We thank Claude Robinson for sharing the following information.
Hi all,
The Impact 100 Chicago cycle is open and accepting Letters of Inquiry through November 18, 2016. Impact 100 Chicago recognizes that there are many organizations doing important work improving the lives of underserved individuals and communities in the Chicagoland area. To support this work and allow organizations to “dream big,” Impact 100 Chicago annually awards $100,000 grants to local nonprofit organizations. Their focus areas are culture, education, family, health and sustainability. (They should have operating budgets of at least $500,000)
The NLCCC Arts and Culture Subcommittee hosted a meeting in which Alderman Michael Scott, Jr. shared his vision for a proposed music venue in Douglas Park on September 7, 2016. We surveyed the meeting participants, and are now surveying our members and other community stakeholders, including residents, business owners, heads of organizations, students and parishioners. We would like to get a sense for what the community thinks and then take a position on the project. We will also share results with Alderman Scott and the community at large. We have included a description of the project as well as links to articles on the project so that you may give an informed opinion. Thank you for your input. If you have any questions, feel free to contact one of the following members of the NLCCC Executive Subcommittee.
The North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council is very fortunate to have had significant media coverage of our meetings and events in recent months. We thank the Austin Weekly News, Chicago Reader, Chicago Streets Blog, Crain’s Chicago Business, the Chicago Citizen, WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times for the coverage. Outlined below are articles that have been generated as a result of our events.
Arts and Culture and Parks Recreation and Open Space
Reminder: The Parks, Recreation and Open Space and Arts and Culture subcommittees will host a public meeting in which Alderman Scott can present his vision of a proposed music venue in Douglas Park. The meeting will be held on September 7, 2016 at 6:00 pm at the Douglas Park Cultural Center (Field House), 1401 South Sacramento. Please come prepared to listen and ask questions and provide your thoughts in an open forum. We have provided links to recent articles to provide you with background information.
Douglas Park may take swing at outdoor concert venue to replace golf course
We thank the Austin Weekly News for following the North Lawndale Arts Festival. Here is an excerpt from their latest story.
A colorful day of visual arts, music, dance and drama to Douglas Park will run allday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m at the cultural center/field house at 1400 S. Sacramento. It’s free and people of all ages from anywhere in the world are welcome.
North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council, the not-for-profit group responsible for a unique citizens planning process in this West Side neighborhood, aims to bring out the area’s sometimes-hidden cultural assets, said festival chair Sheila McNary.
Artists and vendors so far include: BGLH, Sweet Beginnings, Maxwell Street Foundation, the NLCC, Celestial Ministries, MUSIC, Madd Rhythms, Momma Kemba, Painter Cory of 345 Gallery, Rickie Brown, Dametrius, Jaclyn Jacunski of SAIC, Free Spirit Media, Able Electropolishing, Bee Boys, Artsy Marcey Jewelry, Jamiah Calvin, and Eddie Hudson.
Thank you for your ongoing support of the North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council. Because of your generous support, we have been able to successfully produce our first annual North Lawndale Community Planning Conference back in April. We are now winding down the planning and fundraising efforts for our next big event–our First Annual North Lawndale Arts Festival, to be held on August 6, 2016, from 10 am – 7 pm at Douglas Park Cultural Center, located at 1401 South Sacramento.
We need your support as we enter the final stretch. If you, or a local artist, small business or representative of a public or nonprofit agency are interested in showcasing your artwork, business or organization, please contact Shiela McNary, our Arts and Culture Subcommittee Chair, at sjmcnary1@aol.com and she will forward you a registration packet that outlines the fees and requirements. I have attached sponsorship packets for individuals and organizations wishing to sponsor the festival, as well as a jpeg file of the promotional flyer. A copy of a message from Sheila is found below.
Please, share this email widely. We still need to cover costs for equipment and furnishing rentals and light refreshment.
In closing, we thank the following North Lawndale stakeholders for their generous cash and in-kind contributions:
Alderman Michael Scott-Cash donation and technical assistance with event planning, marketing and outreach Country Financial-Cash donation Foundation for Homan Square-Cash donation and strategic partnerships with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago Mia Gamble-Cash donation Corry Williams-Cash donation Mary Ellen Dragon-Cash donation Kevin Sutton, Vice President, The Foundation for Homan Square-Technical assistance for event planning Alysia Slusser,Graphic Artist-Logo deign and assistance with collateral material/social media design Alexie Young, Visual Artist-Community Canvass (workshop in which participants will all have an opportunity to complete a painting during the event) and assistance with collateral material design Reneau Diallo, Quilt Artist-Facilitation of quilt workshop in which participants will have an opportunity to design and complete a quilt block, to be fashioned into a community quilt
Sheila J. McNary,
Dear Friend of North Lawndale:
The North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council (NLCCC) cordially invites you to be a sponsor of our first annual North Lawndale Arts Festival. The Arts Festival will be held at Douglas Park Cultural Center, 1401 S. Sacramento Ave., on Saturday, August 6, 2016 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. There will be no charge to patrons of the Festival and sponsorship proceeds will be used to offset the cost of the event.
The Arts Festival will showcase the works of local artists and talents of local entertainment including blues musician Larry Taylor, jazz musician Ronnie G. and tap dance group M.A.D.D. Rhythms. The NLCCC plans to use the Festival to bring the already rich culture of North Lawndale to a broader audience. We expect over 1,000 people to attend including elected officials, heads of public agencies, leaders of community-based organizations and local residents.
Your investment in the Arts Festival is a win-win for you and the community. Your organization will have the opportunity to establish and nurture relationships with a broad base of influential North Lawndale stakeholders that have access to even broader networks that would be beneficial in strengthening your brand. The Arts Festival will unify the community around arts and culture, attract more arts and cultural activities, encourage economic development and help make the case for improving the entire community.
In closing, we invite you to review our sponsorship packet and respond with your tax deductible donation and print ready logo no later than July 15, 2016. If you have any questions feel free to contact me at 312.907.7701 or sjmcnary1@aol.com. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
Sheila McNarry,
Chairman, NLCCC – Arts and Culture committee
Exactly a year ago today, (June 24, 2015) NLCCC submitted an application to CMAP for technical assistance to complete a comprehensive plan for the North Lawndale community. On June 15, 2016, we submitted our letter to LISC, expressing interest in becoming the lead agency to facilitate continued Quality of Life Planning (QLP) in North Lawndale. If we are successful, the QLP process will be done in tandem with our comprehensive planning process. This will allow us to focus on developing the physical environment while strengthening our ability to improve the capacity of local residents, organizations and businesses to take advantage of the changes the plan will bring. The QLP process will highlight those areas that are not currently emphasized in the CMAP comprehensive community planning process, including education, public safety, arts and culture, technology and health care.
We are very fortunate to have received 36 letters of support from various stakeholders to back up our letter, including: Alderman Michael Scott Jr., New Covenant CDC, Lawndale Christian Development Corporation, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, Valerie F. Leonard, Chicago Youth Centers, Congressman Danny K Davis, Commissioner Robert Steele, Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, Frank Bass, BBF, Celestial Ministries, CCA Academy, Jane Addams Hull House Museum, Deer Rehabilitation Services, Inc., DRW College Prep, Free Spirit Media, Foundation for Homan Square, HSI, JPA, Kathy Powers, Old St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, K-Town Historic District Association, Chicago LAMP, New Age Services Corporation, The Night Ministry, NLEN, State Senator Patricia Van Pelt, Sankofa Safe Child Initiative,Sinai Health System, St. Agatha Family Empowerment, The Learning Center, Theresia Thurman, UCAN, WestCare, St. Anthony Hospital.
We thank you for your support to date, and the support you will provide. Because of your efforts, and those of people who have laid the foundation for this work, North Lawndale has hit the “reset button”, and is turning the corner. The work is not easy, but every effort is valued and moves us closer to realizing our vision of North Lawndale as a healthy, vibrant community with a diversified and innovative economy, competitive work force, engaged citizens and infrastructure that supports long term, sustainable growth. A copy of our packet has been embedded below.
Good afternoon, everyone. I just wanted to share a few important updates of which you should be aware.
Steering Committee Meeting with the Chicago Community Trust
The Steering Committee is in the process of setting up a meeting with the Chicago Community Trust to discuss the Benefit Chicago initiative, sponsored by the MacArthur Foundation, the Chicago Community Trust and the Calvert Foundation. This initiative will fund social enterprises. We will also discuss the range of products and services provided by the Chicago Community Trust, and the needs of our membership, as outlined on the North Lawndale Community Snapshot survey. We will keep you posted of the outcomes of the discussion.
Chicago Community Trust On the Table/Acting Up Awards Application Video
A number of our members participated in the Chicago Community Trust’s On the Table conversations on May 10th. The Trust will be providing fifty $1,000 grants to various participating groups to ensure that some of the ideas that were discussed to bring about community unity are implemented by the end of the year. Here is the video from the NLCCC application. If selected, we will use proceeds towards the first annual North Lawndale Arts Festival in Douglas Park, to be held August 6, 2016, from 10 am-7 pm. We should know the outcome of the competition the first part of July, 2016.
LISC Quality of Life Planning
NLCCC will be applying for LISC Quality of Life planning funds to strengthen our comprehensive planning process, currently under way with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP). CMAP is currently facilitating the comprehensive planning process, with a focus on land use around housing, transportation, infrastructure, economic development, health care and arts and culture. If we are successful in securing this, we will use the funding to help us strengthen initiatives in those areas that are not being emphasized in the CMAP planning process, such as technology, education, public safety, workforce development and capacity building. We will submit our letter of intent by June 17, 2016, at 6:00 pm.
New Covenant CDC, the fiscal agent for the NLCCC comprehensive planning process, will also serve as the lead agency in this application. Lawndale Christian Development Corporation was the lead agency for the North Lawndale Quality of Life Plan completed in 2005. We thank Richard Townsell, Executive Director of LCDC, and the chairman of the NLCCC housing subcommittee, for supporting this effort.
Please let us know if you are interested in participating in this planning process. If so, we ask that you provide us your contact information so that we may include it as an attachment to our letter of intent to LISC. Ideally, we would also like you to include a letter of support as well. We will provide a model letter under separate cover to those agencies that have expressed an interest in participating.
Upcoming NLCCC Meetings
Please find attached a PDF file of our meetings flyer outlining the meeting schedule for NLCCC subcommittees, as well as a copy of our brochure. A link to the electronic application is found here.
Please Support our Members’ Upcoming Events:
Grand Opening of North Lawndale Peace Parks
HOST: Chicago Urban Art Retreat Center 773-542-9126
SUNDAY, JUNE 5 FROM 12:00 PM
TO 5:00 PM
1st North Lawndale Peace Park
2101 South Spaulding Avenue
Chicago, IL 60623
An Evening Affair With the Board of Directors of HSI
Please join the Board of Directors of Habilitative Systems, Inc. (HSI) on Monday, June 13th at 6:00 pm at the South Shore Cultural Center for an evening overlooking Lake Michigan, enjoying appetizers and cocktails while learning more about this dynamic organization. For more information, please click here.
Please share these announcements widely. Your assistance, as always, is most appreciated!
North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council 