Living Chicago: Summertime Vibes

By Mila K. Marshall, PhD CNW Staff Editor

Kids can’t wait to kick off summer in the Chi! But, truth be told parents may be having the exact opposite feelings. Between the weather and expenses of kids home all day some families are left with limited options and don’t know where to begin. This week’s Living Chicago series introduces some great FREE opportunities for families. With vacation comes pool and beach days…does your child know how to swim? Some kids rely on school meals, rock with The Sandwich Ministry helping to bridge the gap and finally Chicago weather is wonky the Garfield Park Conservatory is opened daily that gives the ultimate staycay vibe.

Learn to swim for FREE at Chicago Park Distric Water is both Chicago’s most abundant resource and summertime boogie man. Nationally, nearly 4,000 people perish from unintentional drownings per year, including boating incidents according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Drowning victims are most likely to be children under the age of 4, males and minorities and is the 3rd leading cause of death globally according to the World Health Organization.

Since 2014 Chicago Park District has been working to teach kids how to swim for free. Kids ages 6-17 can register for the first session (10 weeks) FREE using the coupon code FIRSTFREE and can be used to register online or in person. Families can request a waiver of fees if they qualify for subsequent sessions. Visit their website for more information at www.chicagopardistrict.com

The Sandwich Ministry

Sandwich MInistry was born in the middle of the pandemic, “i’ve always worked with the youth in some capacity and in 2020 some young people called me and they were closing down the schools

I knew some kids depended on school for food but it wasn’t until the schools ended that I learned they weren’t eating. I got word that they were telling the kids to come to the schools to get their food but enough people aren’t coming so they were told to go elsewhere,” shared Green. Using social media for help, Green was able to start serving lunches to the youth.

Starting June 9th, Green and others from the community will be serving lunches Wed-Friday until school begins again in fall.

The Sandwich Ministry serves in front of The Woodlawn located at 1200 E. 79th street,“Mr. Digby has been so supportive, letting us serve lunches in front of his establishment,” she said, “sometimes people don’t give unless they get something out of it.” Green highlighted the dearth of food and stores in the area and the ministry serves about 500 lunches a week and “super lunches” on Fridays. “On Friday we give a super lunch with ramen, grits, oatmeal and double it up and we know we aren’t going to see them till next week so we add ex- tra. We give them water and we encourage healthy eating and staying away from pork,” said Green.

M’Reld shares that the ministry efforts cost about $500/week to coordinate putting the lunches together and is supported by donations. When asked what she needed from she said more Black men to serve. “Kids want to see someone cares, and it is so important that more brothers come out and let these kids see they care and they are here for them, seeing more of them can be a powerful thing. Entering their 4th summer if you wish to give back and volunteer join them at The Woodlawn from 12pm-2pm every Wed-Friday to serve and follow them on IG @ thesandwichministry. They are in need of water, natural juice, boxes of chips and most importantly you and your time. Fight food insecurity this summer, our communities prosperity and pride is all of our ministries.

Af·ro·fu·tur·ism in bloom

Garfield Park Conservatory (300 N Central Park Ave) has an exhibit worth traveling for. Afrofuturism is the exploration through the Black lens often infused with themes ranging from utopic to cultural reclamation. While artists, authors, designers and creatives often use technology to express the visions of a version of life some such as Kee Merriweather have rooted deep and invite guests on a natural high close to home. “An Otherworldly Existence: Afrofuturism & the Environment” is on display until July 31st and “seeks to represent African-descended people in a rich and robust environment.The need to fight environmental injustice is no longer needed, because this world is now just,” according to the conservatories website. Enjoy a day with the family touring the exhibit and conservatory and don’t just imagine an environmentally just future, claim it and live it today and every day.