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  • Location
  • Blue Island is a suburban city located about 15 miles south of downtown Chicago. Robbins is a village located immediately southwest of Blue Island. Both communities are located in the South-Southwest suburban region, known as the Southland.
  • Demographics
  • Blue Island is home to approximately 23,000 people and Robbins is home to more than 5,000 residents. Combined, the population of the two communities is 41 percent Latinx, 38 percent Black and 17 percent white. The low income rate for Blue Island is approximately 19% and Robbins is approximately 39%.
  • Looking back
  • Blue Island was established in the 1830s as a way station for travelers. By the mid-19th century, European immigrants began settling in the area in part due to its proximity to stable industrial and railroad jobs. African Americans seeking these same opportunities were excluded from Blue Island, so they incorporated the neighboring village of Robbins in 1917. Robbins is one of the oldest majority-black municipalities in the United States. The village was also home to the country’s first Black-owned airport in the 1930s, Robbins Airport, used as a training ground for the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II.
  • History of the Neighborhood Network
  • The Blue Island Robbins Neighborhood Network (BIRNN), established in 2015, is a coalition of dedicated individuals committed to enhancing the health, wellness, and sustainability of the Blue Island and Robbins communities. The Network aims to empower residents by removing barriers to their physical, emotional, and financial well-being, ultimately leading to a safer, healthier, and economically sustainable community.

Blue Island/Robbins Community Vision

Empowering residents to create lasting systemic change by promoting physical, emotional, and financial well-being

Neighborhood Network in Action

The Blue Island/Robbins Neighborhood Network aligns resources and efforts to achieve sustainable community change through collective impact.

Select “next” to read more about the work we’ve accomplished.

Creating a More Vibrant Community

  • Increase Economic Opportunity
  • Decrease Health Disparities
  • Eliminate Food Insecurity

Coalition Highlights

The Neighborhood Network has taken great strides in achieving their community vision. 

Select “next” to read more about our coalition highlights.

Sustainable Community Change

  • Social-Emotional Wellness: Promoting comprehensive health services through collaboration with healthcare providers to decrease health disparities
  • Healthy Eating & Active Living (HEAL): Reducing food insecurity and promoting healthy lifestyles, with a goal of bringing a grocery store to the area
  • Financial Health & Education: Increasing economic opportunities to improve household income in Blue Island and Robbins
  • Resident Advisory Council: Engaging community members to address barriers and implement strategies that enable residents to live fulfilling lives

Hear from your neighbors and supporters

Kentric Benson

Blue Island/Robbins Neighborhood Network Project Coordinator for Metropolitan Family Service

“One thing that we found as we began to create the network was that there are lots of resources in our community but not many of the residents know how to access them. Quite frankly, not a lot of them know that these resources exist especially when it comes to mental health.”
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