When Jocy first became part of the My CHI My Future program, I recall her being very shy, reserved and uncomfortable advocating for herself. She hated the idea of speaking in public, even within a small group. I noticed she was uncomfortable raising her hand or sharing her ideas.
Fast forward to today. She’s the first to volunteer when we need someone to do public speaking. She’s mastered doing outreach to organizations. She knows the ins and outs of coordinating a community event. She has become a strong violence prevention advocate.
Creating safe places for youth like Jocy, who may not have any other place to go after school, is part of building long-term solutions to address the impact of community violence. There are thousands of other young people like Jocy participating in My CHI My Future across the city,
My CHI My Future has 15 community regions in Chicago, each with a designated anchor organization. The Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, my organization, was first awarded the grant to become the anchor for Brighton Park in June 2023. Part of our job is to engage youth, like Jocy, in the planning process to host three large community events for young people ages 14-24 that directly address the neighborhood’s top three issues.
Our youth leaders have worked very hard on these events, in hopes of addressing Brighton Park’s lack of safe spaces for young people.
Last year, our leaders launched BBQ Pop-Ups at Kelly Park, one of the only green spaces in Brighton Park. Every Friday in August, youth took the lead on sharing a meal in the park, grilling burgers and hot dogs, making popcorn and cotton candy, passing out water, aguas frescas, and even school supplies.
These spaces were and continue to be essential for the neighborhood to create a sense of safety. By providing a presence in the park, families could be connected to resources from local organizations, receive a hot meal, and enjoy some friendly competition while making new friends. This is essential in building strong community networks that can respond in moments of crisis.
Our excitement about the work and progress has now turned to fear. My CHI My Future is facing cuts because the city funded this program with federal American Rescue Plan Act funds received during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now our program stands to possibly lose funding as that money runs out.
Since My CHI My Future began, it’s allowed us to create a new space for Chicago youth to become more involved in their communities, develop their leadership and keep them safe after school.
Young people also benefit financially from the monthly stipends. Some young people have shared how this stipend goes toward rent, school expenses, and groceries for their families. This past school year, two high school senior participants shared that they were able to purchase their prom dress and ticket thanks to the stipend. Another youth has been saving his stipends to be able to buy a plane ticket to visit his father, who had been deported.
For our students, My CHI My Future is more than a safe space. Having their way of providing for themselves financially creates a sense of self and freedom that they otherwise wouldn’t be able to experience.
A program like My CHI My Future is violence prevention. From providing a physical space where youth can meet to organizing large-scale community events, there is no denying that this program is crucial to our communities. If the city is committed to violence prevention, it should be investing more in young people, not less.
Adilene Barragan is the Leaders of Tomorrow Program Organizer at Brighton Park Neighborhood Council and has lived in Brighton Park since childhood.
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