The 64 Great Ideas Sparking Change in Chicagoland Communities

Across the Chicagoland region, our collective civic pride is deeply rooted in the steady determination to bring about the very best conditions of life for others in the community. We hear it through your feedback to On the Table conversations, and this year, we’ve seen it through the nearly 400 video entries for our Acting Up awards.

This is what On the Table is all about. Coming together and recognizing that we can do more together. Recognizing that we can make a greater impact on our community together.

We were so inspired by the video submissions for Acting Up awards that we decided to increase the number of ideas the Trust funded—awarding $1,000 each to 64 of the video entries.

How did residents take action on their creative ideas to make their communities safer, stronger and more dynamic?

These ideas were not one-size-fits-all. Residents were looking to make an impact around health care issues, gun violence and open spaces, and to provide more of their community access to arts and culture activities. The ideas came from all across the city and suburbs. Through the Acting Up awards:

• “Hot corners” in Greater Grand Crossing known for violence will now be a center for positive community events because of A Portable Word of Hope event hosted by community leaders and police.

• Sixth graders at Village Leadership Academy will be able to print copies of their Sexual Assault Survivor Coloring Book and provide it to teachers looking to help talk to students who have experienced this trauma in their own lives.

• A group from the University of Illinois at Chicago will host ScreenABLE Sunday in October, a day dedicated to accessible cancer screenings for women with disabilities. Not only making sure that the screenings happen, but making sure that these women have transportation to and from the screening.

• The Association House of Chicago wants to impact even more kids and families during their annual back-to-school health fair, and Backpacks 4 Kids will provide backpacks and school supplies to students this fall in Humboldt Park.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_EoOIZ59Jg

Inspired? There’s more! View the complete list of award recipients at onthetable.com—and stay tuned over the coming weeks as we’ll be sharing more information on these other 60 projects. We look forward to seeing what positive change the Acting Up award recipients will bring.