The Englewood Village Meeting, hosted by R.A.G.E., was held at Canaan Community Church, 1701 W. Garfield Blvd. on Tuesday, March 20th. Nearly 80 attendees heard guest speakers present about Englewood-specific news such as Heartland Alliance’s new health clinic in Englewood, American Red Cross’ fire prevention campaign, energy efficiency programs for Englewood homeowners and much more.
Katy Kelleghan, Senior Director of Community Health Initiatives of Heartland Alliance discussed their new health center in Englewood which, celebrated its opening to the public earlier the same day. The new Englewood location, 5501 S. Halsted Street, marks the organization’s third Chicago health center and will provide primary medical, substance use treatment, mental health/psychiatry, insurance assistance, medical case management, specialty referral care, and chronic disease management including HIV/AIDS care. The 7,900 square foot building has ten exam rooms, a triage room, and a pharmacy. It also includes showers and laundry to support people who are homeless or unstably housed. Heartland Alliance Health also provides insurance assistance and counseling. Their office hours are Monday through Friday 8:30 AM- 5:00 PM. Appointments can be made by calling 773-275-2586 and walk-ins are welcome.
American Red Cross’ Disaster Program Manager, Kelly Clark, announced their “Sound the Alarm. Save a Life,” campaign to install free smoke alarms and its corresponding event on April 28th. The event will focus on installing smoke alarms in hundreds of homes in the area through the participation of volunteers in Englewood. Volunteers will be trained on installing alarms, providing safety information and will then go out in teams across the neighborhood to make households safer. In addition to fire safety, American Red Cross hopes their event and campaign will lay the groundwork for future opportunities such as community First Aid/CPR trainings, a hub for disaster relief volunteers, local AmeriCorps/internship opportunities, and expanded youth preparedness education. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, register at SoundTheAlarm.org. To receive a smoke alarm installation, visit GetASmokeAlarm.org or call 311.
Elevate Energy is a company that provides no-cost energy efficiency home improvements to qualified homeowners in Englewood, one of the City of Chicago’s Micro Market Recovery Program (MMRP) Target Areas. Elevate’s representative, informed attendees about their program offering building owners and property managers a free energy assessment with a detailed report of savings and improvements. Through their program, eligible buildings can qualify for significant incentives for energy saving that cover 100%- 80% of the cost for energy efficiency improvements including, but not limited to:
- Refrigerator replacement
- Steam trap replacement or repair
- Variable speed drives for HVAC pumps
- Programmable thermostats and power strips
- Boiler replacement
- Free lighting retrofits
- Furnace Replacement
- Air-sealing and insulation
- Low flow shower heads and aerator
Energy efficiency upgrades have many benefits such as making homes more comfortable, reducing energy bills, improving indoor air quality, and increasing home values. To see if you qualify for the program, you can complete the online questionnaire at https://www.elevateenergy.org/programs/mmrp/ or contact their representative Foluke Akanni at foluke.akanni@elevateenergy.org or 612-578- 2293 (cell). Elevate Energy also shared information about a training program for solar jobs that includes a stipend, transportation and job placement assistance. For details, see flyer about the upcoming Solar Jobs and Training program.
Aysha Butler, President of R.A.G.E., also provided several updates on projects Englewood QLP Housing and Public Spaces Task Force is helping to lead such as the Buy The Block Owner Occupancy Series, the Chicago Rebuild Program and KBK Housing Development. Aysha also announced that applications for the City of Chicago’s $1 Large Lot program will tentatively open April 16th and an Englewood Large Expo is currently being planned to help residents apply.
Englewood QLP Public Safety Task Force Update
To begin planning for the next Jobs on the Block employment fair, the Englewood QLP Public Safety Task Force partnered with Jobs and Economic Development Task Force to host a joint meeting this month. The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 25th, 5:30pm-7pm, at 007 District Police Department Community Room located 1438 W. 63rd St.
Upcoming Events/Meetings – Also see RAGE Calendar Online
Friday, April 6th: 6th Ward Community Hiring Event for the South Side High in Englewood – Kennedy King College (Mini Great Hall), 740 W. 63rd St. – 10am to 4pm
Tuesday, April 10th: Housing and Public Spaces Task Force Meeting – VOA|Hope Manor II, 6002 S. Halsted – 5:30pm to 7pm
Saturday, April 21st: Greater Englewood Unity Day – 10am to 3pm. To participate and register, contact Imagine Englewood If at 773-488-6704
Thursday, April 26th: Jobs & Economic Development Task Force’s Englewood Job Fair – Hamilton Park Cultural Center, 513 W. 72nd St. – 12:30 to 5:30pm
The Resident Association of Greater Englewood (R.A.G.E.) is a resident-driven organization whose mission is to mobilize residents of the community, utilizing asset-based development and innovative organizing techniques.
For more information contact us at JoinRAGE@gmail.com or 866-845-1032.
R.A.G.E. 