Note: Story updated on April 29. Just west of the Loop is Chicago’s North Lawndale community, one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods. Once a refuge for survivors of the great Chicago fire, it was later a hub for Chicago’s industrial age and eventually one of the places that Martin Luther King Jr. called home. North Lawndale has re-invented itself many times and faced its share of challenges throughout the years, but it remains a vibrant community.

Over the last five years, North Lawndale has been battling a surge in violence, mostly among young African American males. Since 2006, United Way has been working through the African American Initiative (AAI) to develop new, sustainable approaches that will improve the future of at-risk African American young men in five Chicago neighborhoods, including North Lawndale. The strategy behind the AAI is to not only invest money and launch new programs, but to harness communities’ strengths in an effort to fortify their most valuable assets—their youth.

In North Lawndale, United Way is working with the Young Men’s Educational Network (YMEN) and the Lawndale Christian Center to convene social service and government agencies, schools, law enforcement, residents and, more importantly, its young people to work cohesively in devising workable solutions.

In Lawndale, youth in the AAI identified safety as a major hurdle on their path to success. To address this, United Way sponsored a public breakfast dialogue on April 8 with more than 50 health and human service experts, community residents, business leaders, educators and other stakeholders to share their expertise and ideas on how to decrease the violence in North Lawndale.

At the breakfast, a panel discussion, was moderated by Norman Baldwin, former program director at YMEN, addressed the importance of collaborations, best practices, systemic change and resources and invited audience members express their views on these and other issues. Participants included Phil Jackson from the Lawndale Christian Church, John Henry from North Lawndale College Prep., Mariame Kaba of the Steans Foundation and Francis Wooley at the North Lawndale Juvenile Justice Collaborative.

“The input of young people is crucial,” said Jackson. “There is a void in those kinds of opportunities, so our young people begin to lose confidence in us. But by us listening to them, they know their voice exists and that it matters.”

Participants also agreed that collaborations among the various social service providers create the best approach to ensuring that young people receive the most holistic care.

“One of our biggest challenges is the constant re-invention of the wheel,” said Kaba. “If we don’t connect the dots with each other, we will never realize the strength there is in numbers. We must find a way to continue to work together.”

Panelists also cited what they felt were critical elements in the formula to keeping youth safe. These included viable employment opportunities, assistance from the federal government, alternatives to college and the presence of fathers and positive male mentors in the lives of young people. The panel also suggested having community centers and schools open until at least 9 p.m.

“Our goal is that everyone involved be truly vested in ensuring that young African American males grow up safe and able to lead successful and productive lives,” said Wendy DuBoe, United Way Chief Community Investment Officer. “Thanks to programs like YMEN, initiatives like the African American Initiative and community discussions like this one, we can also begin to develop a plan for hope.”

The United Way African American Initiative is also currently active in Bronzeville, Englewood, Roseland and Rogers Park.

In recognition of National Immunization Week, April 19-26, United Way is encouraging all parents to make sure their children are up-to-date on their vaccinations and providing an online chart to make record-keeping easy.

If your child is not up-to-date on immunizations, he or she could be at risk for serious diseases like mumps, whooping cough and measles. United Way provides an easy chart to keep track of your child’s immunizations, as well as a booklet with vaccination information, here. Print one and keep it up to date. It could make a difference in saving your child’s life.

National Immunization Week is an annual observance to highlight the importance of protecting infants from vaccine-preventable diseases and celebrate the achievements of immunization programs and their partners in promoting healthy communities. Since 1994, National Immunization Week has served as a call to action for parents, caregivers, and healthcare providers to ensure that infants are fully immunized against 14 vaccine-preventable diseases.

Tocqueville Society co-chairs Deborah L. DeHaas, Ray McCaskey and Pam Strobel hosted the 14th annual United Way Tocqueville Society Recognition Dinner on March 6 at the Adler Planetarium.

This year’s event celebrated the 75th birthday of United Way and featured a “Tribute to a Legacy of Caring” video, featuring event honorees Frank M. Clark, W. James Farrell, Lester H. McKeever, Andrew J. McKenna, James J. O’Connor, William A. Osborn, Sheila A. Penrose and Richard L. Thomas, as well as DeHaas, McCaskey and Strobel.

Also honored at the event were United Way Challenge Grant sponsors National City, ComEd and Blue Cross Blue Shield.

“Thanks to those here with us tonight, our most generous donors, our 75th anniversary celebration extends beyond this building and into the community around us—to all the lives they have changed through their support,” said Janet Froetscher, United Way President & CEO. “Our Challenge Grant sponsors and our Tocqueville Society members allow us to make lasting changes to advance the common good.”

The United Way Tocqueville Society is comprised of extraordinary philanthropists who give $10,000 or more annually to United Way, creating a profound and lasting impact on metropolitan Chicago and on the lives of all those who live and work here.

United Way will sponsor a public breakfast dialogue about solutions and collaborations to decrease violence in the North Lawndale neighborhood on April 8 at 9 a.m. at Lawndale Christian Health Center Gymnasium.

Since 2006, United Way has been working through its African American Initiative to develop new, sustainable approaches that will improve the future of at-risk African American young men. The young men participating the in the program in North Lawndale have voiced concerns about safety in their neighborhoods.

By sponsoring this breakfast, United Way hopes to bring together community leaders and social service experts in North Lawndale to talk about what has been successful for them in decreasing the violence in the area and making youth feel safer. By facilitating discussions around the topic, area agencies can have a forum to discuss what resources are already available and network to create collaborative solutions.