Eighteen South Side community groups are receiving $150,000 to support their grassroots work supporting youth and keeping them safe during the summer — a time when violence and violent injuries typically increases in the Chicagoland area. The funding is made possible through the annual grants program from Southland RISE (Resilience Initiative to Strengthen and Empower), a collaborative uniting the trauma recovery programs from the University of Chicago Medicine and Advocate Health Care.
“Local grassroots organizations have long understood the need for constructive, skill-building programs that keep the young people in their communities safe, engaged and empowered during the summer months,” said Brenda Battle, RN, BSN, MBA, UChicago Medicine’s Senior Vice President for Community Health Transformation and Chief Equity Officer. “As part of Southland RISE, our South Side-based health system can effectively leverage our resources to support these important programs and others addressing violence and trauma – key health priorities for the communities that we serve.”
In the past four years, Southland RISE has awarded more than $500,000 to grassroots organizations to support the groups’ work combating violence and empowering Chicago youth. This year’s recipients are doing critical work keeping young people safe through leadership training, sailing, storytelling, civic engagement and street outreach. Many of the programs incorporate workshops and exercises to support mental health, build trauma resiliency and teach violence mitigation skills.
“We at Advocate Health Care stand together with Southland RISE and our community partners in advancing creative solutions that address the health crisis of gun violence,” said Frank Belmonte, DO, MPH, Chief Medical Officer and Chairman of Pediatrics at Advocate Children’s Hospital and Co-Chief Medical Officer of The Chicagoland Children’s Health Alliance. “The work these organizations do is vital to strengthening the resilience of the communities we serve, and we look forward to seeing these grant recipients continue to make a positive impact on the lives of children and families.”
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This story was first published by UChicago Medicine.
