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Organizations

These are not for profit organizations who either focus on arts and culture programming,
or who use the arts and performance as one way of connecting with their communities

Rebuild Foundation / Stony Island Arts Bank

6760 S Stony Island Ave, Chicago, IL 60649
Englewood

A community center and cultural hub on the Southside dedicated to transforming buildings. Various artistic and communal redevelopment programs and offerings.

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Imagine Englewood If

6002 S Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60621
Englewood

Imagine Englewood If is an organization that uses teaching, environmental awareness and communication coaching to empower Greater Englewood. They offer youth art classes, summer camps, collect information on healthcare knowledge, and offer lead poisoning education.

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Made in Englewood

833 W 63rd St, Chicago, IL 60621
Englewood

Co founded by artist/ educator/ designers Eric Hotchkiss and André Westhelle, Made in Englewood Inc. is an interdisciplinary design studio that creates objects that are culturally-relative and driven by the narratives of the community in which it resides. Their work ranges from functional art works made of wood, metal and alternative materials to design work including 3D modeling and consulting.

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Community Renewal Society

111 West Jackson Boulevard Downtown, Suite 1700, Chicago, IL 60604
Downtown

Community Renewal Society informs and brings people of faith and congregations together, in partnership with communities, coalitions, interfaith organizations, and civic leaders, to intentionally and decisively transform society toward greater social justice at the intersection of racism and poverty. The Community Renewal Society is the host of annual assemblies of several faith based organizations, and host community education events and celebrations like the Libations of the Ancestors, mentioned in Taryns survey answers.

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Englewood Chamber of Commerce

815 W 63rd St, Chicago, IL 60621
Englewood

The Greater Englewood Chamber of Commerce works by (a)dvising, (d)eveloping and (s)howcasing its established businesses and acting as a comprehensive economic development partner while creating a favorable social environment for chamber members. The Chamber facilitates annual festivals for example that showcase local artists and businesses. According to their Facebook they offer monthly business seminars, virtual business academy and annual festivals to showcase local businesses.

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The Breathing Room

1434 W 51st St, Chicago, IL 60609
Back of the Yards

The #LetUsBreathe Collective is an alliance of artists and activists organizing through a creative lens to imagine a world without prisons and police.

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I Grow Chicago

6402 S Honore St, Chicago, IL 60636
Englewood

I Grow Chicago uses a grassroots Healing Justice model, individual healing and collective change to offer programs. They work to address the traumatic effects of violence and poverty. Programming focus areas listed on their site includes Mentorship and Support Services, Restorative Justice and Community Building, Yoga and Healing Arts, Urban Farming and Food Access and Creative Arts.

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Englewood Portal / Teamwork Englewood

815 W 63rd St, Chicago, IL 60621
Englewood

The Englewood Portal is a digital tool for residents and organizations to tell their own story, to share the latest events and news happening in Greater Englewood. Organizations, Schools, Associations, Government Agency, Clubs and Businesses are also encouraged to share information on the portal. Teamwork Englewoods mission is to improve the quality of life of the residents and stakeholders of Englewood by facilitating economic, educational and social opportunities.

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Getting Grown Collective

Englewood

Getting Grown Collective is a community organization collective facilitates urban agriculture and food distribution. Pre-pandemic, Getting Grown Collective hosted health clinics and events to unite black and brown farmers in Chicago.

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(RAGE) Residential Association of
Greater Englewood

6620 S Union Ave #2, Chicago, IL 60621
Englewood

The Residential Association of Greater Englewood is a resident-driven association established to build relationships with fellow residents, Englewood’s public officials, business owners and organizations. R.A.G.E. is a grassroots organization that strategizes to address community problems, creates tangible solutions (holistic and block by block) and actively seeks ways to keep fellow residents informed about the latest news in Englewood, Chicago.

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Plant Chicago

4459 S Marshfield Ave, Chicago, IL 60609
Back of the Yards

Plant Chicago is a non profit based in BOTY that began in 2011 based in the old firehouse. It's mission is to cultivate local circular economies with no waste. They teach workshops on growing food indoor and outdoor, composting and more. They host programs for small business in the neighborhood, cooking classes, volunteer/ internships and a local farmers market.

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Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council

1823 W 47th St, Chicago, IL 60609
Back of the Yards

The Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council (BYNC) was founded in 1939 by Joseph Meegan, Saul Alinsky, supporting clergy, business owners, union officials, and residents. BYNC, located at 1751 W. 47th Street in Chicago, is among the oldest not-for-profit community organization in the Unitied States, serving a large area of Chicago’s Southwest Side, which includes the communities of Brighton Park, McKinley Park, and New City. As chronicled in Upton Sinclair’s now famous book, The Jungle, the Back of the Yards area suffered from social disorganization, unemployment, poor housing, and juvenile delinquency. BYNC was created in response to these growing social issues and continues today to organize residents and bring social services and economic resources to the community.

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UIC Center for Literacy
(FAST - Family Start Program)

1040 W. Harrison St, ETMSW, Building, Room 1223, Chicago, IL 60607
McKinley Park

"We provide free adult education and family literacy engagement to Chicago Early Learning families and community members (ESL and Spanish GED - our sister sites on the South and West side provide English GED services). We are working towards an arts integrated curriculum. Currently offering a monthly community craft hour inspired by our mentors/ trainers in MECA (Movimiento para la Educación Cultural y Autonoma)."

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Son Chiquitos

2146 West 18th Street, Chicago, IL, 60608
Back of the Yards

"We offer cultural arts programming to strengthen the development of Spanish language and children's cultural identity through music, art and literature."

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NEIU Upward Bound Program (Bobcat Folklórico)

Back of the Yards

Mexican Folkloric Dance. Learn about traditional Mexican Folkloric through dance and history!

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Open the Circle

Englewood

A non profit organization that funds projects, programs and exhibitions for dance education and social dance with an emphasis on the history and role of footworking on the south and west side of Chicago. Latest and largest project that was due to premier in 2020: In The Wurkz, produced by The Era Footwork Crew with original music from Chicagos Teklife DJ's is "a touring dance project based on the lives and dreams of dancers on the South and West side of Chicago."

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Chicago Food Policy Action Council:
Urban Stewards Action Network

Englewood

Chicago Food Policy Action Council is a 501-c3. The initiative, "Urban Stewards Action Network" is an action-based transformational network of community farmers and partner organizations in the food system. Their activities in particular were mentioned by community members as an active space of programming on the Southside. The network holds a safe space for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) coalition building and redefining power in the Chicago region. USAN is co-facilitated by Nyabweza “Bweza” Itaagi from Grow Greater Englewood and Aasia Mohammad Castañeda from the Chicago Food Policy Action Council (CFPAC).

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City Open Workshop / Englewood Arts Space

Englewood

In Spring 2019, City Open Workshop began collaborating with Chicago artist Tonika Lewis Johnson to develop the concept for an accessible art and event space in the Englewood Community.

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Englewood Community Cultural Planning Council

Englewood

Englewood Community Cultural Planning Council (ECCPC or EC3) is a 501 (c) (3) ENTITY formed for the purpose of promoting/supporting the arts and cultural affairs in Greater Englewood. The Council uses arts-based projects to heighten awareness, address community issues and improve the quality of life in areas of health, jobs and job training, education, the environment, and neighborhood safety and peace.

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Southwest Collective

Gage Park

The Collective is a collection of groups dedicated to specific initiatives on the southwest side of Chicago.
Our groups meet monthly to tackle issues like development, crime and placemaking.

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TIME 21:36

Englewood

TIME - 21:36 is a public safety initiative that takes an innovative approach to activate and empower community members to develop solutions that will deter violence and revitalize the community. They use text alerts to activate and engage community members. They offer local information on Job Training, Job Placement (Background Friendly), Expungement Services, Free Legal Services, After School Programming & Sports, Mentoring Services, Food Support, Small Business Support and Women Empowerment.

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Kuumba Lynx

Englewood

Kuumba Lynx primarily facilitates storytelling, mutual aid, and performing arts programming in Uptown, Englewood, Little Village, and Austin, however program participants represent over 27 Chicago communities. From Auburn Gresham to Humboldt Park, and from South Shore to Rogers Park, KL’s celebrates its participants global experiences and perspectives. Kumba Lynx current events include a Family Open Mic Night, Birth Education 101, Circle Keeping and Defund thePolice Training.

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Collaborative Institute of Cultural Arts

4330 S Archer Ave, Chicago, IL 60632
Brighton Park

CICA mission is to promote cultural awareness and art appreciation through the celebration of Mexican Folkloric Dance in our surrounding communities and the world. Teach Mexican Folklorico & dance, music classes for adults 1:1 , and youth in dance classes. Teach in 12 schools through Frida Kahlo Comm Organization. Organize community events & showcases (like Mexican art museum).

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Federacion de Clubes Unidos Zacatecanos

4145 S Kedzie Ave, Chicago, IL 60632
Brighton Park

This cultural center is part of a national club collective of Zacatecan, Mexican immigrants focusing on providing mutual aid amongst other types of support for their community in Chicago and across the nation.

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Mujeres Latinas en Accion

Brighton Park

Since 1973, Mujeres Latinas en Acción is the longest standing Latina-led organization in the nation. Over the years we have honed our offerings including community services that empower Latinas and their families, and supports them as they heal, and thrive within our programs. || "We are an organization that does not offer direct arts or cultural programming but we do group setting programming, including our Empresarias program that is women entrepreneurs coming together to share their ongoing business ideas and work. This ranges from food making to jewelry, etc. and these women rely on each other for support and look at their neighborhood and community for inspiration. We also do work in domestic violence and rape crisis prevention (one of three) and we are geared towards culturally relevant programming and healing opportunities. So we bring groups of survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence to heal together - for Latinas its a really successful way for helping survivors (this differs per community and culture) but for us it works. Group setting helps target a lot of that self hate and isolation that happens for victims of this type of trauma."

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Gage Park Latinx Council

2711 W 51st St, Chicago, IL 60632
Gage Park

GPLXC is a grassroots, community based organization established in 2018 on the Southwest side of Chicago. || "We are a Queer, Latinx, Fem, DACA & Artist led organization. In 2020 GPLXC opened the first Cultural Center in Gage Park, a neighborhood of 50,000 residents that is 92% Latinx. Over half of the population of Gage Park lives at or below the poverty level and our community of essential workers has been devastated by the global pandemic. Gage Park rates number one in covid positivity rates for the entire city. In response we have opened a free Community Mercado to support families with essential items like groceries, clothing, hygiene products and baby items weekly. We have raised and distributed over $90,000 to Undocumented families and distributed thousands of pounds of food since March. We continue to offer free, culturally reflective youth programing, paid opportunities for local youth artists, and mutual aid initiatives to care for and support our Gage Park community."

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Brighton Park Neighborhood Council

4477 S Archer Ave Ste 2845, Chicago, IL 60632
Brighton Park

"We offer direct community services like LIHEAP, financial assistance, we help families file for medical benefits, we provide resources to families struggling with housing, we have counselors at our partnered schools, we also run programming inside schools for parents and students, we have parent mentors program, safe passage.. On the organizing side we are focusing on immigration, defunding the police, mental health, violence prevention, political education and more."

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Frida Kahlo Community Organization

5133 S Kedzie Ave, Chicago, IL 60632
Gage Park

"Currently, our student programs are all offered through a multidisciplinary component under the name of RISE (Resources Invested in School Enrichment). RISE is a partnership with 7 elementary and 3 high schools, a five-year grant program from the Illinois State Board of Education and U.S. Department of Education. Through a variety of after school programming RISE Academy’s objective is to support students, parents, and community members in their academic and personal growth. Creating an involved, informed, and empowered school community is our ultimate goal."

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