STATE FARM ROLLS OUT GRANT FOR NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
Individuals and organizations are once again able to win $25,000 in grant money for neighborhood improvement projects with State Farm’s Neighborhood Assist program. Last year, there were four Illinois organizations that won.
IL Department on Aging Celebrates Older Americans Month
May is Older Americans Month in Illinois and the state’s Department on Aging (IDoA) is encouraging all Illinoisans to build strength in the lives of our older adults. “Communities of Strength” is the theme of this year’s recognition, which highlights the differences everyone can make in the lives of the state’s more than 2.8 million older adults and in support of our more than 600,000 caregivers.
READI CHICAGO RECEIVES $2 MILLION INVESTMENT
READI Chicago has received a $2 million investment from JP Morgan Chase. The investment will allow the organization to continue to be able to provide resources to men at risk of gun violence involvement.
Chicago Loop Alliance announces Sundays on State, invites community to get involved
Chicago Loop Alliance is launching an ambitious open streets project called Sundays on State that would see parts of State Street in the Loop closed to vehicle traffic for up to 12 Sundays this summer. The organization is inviting members of the community to get involved and share their ideas.
Study Reveals Moms Consider Face Coverings to Be an Ongoing Family Essential
At the outset of the pandemic, Yaron Shemesh, CEO of Creative Home Ideas, immediately marshalled his company’s extensive resources to help provide masks for first responders and healthcare workers.
FOUNDATION SEEKS TO CLOSE THE RACIAL AND ETHNIC WEALTH GAP
Chicago Community Trust is more than 100 years old, but its mission of bringing greater equity and economic development to the Chicagoland region remains the same. Dr. Helene Gayle is the president and CEO of Chicago Community Trust. She said the community foundation is able to connect philanthropy to impact because there is a broad base of donors who want to invest in the community. “We work with donors who want to invest in the Chicago region and help to connect them to opportunities that can allow them to use their dollars in ways that make the biggest difference,” Gayle said.
McDonald’s partners with the Biden Administration to provide trusted, independent information on COVID-19 vaccines
As part of our ongoing efforts to support communities and local neighborhoods during the COVID-19 pandemic, McDonald’s is partnering with the Biden Administration to make access to information on vaccines even easier for the millions of customers who enjoy McDonald’s each day in the U.S.
Pritzker now says budget can include added $350 million for K-12 schools
Citing an “improved” economic outlook, Gov. JB Pritzker recently announced his support to increase evidence-based education funding in the state by $350 million in fiscal year 2022 which begins July 1. In his February budget proposal, Pritzker originally proposed flat spending for education, citing “financial uncertainty” amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fleeting, a Black-Owned Company Receives $500,000 Investment from NBA Star Kyrie Irving and New Fund Lockstep Ventures
Fleeting, a Black-owned commercial trucking and fleet management services company, recently announced that it received a seed round investment of $500,000 from Kyrie Irving, NBA superstar and founder of new consulting firm, KAI 11 Consulting, and Lockstep Ventures, the new venture fund founded by Michael Loeb, Bonin Bough, and Marcus Glover.
Young, Gifted and Black Author Releases His 3rd Urban Fantasy Novel
In his new book, Hood Fuller brings a unique perspective to the fantasy genre where African-American authors and characters are far underrepresented. “Particularly in the comic book industry at least among the titans of Marvel and DC, there is definitely a lopsided playing field when it comes to black representation and white representation. I personally want to see more black people suiting up,” Hood says.
Illinois Humanities to distribute over $1M to Illinois cultural institutions affected by the pandemic
Illinois Humanities announced that it will begin accepting applications today for 2021 COVID-19 Emergency Relief and Recovery Grants. More than $1M in funding for these grants has been made possible by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 through the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Former Evanston Alderwoman Receives Urban One Honors Award
Robin Rue Simmons, Reparations advocate and former Evanston alderwoman, is an award recipient of the annual Urban One Honors which highlighs the exemplary accomplishments of African American women around the country. Rue Simmons is the architect of the nation’s first funded municipal Reparations legislation, sparking local legislative efforts nationwide and raising awareness around the HR40 bill seeking to progress federal Reparations. This year’s Urban One Honors theme is “Women Leading the Change,” where Rue Simmons and her many contributions to the Reparations movement, including her “solutions only” leadership style, will be acknowledged for her meaningful impact within the Black community and beyond.
Community Covid-19 Vaccination Clinic Friday, May 21st At Village Leadership Academy In the South Loop
] It Takes A Village Family of Schools, in partnership with The Rana-Reagan Pharmacy, UI Health, Miles Square Health Center, and IMPACT, is hosting a community covid-19 vaccination clinic this Friday, May 21st from 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM. The event will be held at Village Leadership Academy, located in the South Loop at 800 S Wells St.
HOUSING GAINS COULD GROW BLACK WEALTH MORE THAN $500 BILLION IN A DECADE
Incremental increases in homeownership rates and home values among Black households would help shrink the current $3 trillion racial wealth gap by hundreds of billions of dollars over the next decade, according to a new Zillow analysis.
ADOPTION ADVOCATE PENS ‘MY JOURNEY TO JOSHUA
Deborah Farmer always knew she wanted to foster a child and possibly one day adopt a child through foster care.
Ben Nortman Named Co-Chair of the All Stars Project of Chicago
The All Stars Project of Chicago (ASP of Chicago), a nonprofit organization that sponsors Afterschool Development programs for inner-city youth in Chicago, recently announced that veteran business and philanthropic leader Ben Nortman, executive vice president of Hilco Global and CEO of Hilco Merchant Resources, has been named co-chair of its board.
Making It Plain: What Black America Needs to Know about COVID-19 and Vaccines
With spring in the air and summer breezes soon to follow, I know we’re all anxious to get our pre-pandemic lives back and enjoy the rituals and routines we hold so dear. However, the United States isn’t quite out of the woods before it conquers COVID-19. Vaccine hesitancy and variants are still hanging in the balance, which could hinder our path to herd immunity.
SOUTHLAND COLLEGE PREP CLASS OF 2021 ALL ACCEPTED INTO COLLEGE
All 138 seniors at Southland College Prep Charter High School have been accepted into college. To commemorate the accomplishment, the class hosted a virtual “All-In” Celebration.
ConocoPhillips Heads Diversity and Inclusion Eff orts in the Oil and Gas Industry
With projections that half of its workforce will consist of minorities by 2040, the oil and gas industry has continued to recruit individuals of color, women, veterans, and groups that have been mainly underrepresented. At ConocoPhillips, Shawn Green and Maalika Moore-Thomas each take an optimistic approach to recruiting some of the best minority talent and minds.
