Community Focus

GARTH CONSTRUCTION RECEIVES HIGH HONOR

The Chicago ­Department of transportation has selected Garth Construction­ Services, Corp. as the Outstanding Minority Contractor of the Year for their work installing precast, granite and limestone elements as part of the the Chicago Riverwalk Project.

NEARLY 15,000 HOURS CODED IN FIRST THREE WEEKS OF CHICAGO’S INAUGURAL “CODE60+” CHALLENGE

Chicago students are yet again leading the pack in computer science and digital learning, with nearly 15,000 hours of coding completed by youth in just the last three weeks. As part of the City of Chicago’s Code 60+ Challenge, an unprecedented six-week campaign that builds on the global Hour of Code, the City of Chicago, Chicago Public Schools (CPS), and Chicago City of Learning (CCOL) have already connected 164 schools, and nearly 8,000 youth from communities across the city to a network of coding opportunities in classrooms, in communities, at home and online that will continue throughout the winter break and through January 13.

Teamsters Black Caucus brings job opportunities to the south side

To offer local residents an opportunity to earn a decent living wage, the Chicago Chapter for the Teamster National Black Caucus sponsored their first annual job fair, December 12th at The Rink, 1122 East 87th Street, located in the heart of the Eighth Ward.

Thornton Township wins Township of the Year

Thornton Township received the Illinois Township of the Year award at the annual Township of Illinois Annual Educational Conference in Springfield recently. The township received the award previously in 2004 and 2008.

'Blacknificent Mile' becomes focus on 79th Street

In memory of an economic development pioneer who advocated for black economics, Project 5,000 dedicated the recent grand opening of the BIZ BOP (Building Our Prosperity) business center located at 642-644 E. 79th Street, to Dr. Webb Evans, a black Chicago economist remembered for his ‘buy black’ advocacy.

Roosevelt Alumni Chapter names lounge after late Chicago Mayor

In commemoration of the legacy of the first Black mayor of Chicago, Roosevelt University South Side Alumni Chapter has named a student lounge in honor of the late Mayor Harold Washington.

Chicago organization wins $30k from Mazda and NBCUniversal

Mazda North American Operations (MNAO), through the Mazda Drive for Good® charity program and its annual partnership with NBCUniversal, has selected My Block, My Hood, My City as the recipient of $30,000 in goods and services as part of its Mazda Drive for Good contest.

LOCAL HEAD-START HOSTS FRIENDSHIP CEREMONY FOR PRESCHOOLERS

Altgeld Early Learning Center will host its first annual Friendship Wedding initiative Saturday, December 10th, at its learning center, 941 East 132nd Street. The center will host a mock wedding for 38 preschoolers, ages 2-5, according to Jennifer Sims, site director for the Altgeld Early Learning Center.

SEVEN BEST-FRIENDS PEN BOOK

CHICAGO – Who’s your BFF – best friend for life? That’s an easy question for the girlfriends who comprise The Force of Friendship. “All seven of us!” they enthusiastically reply with such harmony and conviction that it sounds like a well-rehearsed chorus. But it’s not.

DAVIS DISCUSSES GUN VIOLENCE: ADDRESSES PROBLEMS, SOLUTIONS

After the shooting death of his 15-year old grandson on November 18, U.S. Rep. Danny K. Davis stressed the importance of helping youth to deal with mental health issues when addressing the skyrocketing problem of gun violence.

CPS COOKS UP CHANGE

The Chicago Public School Cooking Up Change culinary initiative is celebrated its 10th Anniversary in making school lunches a little more enjoyable and a lot more nutritious. The anniversary celebration was held at the Skyloft, located in the Bridgeport Art Center, 1200 W. 35th St. recently.

COALITION CALLS FOR ILLINOIS TO SUE WALL STREET BANKS

Chicago- A coalition of organizations including Grassroots Collaborative, Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, ReFund America Project, SEIU Healthcare, University Professionals of Illinois, and State Representative Will Guzzardi (D-39) recently held a press conference about financial deals being cut between Governor Rauner and Wall Street banks.

BY THE HAND CLUB FOR KIDS RECEIVES $75,000 FROM WALMART FOUNDATION

Recently, By The Hand Club For Kids received a $75,000 donation from the Wal-Mart Foundation, which, a portion will go towards the Club’s nutrition program, “Eat Right, Live Better.” According to Donnita Travis, executive director and founder of By The Hand Club Wal-Mart Foundation has been a tremendous partner with the club for several years, and the foundation’s contributions have made it possible for local elementary students to have more nutritional and healthier meals.

Thirty area students receive funding from educational foundation

The George M. Pullman Educational Foundation recently announced that it's sending 30 Chicago college-bound students to the school of their choice with the help of $1 million dollars in scholarship assistance.

Roseland Unveils Stop the Violence Initiatives

In an effort to provide solutions to the ongoing violence in the Greater Roseland community, community residents, stakeholders and Activating Our Community Together (ACT) unveiled their Safety Action Plan recently.