South Side Sanctuary Recognized With Community Development Award
South Side Sanctuary Recognized With Community Development Award
By Tia Carol Jones
South Side Sanctuary received the Chicago Neighborhood Development Award (CNDA) John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Creative Places Award during a recent ceremony. South Side Sanctuary is a POP Plaza located at 47th and King Drive that is a collaborative effort by OASES and I Am Your Village, the non-profit arm of the Nascent Group.
The CNDA is organized by the Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC) Chicago and recognizes non-profit and for-profit developers whose goals are to build a healthier Chicago metro area. This was the 31st year for the awards. Projects that receive John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Creative Places award, leverage culture, creativity and the arts as a way to serve the community’s interest, as well as drive an agenda of growth, transformation and change in a way that builds character and brings people together.
Caroline Goldstein, Deputy Director of LISC Illinois, said South Side Sanctuary was chosen for the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Creative Places award because of its programming and engagement with the community, as well as its design and responsiveness to the community. She said the thoughtful activations that take place there also made it a great choice to receive the award. She said every year the level of innovation, creativity and community responsiveness amongst all the applicants keeps being elevated.
Goldstein said what makes the CNDA unique is that everyone who applies gets a site visit. While every organization that applies doesn’t receive an award, it does provide them with opportunities to network with other leaders in community development. Goldstein said she has heard stories of how during the application site visit process, relationships are formed and, on the ground, connections are made.
Jasmine Michaels is the CEO and Founder of the Sanctuary Development and Regenerative Investment Firm, OASES. Michaels said that she has always had a passion for community well-being. She realized there was a lack of safe gathering spaces on the South Side and a lack of spaces that could support entrepreneurship in a healthy way. South Side Sanctuary was an opportunity to model both things that could contribute to having a healthier community. Michaels said the philosophy of the space is rooted in wellness.
“Within just the first couple of months after our opening, within the first four months, we actually hosted over a 100 unique programs and events,” she said.
Michaels said the programs fell into four categories: Arts and culture, sports and recreation, integrative wellness and entrepreneurship. There have been open mic nights, weekly farmers markets, vendor markets and festivals. One event that really resonated with Michaels was called Abundance. The event, which was funded by the Field Foundation, brought together local vendors, wellness related organizations, as well as food from Peach’s and Bronzeville Soul, and fresh produce giveaways. She said the goal was to show the community that abundance was something the community should be comfortable with and to demonstrate a sense of well-being and accessibility around sustainable luxury. She said that for a lot of people, access to clean, healthy food feels like a luxury.
“Winning the CNDA award was really an emotional experience for our team. Development is not for the faint of heart; it is a complex process, it is time consuming and for developers of color, it can also feel unattainable to enter the field of development. For me, this was a breakthrough recognition,” Michaels said, adding that it demonstrated that their partners see the value of investing in community.
OASES is developing sanctuary spaces in partnership with It Takes a Village Family of Schools, in Bronzeville; Bethel New Life Inc., in Austin and West Garfield Park; Austin Food Ecosystem in Austin; as well as other organizations. Michaels said receiving the CNDA award was encouragement to continue to do the work, as well as a huge honor to be around other developers who are doing such powerful work.
For more about the LISC Chicago CNDA, visit www.lisc-cnda.org.
Latest Stories
- Resume Boot Camp Teaches Young People Career Readiness Skills
- Organization Works To Help Communities Create Municipal Grocery Stores
- Liberation Stories Shows The Narrative Power Of Social Justice Movements
- Artist Is Expanding Story Of Iconic Characters With Graphic Novel Series
- South Side Sanctuary Recognized With Community Development Award
Latest Podcast
STARR Community Services International, Inc.
