The long-awaited opening of Auburn Gresham’s Healthy Lifestyle Hub, a four-story epicenter of resources serving the Far Southwest Side community, brings more than tangible services – it brings hope – to a historically-disinvested neighborhood.
All throughout the city and suburban region—no matter the circumstances—people have found ways to connect and support each other, to celebrate diverse cultural traditions and our shared humanity, from tree and Menorah lightings to parades and winter markets.
Meet Jessica: As an AmeriCorps member this past year, she served as a multimedia journalist with United Way of Metro Chicago, using storytelling to serve the community and gain invaluable experience. Read Jessica’s story and the highlights of her service year.
Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corporation (GAGDC), United Way’s lead community partner in the Auburn Gresham Neighborhood Network, is an essential pillar to the neighborhood’s economy.
Many residents of Auburn Gresham, a neighborhood of 35,000 located on Chicago’s South Side, face great academic and financial challenges. Though statistics are staggering, local stakeholders – including teachers, school administrators and parents – aren’t accepting the status quo. Instead, they’re fighting to ensure a better future for all who call Auburn Gresham home.
Despite proximity, it can be difficult for us to connect with our friends and neighbors. That’s why residents of Chicago’s south side neighborhood of Auburn Gresham came together to celebrate their community and each other at the 79th Street Renaissance Festival.