UPDATE on Partners:
Chicago Office (continued)
Saturday Free School Ministry – The congregation provides
tutoring, mentoring, and college-admission test preparation
for disadvantaged youth and special needs children.
Fellowship of Christians United for Service (FOCUS) –
This volunteer group provides new and gently used apparel
through a community-wide clothing drive and offers
referrals for housing, medical care, financial, and mental
health services through its annual Social Service Fair.
Parenting in the 21st Century: a Candid Conversation – The
Urban Health Initiative of the University of Chicago
partnered with the church to present this community-wide
workshop to share positive parenting models and the longterm impact they have on the physical, emotional, social, and
spiritual well being of children and the community.
Addressing Community Health – The Center for Faith and
Community Health Transformation conducted a workshop
on health issues and disparities in the Washington Park
community with practioners from the International
Religious Health Asset Project, who traveled from South
Africa for the event.
Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church, the first parish in the
United States to be dedicated to peace, was originally built
to serve immigrants working at the nearby steel mills in
the South Shore and South Chicago communities. As the
mills closed and the community demographics shifted, Our
Lady of Peace (OLP) began to serve predominately African
American parishioners who were facing the challenges of
a devastated local economy. After graduating from New
Dollars, the Reverend Mark Kalema led a renaissance at the
parish, plugging into local community groups, artists, and
entrepreneurs and leveraging these relationships to raise
funds:
Supporting Education – Although OLP’s own parochial
school is closed, the parish supports the work of the Winnie
Mandela Intergenerational High School by sharing space in
the school building. This community-based high school with
a social justice curriculum provides career assessment and
employment placement services for graduates.
After School Matters – One of Chicago’s largest afterschool
programs, it is often in need of space and partners. OLP
teamed up with ASM on a summer mural project in 2012.
Connecting Generati ۜ