Trustee (1993) and served as the Township’s Highway Commissioner from 2001 to 2021. Jordan said he ran for office because he wanted to make a difference.

Growing up in Arkansas, he worked on political campaigns and saw the difference that those elected officials made in the community. Jordan has been ensuring that residents of the 10 municipalities encompassed in the Township are aware of the programs, services and resources that are available to them, while also educating people about township government.

Rich Township has a Youth Empowerment program that aims to build confidence, encourage young people to make positive choices and develop leadership skills. The goal of the program is to educate, inspire and support the next generation of leaders. The Rich Township Food Pantry distributes food from 1p.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, out of the Leonard Robinson Administration Center, which is located at 22013 Governors Highway, in Richton Park, Ill.

The food pantry provides groceries and personal care items to Rich Township residents who meet the Emergency Food Program Income Eligibility Guidelines. Delivery service is also available to Township residents who are homebound. People who wish to donate to the food pantry can do so from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Senior Services Department hosts events for township residents who are 55-years old and older and provides services including home delivered meals.

“We make a difference in what we do, whether it is general assistance, helping those who don’t have or the pantry, people coming in and needing food …with the Senior program, people come in, they exercise, they stay engaged, we take them on trips,” Jordan said.

Jordan said that he works with his team, which includes Clerk Arlene M. “Sugar” Al-Amin; Township Assessor Sam A. Brown, CIAO; Township Highway Commissioner Dennis A. White, Esq.; and Trustees Nicholas P. Bobis, Steven R. Burris, Candyce Herron and Jacquelyn M. "Jackie" Small, to engage the mayors and administrators of the municipalities to find out what the Township can do and what the residents need. He said he also works with elected officials on the state level. He said being able to lead means constant collaboration and partnerships.

Jordan said his vision for Rich Township is to see property tax reform, so that homeowners do not have to bear so much of the burden. He said that while the residents who live in the Township enjoy where they live, the taxes can be a lot. He also wants to ensure that residents have activities, from families to seniors, so that they can participate within the Township. Rich Township received the Township of the Year Award in 2024, and Jordan received the Supervisor of the Year Award in 2023 from Townships of Illinois. Recently, Jordan received the 2025 President’s Award from the Townships of Illinois organization.

For more information about Rich Township, visit www.richtownship.org, call 708-748-6722, or email contactus@richtownship.org.

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