Forum/Discussions

With all due respect to the 100 jobs that Chicago Mayor Emanuel announced will come to Englewood in THREE YEARS with The WHOLE FOODS Development announcement, The Chicago Mayor can and should be challenged to do more for Englewood residents who are in desperate need of jobs RIGHT NOW with over $40 Million dollars he has remaining in his $50 Million dollar job creation fund for young people.  These funds could be used right now to create hundreds of IMMEDIATE jobs for local youth in this same Englewood community and on these same empty lots with jobs learning how to grow local fruits and vegetables gardens and other professional services that could eventually do business with The Whole Foods Development.

The Mayor recently released the community groups who have received the first level of funding from Mayor Emanuels new $50 Million dollar Anti-Crime Initiative!!! We are in State of Emergency and we need to take an honest look that if the groups chosen and future groups can immediately help put our young people to WORK in legal jobs and not looking to the gang, drug and other illegal street economies!!

Mayor Rahm Emanuel's anti-crime project has chosen 11 social-service groups to work in Chicago's toughest neighborhoods this summer and through the school year.

The Mayor's Public Safety Action Committee, which is headed by Chicago business executives including The Englewood Community's own Jim Reynolds of Loop Capital Markets,  will dole out $1.7 million to the nonprofits that will in turn mentor 3,000 young people and offer conflict resolution and job training. The business group has raised $41 million for the five-year project with a goal of at least $50 million.

Here are the 11 groups receiving the first round of funding and the work they will do:
Kleo Community Family Life Center will tackle truancy issues.

Phalanx Family Services will support mentorship and provide up to 150 hours of paid work experience to participating youth.

Westside Health Authority will build mentorship and employment programs for youths in the juvenile justice system.

Youth Outreach Services will offer job training and financial-literacy classes to 160 youths in the juvenile justice system.

SGA Youth and Family Services will offer job training to 300 young people and oversee a service-learning project.

Youth Guidance will support the Becoming a Man program, which includes mentoring and job experience.

South Shore Drill Team will offer job training and education on decision-making, goal-setting and anger management during its Sounds of Summer program.

Broader Urban Involvement and Leadership Development will get kids into after-school and weekend programs and offer mentoring.

Uhlich Children's Advantage Network will offer career development and life-skills programming.

LISC will work with neighborhoods to investigate problems that lead to crime.

Illinois African American Coalition for Prevention will implement curriculum that teaches personal responsibility and social problem-solving.

The question is HOW are these funds handling those who are available to work right now -- can't find enough legal work and resources - and are continually being drawn into the gang, drug, and other illegal street economies.  Its ECONOMICALLY VIOLENT for the Mayor to have $40 Million dollars available now and won't use it now for immediate employment opportunities now that the people can see, versus what they are being asked to look forward to in three years in todays announcement in Englewood.