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AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2023 QUARTER 4

November 29, 2023

THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY PUBLISHED ITS FIRST QUALITY-OF-LIFE PLAN CALLED AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. (AFT) IN 2018.

THIS QUARTERLY PUBLICATION DESCRIBES HOW AUSTIN COMING TOGETHER (ACT) IS SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY TO IMPLEMENT AFT AND OTHER EFFORTS.

AUSTIN LOOKS FORWARD,

TOGETHER. The future of the community’s groundbreaking plan

THE PLAN OF PLANS: REFLECTING ON THE COLLECTIVE POWER OF A COMMUNITY PAGE 3 HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE PLAN’S LIFETIME PAGE 4 | THE NEXT STAGE: WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR THE PLAN PAGE 7 Special thanks to these Austin Forward. Together. quality-of-life plan legacy investors:

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AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2023 QUARTER 4

Since 2010, Austin Coming Together (ACT) has facilitated collaboration to improve education and economic development outcomes in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood.

Today, we serve a network of 50+ organizations committed to improving the quality of life in the Austin community.

Our strategic plan is called Thrive 2025 and outlines how we will mobilize our resources to achieve four impact goals by the year 2025: Quality Early Learning, Safe Neighborhoods, Living Wage Careers, and Stable Housing Markets.

ACT BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Reginald Little

Max Komnenich

Austin Coming Together

Business Development Specialist, Great Lakes Credit Union

Directors

Dawn Ferencak

In Memoriam

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Darnell Shields

Officers CHAIR

Senior Marketing Strategist, Chicago Parent

Sharon Morgan

Larry Williams

Director of Graduate Support & Community Outreach, Catalyst Schools

Broker, State Farm Insurance SECRETARY

Reverend Reginald E. Bachus

Bradly Johnson

Chief Community Officer, BUILD Inc. TREASURER

LaDarius Curtis

Senior Director of Community Engagement & Health, West Side United

Pastor, Friendship Baptist Church

Tenisha Jones

Vice President of Community & Government Engagement, Catholic Charities

Deborah Williams-Thurmond Community Outreach & Engagement Specialist, Habilitative Systems, Inc.

Ruth Kimble

Founder & CEO, Austin Childcare Providers Network

Strategic Initiatives

Leadership

Deirdre Bates*

Sandra Diaz*

Dearra Williams

Executive Director

Executive Operations Lead/ Assistant to the CEO

Andrew Born Senior Director of Community Impact

*Also part of the ACT Leadership Team

Join the ACT team!

Job openings at AustinComingTogether.org/Careers

A House in Austin

Because I Care

Academy of Scholastic Achievement

Bethel New Life

Austin Childcare Providers Network

BUILD Inc.

Austin Community Family Center Austin Weekly News (Growing Community Media) Be Strong Families Beat the Streets Chicago

Beyond Hunger

Emone Moore

Engagement Coordinator, Austin Community Hub

Dollie Sherman

Engagement Specialist, Austin Community Hub

Chicago Community Loan Fund City of Refuge Defy Ventures Illinois

By The Hand Club For Kids

Erikson Institute

Cara

Friendship Community Development Corp. of Austin

Catholic Charities Chicago Austin Youth Travel Adventures

Ethan Ramsay

Service Delivery Enhancement Manager, Austin Community Hub

ACT MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS

Friends of the Children

Greater West Town Community Development Project

Jack Macnamara 1937–2020

FOUNDING BOARD CHAIR

Mildred Wiley 1955–2019

Law Clerk, Illinois Appellate Court

Operations

Darnell Shields

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jerrod Williams

ACT STAFF

Director of Operations

Associate Principal, Lamar Johnson Collaborative

Housing Forward i.c. stars IFF Institute for Nonviolence Chicago

Planning and Investment Manager

Grace Cooper

Alicia Plomin*

Lead Organizer

Director of Marketing and Development

Natalie Goodin

Scott Prywitch

Micro Market Recovery Program Coordinator

Nicholas Galassini Micro Market Recovery Program Intern

Legal Aid Chicago (fka LAF) Manufacturing Renaissance Mary Shyrese Daycare

Jane Addams Resource Corporation

Maryville Academy

Kids First Chicago

New Moms

KRA Westside American Job Center

OAI, Inc.

Learning Edge Tutoring (fka Cluster Tutoring)

Marketing & Development

Mercy Housing Lakefront

Oak Park Regional Housing Center Open Books PCC Community

Marketing and Development Specialist

Sydni Hatley

Marketing and Development Coordinator

Wellness Center

The Catalyst Schools

Project Exploration

The Journey Forward

Renaissance Social Services, Inc.

The North Avenue District, Inc.

Sarah’s Inn

Towers of Excellence

South Austin Neighborhood Association

UIC Jane Addams College of Social Work

St. Joseph Services

Westside Health Authority

St. Leonard’s Ministries Stone Community Development Corporation

VOCEL

West Side Forward Worldvision Youth Guidance

AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2023 QUARTER 4

Austin Weekly News • November 29, 2023

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The plan of plans: Reflecting on the collective power of a community

By Darnell Shields Executive Director, Austin Coming Together

D

eep systemic barriers and historic disinvestment have, in a multitude of ways, held our community back for decades. In recent years, things have been changing in Austin unlike ever before.

The unprecedented levels of collaboration and collective impact throughout the community were calling for something new, something different, something bigger.

Back in 2017, ACT’s efforts to create synergy among community members resulted in a steering committee of 20 community leaders. With support from LISC Chicago and ACT, the steering committee gathered over 500 local stakeholders at three Community Summits to listen to what they felt were Austin’s needs and priorities.

In December 2018, our community embarked on a journey. For the first time in the Austin community, a quality-oflife plan was unveiled. By building on Austin’s greatest assets and cultivating new expertise and investment, the Austin

Forward. Together. (AFT) plan is a catalyst for change in Austin.

The plan, which was designed by the community and for the community, is the catalyst for Austin. It addresses 23 strategies with 84 total actions across 7 issue Areas between 2019 and 2024: Community Narrative, Education, Housing, Youth Empowerment, Economic Development, Public Safety, and Civic Engagement. So this project wasn’t just about making a plan. It’s always been about building relationships and establishing the collective power needed to successfully implement the “plans” that

already existed in the community.

In the five years since the AFT plan’s inception, Austin has been at the forefront of significant changes and developments that have brought together thousands of residents with one shared vision. The success of the AFT plan has created a world of opportunity for residents and has garnered a variety of awards.

We are proud of the work that has been accomplished by way of the plan and look forward to how the plan will continue to impact our community for years to come. n

For far too long, many leaders in the community had seen each other more as competitors rather than allies. Powerful people outside of Austin, with control over resources, have pitted us against each other, forcing us to compete with one another for the scarce resources they give us access to. The idea of creating “plans” to address ongoing issues had always been a struggle. Within the community, aspirations of coming together in the hopes of collaborating on major issues always found its obstacles.

Resources to follow through on plans were commonly thin or the individuals and groups in power placed their interests elsewhere. It was time to change that.

In 2018, over 400 attendees packed Michele Clark High School for the unveiling of Austin’s first ever quality-of-life plan called Austin Forward. Together. (AFT).

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AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2023 QUARTER 4

Highlights from the plan’s lifetime The massive body of work that is Austin Forward. Together. (AFT) has made significant progress over the past five years. Though a lot happened for each of its seven issue areas, below is one highlight for each:

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT This issue area’s goal is to create economic revitalization in Austin and by Austin, as well as support new and existing local businesses, entrepreneurs, and the workforce; improve our commercial corridors; and attract new investment to build a stronger, more dynamic local economy.

AUSTIN COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS (SOUL CITY / CENTRAL)

Two key focal projects, the Soul City and Central Avenue commercial corridors, continue to make prominent strides. The Soul City Corridor along Chicago Avenue has made improvements to pedestrian infrastructure and has added community assets including the POPCourt! Community Plaza. The Central Avenue Corridor, which will become a “unifying” vein running through Austin, has gained traction as it continues its community-based engagements and plan reporting. The intersection of Madison and Central is home to one of the most prominent development projects in the community: The Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation, which will repurpose the former Emmet Elementary School into an anchor for commercial revitalization and a destination for top-notch workforce training. The Center continues to make significant progress. A groundbreaking ceremony happened in 2023 and construction commenced shortly thereafter. These two projects have been pivotal for AFT’s Economic Development issue area, and have actively contributed to economic revitalization in Austin by Austin.

COMMUNITY NARRATIVE This issue area’s goal is to revitalize the image and spirit of Austin by promoting assets such as our historic housing, creating a healthy community and building a more robust environment for local arts and culture.

AUSTIN EATS Since its creation, the initiative has aimed to change the food landscape and rewrite the narrative around food in Austin by focusing on emergency food access, grocery access, culinary entrepreneurship, food education, gardens & farms, and marketing. Highlights of the initiative include the presence of fresh food farmers markets for community residents, educational food and film experiences, community-owned gardens, an increased presence and coordination among emergency food providers, and progress in bringing a full-service grocery store to Austin.

AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2023 QUARTER 4

HOUSING

Austin Weekly News • November 29, 2023

5

EDUCATION

This issue area’s goal is to create a stabilized housing market in Austin, with support for local homeowners and a wide array of affordable housing options.

PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT FOR LARAMIE STATE BANK Planning for the former Laramie Bank building and approximately 20,000 square feet of adjacent land continues. The proposed $51 million project will renovate the landmark structure with commercial uses that include a bank branch, café, and business incubator. The adjacent land will be redeveloped with a mixedincome, multi-story rental building that includes a green roof, public plaza, social spaces, and outdoor art. It will have 51 units of affordable housing and 27 units of market-rate housing.

The project is expected to generate up to 150 construction jobs and 22 full-time positions.

This issue area’s goal is for local educational system and partners to provide the services, opportunities and support to help all our students stay on track, enrich their education and serve their needs, from early childhood through high school to job and career readiness.

CHILDCARE TO KINDERGARTEN (C2K) INITIATIVE In partnership with the Austin Childcare Providers Network (ACPN), the Childcare 2 Kindergarten (C2K) initiative provides year-long coaching to early education professionals so that children have a smoother transition into kindergarten.

ACPN creates and facilitates strategies to engage community members and families of students. By using a cohort model, they train about ten early childhood educators each year.

This program continues to grow and reach more education providers.

PUBLIC SAFETY

YOUTH EMPOWERMENT

This issue area’s goal is for Austin to have healthier and more engaged youth who are able to reach their full potential.

This issue area’s goal is for Austin to have healthier and more engaged youth who are able to reach their full potential.

AUSTIN RESTORATIVE JUSTICE ACTION TEAM

YOUTH SUMMER JOB FAIR

The creation of the Austin Restorative Justice Action Team has been instrumental in advancing the goals of increasing public safety. They aim to increase the presence of restorative justice (RJ) activities in the Austin community. Additionally, they build relationships between RJ practitioners and facilitate an ever-growing number of RJ circles and trainings held in the community. The recent opening of the BUILD Peace and Justice Center has catalyzed these increased RJ activities.

The presence of Youth Job Fairs allows Austin youth to get exposed to professionals they have common ground with. The youth are given useful tips for resumes, cover letters, applications and get to meet directly with employers.

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT This issue area’s goal is to sustain collaborative community involvement—from community campaigns to engaging elected officials—so we can bring voices and power to the efforts to improve Austin.

VOTER ENGAGEMENT AND REGISTRATION AFT’s Civic Engagement task force has provided a wealth of information and educational resources for Austin residents regarding voter registration, voter turnout, political forums with active candidates, and ward redistricting.

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Plan Leaders Community Narrative TASK FORCE CHAIRS

Briana Shields

Briana Janeé Arts

Kenneth Varner Healthy Schools Campaign

Dearra Williams Austin Coming Together

STRATEGY LEADS

Lasondra Kern

Community Resident

Suzanne McBride Austin Talks

AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2023 QUARTER 4

Economic Development

Education

TASK FORCE CHAIRS TASK FORCE CHAIRS

TASK FORCE CHAIRS

TASK FORCE CHAIRS

Crystal Bell

Bradly Johnson

Ella Flagg Young Elementary School South Austin Neighborhood Association (retired)

Jerrod Williams

Heather Sattler

Charles Anderson

Community Development Michele Clark High School Consultant STRATEGY LEADS

STRATEGY LEADS

Community Stakeholder

Erica Staley

Ruth Kimble

Alicia Plomin

Emily Peters

Michael Romain

Manufacturing Renaissance Austin Childcare Providers Network

Austin Coming Together Jane Addams Resource Corporation Cindy Gray

Schneider

Spaces-n-Places

Jai Jones

PSPC, The Chicago Community Trust and Community Resident

Tina Augustus

Madelyn James

Austin Childcare Providers Network

Pam Price

Roxanne Charles

Cata Truss

Melissa O’Dell

Athena Williams West Cook Homeownership Center

Allison McGowan

Community Resident STRATEGY LEADS

Shirley Fields

Community Resident

Rosie Dawson Westside Health Authority

Athena Williams

West Cook Homeownership Chicago Public Schools Center

Chicago West Side Chamber of Commerce West Side Forward

Housing

Community Resident

Baxter Swilley

Oak Park Regional Housing Center

Public Safety

BUILD Inc.

Marilyn Pitchford Heartland Alliance

STRATEGY LEADS

Adam Alonso BUILD Inc.

Edwina Hamilton BUILD Inc.

Gina Young

Youth Empowerment

TASK FORCE CHAIRS TASK FORCE CHAIRS

D’elegance Lane

Deborah

Community Stakeholder Williams-Thurmond Habilitative STRATEGY LEADS Systems Inc.

Deonna Hart BUILD Inc.

STRATEGY LEADS

Gina Young

Arnold Bearden

Aisha Oliver

Crystal Gardner

Catholic Charities

Catholic Charities

Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago

Bertha Purnell

Helen Slade

Mothers OnA Mission28

Territory NFP

Jose Abonce

Dollie Sherman

The Policing Project

Austin Coming Together

Ruby Taylor

Chris Thomas

Taproots, Inc.

Civic Engagement

Community Resident Protest to the Polls

Sharif Walker Bethel New Life

YourPassion1st

Defy Ventures

Fanya Berry

Community Resident

INTERESTED IN JOINING AN IMPLEMENTATION TASK FORCE?

Contact ACT’s Lead Organizer, Ethan Ramsay at 630.474.4016 or eramsay@austincomingtogether.org for more information

AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2023 QUARTER 4

Austin Weekly News • November 29, 2023

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The next stage: What lies ahead for the plan

By Scott Prywitch Marketing & Development Specialist, Austin Coming Together

T

hose who are familiar with the Austin Forward.

Together. (AFT) qualityof-life plan know that it is strategically outlined for five years between 2019 to 2024. In partnership with Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC Chicago), recommendations for the plan were to approach it over a five-year span. Despite this, the impact of the AFT plan was never meant to remain within five years. The plan has always been a massively ambitious effort tapping into the collective power of a community with the shared goal of creating dynamic, positive change for generations to come. This sentiment was even mentioned in the plan itself, “The work we do in this plan is the spark for a renaissance that goes beyond all we outline in the pages.” The successes that this plan has yielded for the community in the past five years have been instrumental in fueling this “spark.” Yet now, just like in its name, the plan is looking to move forward in 2024.

The annual AFT Community Summit allows for Austin residents to hear about the plan’s progress and how they can take part in it.

At this point in time, As the Austin Coming community’s first Together (ACT) quality-of-life and AFT leaders plan, AFT was the are beginning to product of tireless assess the trajectory collaboration of the plan. This among dedicated unique aspect of the community process has many partners, components that organizations, impact how the plan and residents. could evolve in years The process from to come. During conception to this assessment publicizing the FROM THE period, ACT and plan was not short AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. (AFT) AFT leaders will and came into QUALITY-OF-LIFE PLAN work to thoroughly reality by way of understand and distinct phases. review the plan’s full implementation In the hopes of carrying the plan into its landscape over five years. Narrative next “stage,” it is important to recognize and research-based materials will just how enormous the “process” was. help to provide further insights on the

The work we do in this plan is the spark for a renaissance that goes beyond all we outline in the pages

effectiveness of each part of the plan.

Assessing the plan is not only essential for its future, but could also inform how ACT and AFT leaders can begin to engage the public and community stakeholders to gain even more understanding of its pending evolution.

Wherever the plan ends up, it is important to remember that it has already proven to be a catalyst for deep change in Austin. While the scope of five years was ambitious, we believe its progress has set us on the path toward real transformation for years to come.

AFT is so much more than a plan to be executed – it is a vision made and shared by the community. A vision in which residents can reap the benefits of its impact. In the coming months, this assessment will become more clear and inform how the plan might evolve. n

To learn more about the plan’s progression and future and stay in the loop for details on the next AFT Community Summit (happening in early 2024) follow us on social media or sign up for emails at

AUSTINCOMINGTOGETHER.ORG.

Where will the AFT quality-of-life plan lead us?

FIND OUT AT THE NEXT AFT COMMUNITY SUMMIT,

HAPPENING IN EARLY 2024.

For current AFT highlights, visit AustinComingTogether.org/qlp