Michael Romain
Communications Director
Kenn Cook Jr. Communications Specialist
Kamil Brady
Circulation Manager/Sales
Paul Goyette
Photographer
Shardonae Williams
Contributor
Morris Reed
Westside Health Authority/CEO
Karl Brinson
Westside Branch NAACP/President
Bernard Clay
Introspect Youth Services/Executive Director
Michael Romain
Village Free Press/Publisher
CONTACT US at stories@ourculture.us
VISIT US ONLINE at ourculture.us
Thursday, Aug. 21, 6 - 8 p.m., Kehrein Center for the Arts, 5628 W. Washington Blvd. “THE GOOD NEWS” Movie Premiere | You’re invited to the premiere of “THE GOOD NEWS,” an Austin Forward. Together. Documentary Film celebrating Austin Forward. Together’s successes and showcasing the challenges we have experienced implementing Austin’s community-led plan (AFT) over the past few years. The video is an update to the one created four years ago during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the screening, a brief panel discussion will take place to discuss how we plan to advance the AFT vision. There will be hors d’oeuvres, entertainment, and mingling before and after the screening! Here is the link to register: bit.ly/aftdoc
Friday, Aug. 22, New Mt. Pilgrim MB Church, 4301 W. Washington Blvd., | Brad Cummings Memorial | THE VOICE newspaper will host a grand memorial service to mourn the tragic death and celebrate the courageous life of one of Chicago’s great, unsung journalism heroes. For 40 years, Brad Cummings was the editor of THE VOICE Newspapers, always in the community with his trusty camera, always showcasing talented Westsiders, and providing positive local news and entertainment that we deserve. Meanwhile, the newspaper’s publisher, Isaac Jones, has established a GoFundMe to help pay off debts and keep the publication going strong. You can donate at gofundme.com/f/keep-the-voice-alive-inmemory-of-brad-40-years-and-beyond.
Saturday, Aug. 23, 6 - 8 p.m., Kehrein Center for the Arts, 5628 W. Washington Blvd. | An Evening of Mexican Soul | Join the Mexican Folkloric Dance Company of Chicago for a spectacular music and dance celebration. Tickets on sale now at kcachicago.org. Use the promo code NOCHE25 when ordering to save 10% on your ticket price.
Aug. 23, 3 - 7 p.m.,
| 11th Annual
in conjunction with the
annual fest featuring the
Monday, Aug. 25, 3 - 5 p.m., Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation, 5500 W. Madison St. | Community Land Trust Workshop | This workshop will explore how Community Land Trusts (CLTs) can support commercial spaces, small businesses, and long-term economic stability in our neighborhoods. Registration is required. For more info, contact LaShawna Bundy at (773) 417-8601 (Ext. 151) or lbundy@ austincomingtogether.org.
Thursday, Aug. 28, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m., New Mt. Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church, 4301 W. Washington Blvd. | Let’s Talk About It! | This summer, the Garfield Park Rite to Wellness Collaborative has hosted a series of community meetings, and they want to hear from you. These gatherings provide an opportunity to share your ideas, concerns, and hopes for a healthier, stronger, and more connected neighborhood. To register, visit bit. ly/QLPAugust.
Saturday, Aug. 30, 10 a.m., BUILD Chicago, 5100 W. Harrison St. | Ride for Peace | Join BUILD for a Ride for Peace throughout Austin featuring community resources, information, and family-friendly activities. All ages are welcome. Water and light snacks will be provided. Ride starts at 11 a.m. sharp. For more info, visit buildchicago.org.
Aug. 21, Sept. 13, Sept. 18, Various Stops in Austin | Austin Farm 2 Table Trolley Tours | Taste the fresh produce that Austin has to offer during Chicago Austin Youth Travel Adventures’ free trolley tours. Get free produce, gift bags, and reduced pricing. Pickups and returns during Farmer’s Market on Thursdays at Austin Town Hall Park, 5610 W. Lake St. RSVP required. Call (312) 813-6047 or email info@catchtheworld.org.
Monday, Aug. 25 - Friday, Aug 29; Tuesday, Sept. 2 - Friday, Sept. 5, Humboldt Park Boathouse - Parking lot, 1301 N. Humboldt Drive | Get Your Free Mammogram - Right In Your Community | RUSH MD Anderson Cancer Center and Siemens Healthineers are teaming up to offer free digital screening mammograms for women 40 or older on Chicago’s West Side. RUSH MD Anderson breast imaging mammographers and leaders will be onsite to answer questions and provide resources and education about breast health, including information about follow-up care and support. To reserve your preferred day and time, or if you have questions, call (312) 9423225. Walk-ins are welcome.
Saturdays at various West Side locations | The Austin Garden Collective now has volunteer Saturdays available. They are working to collectively cultivate community gardens in one of Austin’s over 25 diverse green spaces. To sign up or for more info, visit austingardencollective.com.
Saturdays, 12:30 - 2:30 p.m., The New Man Outreach Church, 5816 W. Chicago Ave. | First Come, First Served | Get free clothes, a free delicious dinner, free resources, counseling, housing, jobs, medical resources, senior help, and the Gospel. For more info, call (773) 413-7254.
Mondays at By The Hand Club For Kids, 415 N. Laramie | SLAM | Every Monday, By The Hand Club For Kids hosts SLAM, an event focused on games, mentors, and God, hosted by GRIP Youth. This event is for high school students.
Third Wednesday of the month, 5 - 7 p.m., Christian Valley Church, 1237 S. Homan Chicago | Out West North Lawndale MS Warriors Support Group | The National MS Society maintains a network of affiliated groups to provide opportunities for people living with multiple sclerosis to connect with others in their community. The Out West North Lawndale MS Warriors Support Group
welcomes anyone living with MS, as well as their family and friends. For more info or to RSVP, contact Edwina Betts at edwinabetts@gmail.com or (312) 8576448 or Victoria Muhammad at (708) 325-8568.
Thursdays through October (rain or shine), 1 – 6 p.m., Austin Town Hall Park, 610 W. Lake Street, | Austin Town Farmers Market | Join the party in the park! There will be live music and entertainment, live cooking demonstrations, yoga and massage therapy, and supporting local businesses. Discover the best of local, sustainable farmers and food producers, community programs for all ages, and more. Visit austintownhallcitymarket. com for more info.
Thursdays, 3 p.m., Good Neighbor Center, 5437 W. Division St. | Faith, Family and Community Overcomers Meeting | The Good Neighbor Campaign’s weekly Overcomes Meeting is open to the public and offers community members an outlet to talk about their anxiety, fears, and addictions.
Thursdays, 5 p.m., La Follette Park, 1333 N. Laramie | Chicago Area Runners Association (CARA) | CARA’s Austin running crew focuses on improving the health and wellness of the Austin Community through walking and running. The group meets every Learn more at cararuns.org/arc.
Every First Saturday through June 2026, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m., Bethel New Life, 1140 N. Lamon Ave. | Join Bethel New Life for their next FREE Spiritual Wellness Retreat on Saturday, Sept. 6. The retreat is a space for women over 18 years old to breathe, reflect, and reconnect. We’ll gather in sisterhood for guided mindfulness practices, offering gentle rest for the mind, body, and spirit. This retreat will continue every first Saturday through June 2026, creating a rhythm of stillness in your month. There are limited spots available, so reserve your seat ASAP by contacting keely@bethelnewlife. org or (708) 677-4435.
• The Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation website is live, and Aspire is hiring a new Receptionist, Executive Director, and Chief Operating Officer. For more info, visit acwichi.org/careers.
• Legal Aid Chicago is hiring an intake specialist based at the Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation. For more info, visit legalaidchicago.org/get-involved/workwith-us.
• Forty Acres Fresh Market, 5713 W. Chicago Ave., is hiring multiple positions as they expand their team. Openings include: Business Operations Associate, Produce/Floral Department Assistant, Deli/Prepared Foods Cook II, Pricing Coordinator and Bookkeeper, Front End Supervisor, Grocery and Front End Clerk, Meat and Seafood Associate, Deli and Prepared Food Associate, and Grocery and Front End Associate. For more info, visit fortyacresfreshmarket.com.
• The Pro Bono Network (PBN) is hiring for a Pro Bono Coordinator (Attorney) as a part of their Programming Department. The position is hybrid and offers competitive benefits, with key responsibilities falling under the categories of legality, outreach and recruitment, and recognition and retention. They will be receiving applications within the first quarter of 2025. If you are interested, email info@ pbnetwork.org with the subject line: "Application, PBN Pro Bono Coordinator".
• HIRE360 is recruiting candidates into the union trades apprenticeship program and preparing them for work opportunities in upcoming Chicago construction projects. This eight-week program is for Illinois
residents 17-and-a-half or older who are authorized to work in the U.S., have a flexible schedule, a high school diploma or GED, a valid driver’s license, and the ability to travel to various locations. For more info, visit hire360chicago.com.
• HIRE360's trade partners are accepting applications for the following apprenticeship programs: Bricklayers, Electricians IBEW 134, Heat and Frost Insulators Local 17, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150, MidAmerica Carpenters Regional Council, Pipefitters Local 597. For more info, visit hire360chicago.com.
• BUILD Chicago is hiring for multiple positions. For more info, visit buildchicago.org, scroll to the bottom of the home page, and click “Join our Team.”
• Cajun Cafe Chicago is looking to hire an experienced Sous Chef. Cajun Cafe Chicago is a southern cuisine catering service that provides services to the Chicagoland Area. They’re based out of The Hatchery, 135 N. Kedzie. Send your resume to nancy@industrialcouncil.com.
• Twisted Eggroll is a catering and consumer packaged goods company with an infused spin on the traditional egg roll. They are hiring for a new Kitchen Production Manager. Send your resume to nancy@industrialcouncil.com with “QA Technician” in the subject line
• The Institute for Nonviolence is hiring for multiple open positions in Austin, including Outreach and Intervention Manager, Outreach Worker, and Accoutning Clerk. For more info, visit nonviolencechicago.org.
Want to see more events, job openings, and resources? If you're an Austin resident looking for resources, please contact the Austin Community Hub at hub@austincomingtogether. org or text your Full Name to (708) 529-5042, and a member of the Hub team will follow up with you.
went viral on TikTok for doing hair in the school’s bathroom, now she has more concrete ambitions
By MICHAEL LIPTROT Block Club Chicago
ANorth Lawndale student whose pop-up bathroom hair salon became an online sensation is working to turn her passion for hairstyling and supporting her friends into a business.
Jessica Thurmond, 17, became famous on social media through a Feb. 3 TikTok video of her braiding her friend’s hair in the girls’ bathroom at North Lawndale College Prep, 1615 S. Christiana Ave., where she is a junior. The 18-second video got 3.6 million views and more than 500,000 likes, with commenters praising Thurmond’s talent — and some wondering how she pulled it off during school hours.
“i love girls helping other girls,” one person wrote.
“The hairstylist that did everyone’s hair in [high school] turn out to always be the best. Keep going,” another commenter wrote.
Encouraged by the support, Thurmond’s family launched a GoFundMe this month to raise money for her to buy hairstyling supplies and ultimately launch her business. As of Aug. 17, it had raised more than $5,000 of its $10,000 goal.
“One day, she hopes to own her salon shop,” the teen’s family wrote on the campaign page. “She loves to see when others are feeling good; it motivates her to keep going and never give up on what she wants to be!”
Thurmond was born and raised in North Lawndale. She learned how to do hair — cut, curl, braid and even dye — from her grandmother when she was 8, she said. Over the years, she’s grown to become the de facto hairdresser for more than 10 family members, regularly styling hair for her mother, father, brother, cousins, aunts, and grandmothers.
“Everyone really counts on me,” Thurmond said.
Thurmond also occasionally did her friends’ hair at home. One day in September 2023,
during her sophomore year, a friend asked Thurmond to help style her wig at school. The pair went to the girls’ bathroom so Thurmond could get to work — though she was afraid she’d get in trouble for missing class to do her friend’s hair.
Thirty minutes later, Thurmond finished styling and posted a video on her Instagram.
The reaction was overwhelming, with views, likes and comments flooding her page, Thurmond said. She has since removed the post from her Instagram.
Seeing messages praising her talents and telling her to continue creating content encouraged Thurmond. Eventually, and somewhat nervously, she showed the video to Kyera Bradley, principal of North Lawndale College Prep, who, to Thurmond’s surprise, did not say she was in trouble for missing class.
“When she brought it to me, I can tell she was extremely hesitant to see what my reaction was going to be, because I do run a tight ship,”
Bradley said. “I was like ‘Wait, what?’ Millions of views are happening on this video. … I learned that Jessica was very creative just from the video alone.”
Bradley said she allowed Thurmond to continue her pop-up bathroom salon during her homeroom and lunch periods, but not during core classes.
“As a principal, when we think about transformational leadership, it is very important for me to support every scholar along the way to achieve whatever it is that they want to do,”
Bradley said. “Can you imagine if more principals were more lenient in a way to make room for the gifts and talents of these kids?
This year, North Lawndale College Prep launched a business and marketing course for students interested in entrepreneurship after getting feedback from a student survey. As part of the course, students work together to run a convenience store inside the school. Thurmond is taking the class this semester and
helps organize the student-run store. Thurmond said many of the lessons she’s learning from the class apply to her pop-up salon, including managing revenue and avoiding unnecessary spending.
Hair styling has helped Thurmond build relationships with girls at her school, and she enjoys “giving help to women that need it,” she said.
“I feel like when I do their hair, it creates a bond,” she said. “I talk to them while doing their hair, and after a while, we’re building a bond between us, and I’m getting to know them.” Read More Read more Block Club Chicago stories at blockclubchicago.org Contact reporter Michael Liptrot at michael@blockclubchi.org.
This August, my office put out new data showing that record numbers of homeowners in Cook County are receiving exemptions compared to previous years.
For those who don’t know, exemptions are property tax savings that most homeowners are eligible to receive. If you want to check whether you have all the exemptions you’re allowed to claim, you can find more information at cookcountyassessor.com/exemptions.
Since 2018, I’ve made sure that the Assessor’s Office, which administers these exemptions, has stepped up its outreach efforts throughout Cook County. We need to ensure that access to exemptions is fair.
At the state level, we’ve also successfully advocated for legislators to automatically renew
some exemptions. For example, the Senior Citizen exemption is available to any homeowner 65 years or older. Since people don’t tend to get any younger, we helped pass a law that rolls the exemption over each year. That reduces paperwork at the Assessor’s Office while giving seniors more peace of mind when it comes to property taxes.
Already this year, 367,000 seniors have received their Senior exemption – the highest number since at least 2018. The same is true for other exemptions that we’ve pushed to automatically renew, like the one for Veterans with Disabilities. Thousands of veterans who are permanently disabled no longer have to file an application with our office each year.
Going forward, we want to extend this auto-
matic renewal to the “Senior Freeze” exemption. The Senior Freeze is extremely important – it provides significant property tax relief to low-income seniors, many of whom live on a fixed income that can make large property tax increases unmanageable.
At the Assessor’s Office, we’ve come up with a way to automatically check that seniors receiving this exemption are eligible from one year to the next. The next step is for the state legislature to allow us to implement automatic renewal. This fall, I look forward to continuing our discussion with state legislators to make sure we can get our seniors all the help they need to keep their property taxes affordable.
— Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi
Maria Pappas
Understanding Cook County’s property tax system can be a challenge even for people born and raised here. Words like “assessments,” “exemptions,” and “multipliers” aren’t part of everyday conversation. For many homeowners, deciphering a tax bill feels like solving a puzzle.
Now imagine you’re new to this country, perhaps from a place that doesn’t even have property taxes. Many nations across Europe, Asia, and Africa don’t tax real estate the way we do. So, for many immigrants, receiving a sizable bill in the mail after buying their first home, can be confusing and intimidating.
But if there’s one thing most immigrants do understand well, it’s the importance of homeownership. Owning a home is a milestone on the path to the American Dream. Poles have doggedly pursued that dream over the years, becoming the largest property owners in Cook County. They’ve shown language doesn’t have to be a barrier to land ownership.
The power of their example is one of the reasons why I’ve made it a top priority to help every Cook County resident, no matter where they’re from or what language they speak, understand how our property tax system works and how to
avoid paying more than their fair share.
My office is committed to multilingual outreach that meets people where they are. From Albania to Zimbabwe, Cook County is home to residents from nearly every country in the world, and we aim to serve everyone.
My office’s “The Property Tax System,” brochure contains useful information for property owners. It’s offered in English, Spanish, Polish and 25 other languages: Albanian, Arabic, Armenian, Assyrian, Bulgarian, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Filipino, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Lithuanian, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovakian, Thai, Ukrainian, Urdu and Vietnamese.
Here are some other ways we’re making the property tax system accessible:
• Short educational videos on cookcountytreasurer.com in six languages— English, Spanish, Polish, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Arabic—explain how the system works and how you might qualify for a refund.
• A website that’s translatable into more than 200 languages. Just click on the translator at the bottom of our homepage.
These tools explain how the property tax system works and whether you may be owed money. You can search your address at cookcountytreasurer.com to see if you qualify for a refund. Overpayment refunds go back 20 years, and missed exemptions, such as for seniors, veterans, or homeowners, can be claimed going back four years.
Spanish is the second-most spoken language in Cook County, with more than a million residents speaking it at home. That’s why we host a weekly Spanish-language radio show, “Latino Houses Matter,” airing at noon every Monday on WRLL-AM 1450. The show provides step-by-step guidance on refunds, exemption eligibility, and an easy-to-follow breakdown of the property tax system.
Immigrants have helped build this region into one of the most diverse and dynamic counties in America. Reaching every community with information in their language isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s essential to building equity and empowerment.
No matter what language you speak, we’re here to help you understand your taxes—and possibly save you money.
— Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas
Retiring Rep. Danny K. Davis said even though he has at least one more parade to go, he hopes his successor keeps the rich tradition alive
By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor
Last month, Congressman Danny K. Davis (7th) announced his plans to retire at the end of his term, prompting a mad dash to succeed the iconic West Side political figure.
Davis endorsed state Rep. La Shawn K. Ford (8th), who has announced that he won’t seek another term to his state seat, prompting a dash for that position.
Walking some paces behind Rep. Ford near
Central and Chicago during his annual Back to School Picnic and Parade on Aug. 16, Congressman Davis said his retirement may be imminent, but the work remains.
“My term doesn’t end until Jan. 1, 2027, so I got a year-and-a-half to keep working,” Davis said, before briefly discussing the historic parade’s significance as it enters its 47th year. Here’s the Congressman in his own words. Some communities are situated in such a way that we always joke about how far we have to walk to touch different parts of the district. When I started doing this parade, I
was the 29th Ward alderman. We stretched all the way from Roosevelt Road over to 2600 North—1200 South to 2600 North. So trying to have cohesion in the community wasn’t the easiest thing to do, and it still isn’t. This ward had three of four predominantly white precincts. Unlike many South Side wards that are overwhelmingly Black, all the wards on the West Side have a significant
number of non-African Americans who make up that ward. The 37th and 24th wards have a lot of Hispanics. The 29th Ward has always had white people. The 27th Ward has also always had a significant number of whites. So, this parade connects people to each other who otherwise would never come in contact with each other and don’t necessarily have the same interests in terms of what their
communities demand or need. We created this 46 years ago to try to connect people, and I think it does that quite well.
La Shawn has talked about keeping this going if he’s elected and that’s what I would expect him to do if he decides to do it. But I think the impact of the concept is what is important and that is, people coming together, interacting with each other, being engaged,
being involved, and even though they may live miles apart, they are still in the same political environment. It’s fun.
We put a lot of effort into this each year. There are probably already a lot of people in the park getting ready for the picnic. We have about 100 computers we’re going to give away along with books, supplies, and all that kind of stuff. So, it’s cool.
Move comes after two killed, 11 wounded in Austin shootings
By MICHAEL LIPTROT Block Club Chicago
West Side leaders are looking for how to best address the pattern of large teen gatherings after a massive Austin street party on Aug. 10 resulted in two people killed and 11 others wounded in shootings.
A large outdoor party, organized by a popular social media personality and club promoter, took over an abandoned lot near La Crosse and West End avenues late Saturday and early Sunday.
Four shootings happened early on Aug. 10 in the vicinity of the party, with at least two of the shootings directly involving party-goers, neighbors and officials said.
That includes a shooting that took place around 5 a.m. Sunday in the 5000 block of Maypole Avenue, when 18-year-old Kaleb Williams was fatally shot in a robbery attempt while trying to leave the party, prosecutors said in court on Aug. 13.
A 22-year-old woman was also fatally shot near the party as part of a mass shooting that wounded five others, police previously said.
Following calls from neighbors for action, city leaders are now looking to provide resources and hold event organizers accountable.
“We’ve got to have some level of responsibility all the way around on this,” Ald. Jason Ervin (28th) told Block Club. “The influencers, the platforms, the kids, their supervision — everybody. There’s no one person that’s responsible for this.”
Ervin said he is working to collaborate with Ald. Chris Taliaferro (29th) after similar gatherings have taken place in both of their wards.
As of Aug. 14, a community meeting was being scheduled for 7 p.m. on Aug. 18 at Zoe Life Ministries International, 3 S. Laramie Ave., alongside Chicago police officials to address the shooting and greater community safety. An emergency assistance center providing mental health and trauma-informed resources is also being planned near the area of the shooting for affected residents, with the location and date still being determined, Ervin said.
“We don’t want people to feel that they can’t gather, and we don’t want to violate anyone’s First Amendment rights, but at the same time, we do not want to create an unsafe environment for our young people or for our community at large,” Ervin said.
Williams, of south suburban University Park, went to the Austin party with multiple friends and high school classmates. The group of friends was leaving the party when 35-year-old Ortez Owens and another person confronted them, prosecutors said.
Owens confronted Williams and his friends about damage to his sunroof before drawing a handgun and ordering Williams and another 18-year-old to drop their backpacks. The two turned to run away in separate directions, when prosecutors say Owens and the other person opened fire on the teens.
Williams, who was identified by the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office, was shot
twice in the back and was taken to a local hospital in critical condition and later pronounced dead, according to police.
The other teenage boy was shot in his arm and managed to escape through an alley. As Owens left the scene, returning briefly to collect some of the victims’ belongings, his car was captured on multiple cameras, leading to his arrest.
While in custody, Owens admitted to the murder to his wife on a recorded call, prosecutors said in his initial court appearance on Aug. 13.
Three other shootings took place within a half-mile radius of the party on Aug. 10. The party was organized by a promoter and TikTok star known as JRoy, who has amassed over
600,000 followers on the platform for throwing rager-style parties on the West Side.
JRoy took to a social media livestream to defend his actions and prefaced that he throws parties outdoors because he “gets shut down” at indoor venues and blamed the violence on attendees from other neighborhoods.
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By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor
On any given Saturday, if you’re driving on the 5800 block of Chicago Avenue, just east of the Sankofa Cultural Center, you’re likely to see what appears to be a sidewalk sale, with people rummaging through used clothing and other goods. Stop your vehicle, step out, and approach the storefront and you’ll discover something much more substantial.
The clothes are free and just what aspect of what you might call Dr. Lisa A. B. New man’s social Gospel. New man, the pastor of the New Man Outreach Church, said she started her holistic Saturday services, because traditional Sunday church seemed inadequate.
“I used to do traditional Sunday services, but Sunday was really religious and people would come with no expectation,” New man said. “I wanted to do something a little different. I wanted to do this for souls.”
Each Saturday, the church places clothing outside for community members to freely pick what they need. New man preaches, and
there’s usually a free meal for attendees.
Aldridge Gardner started coming to these Saturday gatherings nearly three months ago. Now, they’ve become a highlight of this week.
“I had needed some clothes, so I started coming,” Gardner said. “This really feeds my spirit. I’m in the midst of changing and becoming a better person. This is what keeps me off the streets. I look forward to this.”
Rev. New Man said she’s been conducting her Saturday outreach for nearly two years after realizing Austin’s need for her kind of social Gospel.
“If you see a need, you need to sow a seed,” she said. “Don’t be spectators, be participants. It’s been amazing seeing people who were on drugs and alcohol getting delivered, helping people get housing, inspiring people, and helping people do self-care and love themselves.”
Aldridge said he’s walking proof of the church’s effectiveness.
“This has made a difference in my life,” he said. “They’ve helped with everything from jobs and resources to clothes. I really needed some clothes. Now I got too many. God has been a blessing to me.”
The New Man Outreach Church, 5816 W. Chicago Ave., meets each Saturday from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. The church distributes free clothing and meals on a first-come, firstserved basis. They also help connect community members with counseling, housing resources, jobs, medical care, and senior assistance. Call (773) 413-7254 for more information.
