Chicago Cares

Do you want to deepen your commitment to your community? Do you have a cause that you’re passionate about? Join us at Find Your Cause and get inspired by the amazing organizations in Chicago’s South, West, and Northwest Side communities! On September 20th, come build relationships with community leaders, explore Palenque Liberating Spaces through Neighborhood Action’s (Palenque LSNA) Sanctuary City timeline, enjoy wellness and meditation activities, and treat yourself to a scoop of Ida’s Artisan Ice Cream. All while discovering your civic love language – now that’s a happy hour we can get behind! Register at https://lnkd.in/gyss4cZj

This week, we’re celebrating bold, collective action made possible through community-led change. Chicago Cares, UCAN (Chicago), and Students Demand Action (a part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots network) are celebrating our collective hard work as we close out a yearlong journey to reclaim safe spaces for youth in Chicago. Thanks to funds from the Everytown Community Safety Fund and the Vitalogy Foundation, these organizations worked in partnership to restore a community basketball court in the Chicago Neighborhood of North Lawndale.

It’s back! Get ready for an enriching experience at our upcoming 'Chicago Cares Volunteer Networking Hour,' co-hosted with our community partners, TEAMWORK ENGLEWOOD, at “the Englewood Breakroom.” This will be an opportunity not only to strengthen ties within our volunteer community, but also to deepen your engagement with leaders from the Englewood neighborhood. Attendance is free, but spots are filling quickly, and so register today at https://lnkd.in/g9jM2B-9 Can’t make this one? No worries! Keep your eye out for our next mixer in the coming months.

The true power of service is not the result of any one specific project; it is the journey that volunteers and companies take, in partnership with community, that leads to big, bold commitments. Thank you, Target, for joining us in taking bold collective action to transform an overgrown lot into a vibrant community hub! Stay tuned this week to see how we practice civic love with the North Lawndale community!

We are thrilled to celebrate our colleague and friend ángela munguía, Executive Director of AMPT: Advancing Nonprofits, for receiving the prestigious Leaders for New Chicago Award! This award seeks to build a more inclusive city by recognizing leaders who are designing new and impactful approaches to civic discourse and action. Awardees also included two of our partners on Chicago’s South side, Malcolm Evans (Urban Growers Collective) and Alia J. Bilal (Inner-city Muslim Action Network).

Join our amazing North Lawndale partners the NORTH LAWNDALE COMMUNITY COORDINATING COUNCIL (NLCCC), New Covenant CDC and LISC Chicago as they celebrate the grand opening of Sheila’s Concession Stand at Douglass 18! Sheila's @ Douglass 18 aims to support young local entrepreneurs, generating revenue and enhancing program offerings. Operating from late June to early Fall, Sheila's @ Douglass 18 is a vital part of the North Lawndale Quality of Life Plan. RSVP at https://lnkd.in/gmaWAwsW We’ll see you there!

Director of Development and External Affairs Cheyenne Shelby-Petersen was accepted into the 2024 cohort of the Brava Leader Institute! Over the next year Cheyenne will have the opportunity to participate in programming around power, leadership, communication, and how to manage the unique sets of challenges and opportunities presented by multiracial/multicultural institutions and the community (and so much more!) We are so proud of Cheyenne, and excited to see what the learnings from this fellowship make possible for her and our organization! Peek above for some behind the scenes at the in-person kickoff in April!

Chicago Cares and our friends in North Lawndale are grieving the loss of Cook County Commissioner Dennis Deer. Commissioner Deer was the true definition of showing civic love and devoting his time to make positive change. As a dedicated friend and advocate to our community, this loss is deeply felt across Chicago. In honor of his work, we will continue to carry forward his mission. Rest in power, Commissioner Deer. 

We’re inspiring the sector to redefine volunteerism! Last week, at the Points of Light Conference, our amazing program team leaders, Viviana Barajas and Lyana Funches, led an interactive session on empowering volunteers to engage in democracy change-work year-round. Chicago Cares invites you to be a civic engager beyond election day! Check out our calendar to learn how to get involved at https://lnkd.in/evmMhQZp

One of our favorite events of the year is just a few months away! Find Your Cause brings together local organizations and passionate volunteers who are ready for hands-on, skills-based, and board service opportunities. Grassroots organizations from the South, West, and Northwest Sides will highlight the incredible work they do in their communities and connect attendees to meaningful opportunities to engage and volunteer. Attendees can learn South Side history by catching one of our complementary shuttles from the West or Northwest Sides, enjoy wellness and meditation activities, and treat yourself to a scoop of Ida’s Artisan Ice Cream while discovering your civic love language. Register today at https://lnkd.in/gvAHNBgJ