R.A.G.E.

We are proud to announce that #MemberMondays returns with Olympia Cure!

After two unsuccessful years house hunting, Olympia Cure’s Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) counselor, Ms. Joyce Bonner, asked her if she would consider looking at property in Englewood. Olympia jokingly replied, “What?! Are you trying to get me killed?” Olympia grew up on Chicago’s West Side and although she had fond childhood memories of traveling to Englewood to visit her Grandmother and cousins, Englewood’s violent reputation made her skeptical to purchase a home there. After Ms. Bonner explained to her that all of Englewood isn’t violent and actually there is great real estate to invest in, Olympia drove to Englewood to view the house she suggested. Olympia admits, at first she thought the home looked funny from the outside but soon as she opened the door and saw the inside, she was  inlove. In March 2005, she purchased her home in Englewood and moved from the Roseland neighborhood.   

Once Olympia moved to Englewood, she said the abundance of vacant lots began to bother her and eventually made her want to become involved in helping the community. So she searched for Englewood associations on the internet and discovered R.A.G.E’s website. “I just felt I needed to give back,” said Olympia. “I was going to work everyday and that’s it. I feel like, if you are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem.” Her deep belief in contributing to the solution, led her to attend her first R.A.G.E. Village Meeting in 2015, where she became a member. And that Village Meeting made her feel the same as she did about her house when she first saw it inside. “It felt like like home,” she said. “It was a great experience. It felt good to meet so many wonderful residents and to get such valuable community information.”

It was at a R.A.G.E. meeting where she also learned about Englewood’s large lot program that allow property owners, block clubs and non-profit groups in select Chicago neighborhoods to purchase City-owned land for $1. Today, Olympia proudly owns the vacant lot next door to her home. “I’m very excited about the possibilities of what to do with it,” she said. Currently, she’s envisioning transforming her lot into a free, work-out park for the community with stationary outdoor fitness equipment. Ultimately, she hopes her lot will help share her love for dancing, fitness and performance with the community which, is the reason So Fresh Saturdays is her favorite R.A.G.E. event. “To provide a space where you can see Englewood children smiling, dancing, having fun listening to music without violence – ever, is intrinsically rewarding and you can’t put a price on that,” she said.  

Olympia has always been passionate about dancing and performing arts. She has taken many dance classes including ballet, African and Hip-Hop. She was also a volunteer usher at the African-American performing arts theatre, ETA, for over a year because she enjoyed the perk of seeing great plays at no cost. Her appreciation for performing arts also became an outlet for relaxation as she pursued her Bachelors in Business Administration at Chicago State University while working her full-time job as an Office Manager. She received her degree in 2013.

In addition to being an engaged R.A.G.E. member and R.A.G.E. ambassador, Olympia is also a member of the Englewood Public Safety Task Force and Housing and Public Spaces Task Force. She believes R.A.G.E. and the Englewood Quality of Life Plan’s Task Forces are wonderful platforms to empower the community to make decisions for themselves. “All of these dynamic groups really do provide residents options of how they can use their personal skills and interests to engage and improve Englewood,” she said. “I am going to continue to strive for Englewood Excellence and I truly believe in the spirit of Englewood Rising.”  

Thank you Olympia Cure for your dedication to the Greater Englewood community!