Chicago Politics

Sankofa Village Wellness Center Ribbon Cutting 4.23.26

Description

Mayor Brandon Johnson attends the Sankofa Village Wellness Center Ribbon Cutting.

Transcript

0:02 Okay. Well, since I'm in here, up here, in the capacity of asking you guys to get to your seats, I'm going to get things started as I am holding a notebook and water bottle. It does not get more realer than that. So hi, everybody. My name is Drea Slaughter. I am the executive director for Garfield Park Right to Wellness Collaborative. Yes! That deserves all the applause. I am so fortunate to be in this amazing leadership position, especially as a child of Garfield Park, a child of the West Side.

0:39 This is my full circle moment. And so without further ado, though, we want to get about to the business of celebrating this building. And so I'm going to bring two of, I'm not going to say my favorite, I don't want to play favorites, I love my whole board. But two of our amazing elders who have anchored this project, who have been the guiding light to everything in the North Star. David, you should be up here. Why are you in the back? Who have been the North Star to this whole entire thing.

1:10 They are elders that if any of you are fortunate enough to encounter them, you will leave better than you came. You will be able to receive something and probably feel some sureness about yourself that you didn't start the conversation with. So I'm going to bring our esteemed board members, Angela Taylor and Pastor Marshall Hatt Sr.

1:40 Good morning, everyone. This is the beautiful day that the Lord has made And we should all rejoice in it It's the beginning and the best is yet to come Pastor, alright Thank you Angela, thank you for your spirit and for your leadership We want to welcome every one of you to West Garfield Park And of course this is a community

2:13 although Dr. King lived in Lawndale 60 years ago, he organized in West Garfield Park because all good things happen on the west side. And so I'm just going to take a little clergy privilege and frame what I have to share as a welcome, as a bit of an invocation because the preacher must always preach a little bit,

2:45 even if it's a 60 minute, 60 second sermon they normally give me 60 minutes, I'm sorry but this project represents what it means to be about the business of one city this is actually God's work and there is, yes, give it a round of applause and there is a divine strategy for social justice, for creating one city

3:16 out of many different communities. And that strategy is the last must become first. And that means that when those who are on the margins, who are the most vulnerable, when their interests are brought to the center of public policy, that's when the kingdom of God arrives and that is when everybody flourishes. and it means nobody out, everybody in.

3:48 So welcome to West Garfield Park on this day, the center of the whole city of Chicago and the church said, amen. I was supposed to see me the first time.

4:36 It's okay. And a good Westside morning to all, okay? I'm so excited. This is such a great day. You guys will see me, I think, one more time. But we want to go about, like I said, the business of celebrating this amazing feat. I'm going to keep it short and sweet. I'm going to say my thank yous. I'm going to say thank yous on behalf of GPRWC. Anyone I miss. I have, you know, a theme speaker that's going to come up and bring up the rear for me. But first and foremost, I want to start by thanking community.

5:10 Yes, I am a product of this community. I am a product of all the good and everything that it gives and all the reality of the community as well. And so this journey for me wouldn't be complete without that. I don't think there's many of you who have encountered me that have not heard me speak authentically to my West Side story about how my parents grew up and met at Hot Wheels, a roller skating week from way back when.

5:43 That was a very West Side thing. And how my family, my sister went to Providence Day Mail, my grandmother was a teacher's aide at Erickson, and my mother worked at Bethany Hospital. My father worked construction, and I had what I thought was the best and most beautiful West Side life because it was full of wonder, and it was vibrant. We used to ride our bikes to the Legler Library and then go to the conservatory and wander around.

6:13 And in those many mornings that my mom used to drop me off with my sisters on the steps of the Gold Dome because she had to work really early around the corner, Me and my sisters would sit on those steps and partially see the sunrise, and we there discovered that you could see the skyline. And so for me, my full circle moment came when I came back home to work at the conservatory, did a fellowship that led me to this amazing position of leadership, partially because of the vote of confidence of Angela Taylor, Julie Weiland, and Alex Augustus from CLF.

6:51 and during one of the first tours of this amazing place we were able to go to the rooftop and on that rooftop I saw the skyline and it was my full circle moment that I was not only home but I was where I needed to be in terms of my journey for leadership so it hasn't been perfect thank you thanks for that it hasn't been perfect but it's always worth it I have a board who believes in me I don't even think like more than I believe in myself my board

7:26 has stepped up for me back me up but most of all giving me the space and the trust to lead and I'm better for it like trust my leadership they talk to me when I need it and they allow me to go out and get it done and we're here today because I was allowed to get it done. So I hope everybody's happy about that. But I'm going to be really formal for a hot second and just read a list of names. If I miss you, I love you, I'm on limited time.

7:59 Okay, so PTF, Penny, Brian, Cindy, Teresa, Carisha Mazzow, I'm going to slide them in. We wouldn't be here. I wouldn't be here in this position if it hadn't been for you guys in terms of what you have done and contributed through the Chicago Prize to the collaborative, so I'm excited for that, and I'm so glad that you guys are here and are anchored for us in this project and continuing the work that the West Side needs. Our amazing lawyer, when I first started, I called the lawyer a lot.

8:33 So William Maselli-Bill, I adore you. Thanks for always answering my call. Thanks for answering every email. Thanks for walking me through it so that I had the understanding to properly lead this amazing organization. You are a godsend. I appreciate you. And then let's get to it. So Moody Nolan, Convergence, Civic Consultant Alliance, Morton Group, Pritzker Traubert Family Foundation, Pritzker Pucker Family Foundation, Alta Futures, Chicago Community Trust, United Way, Builders Initiative, Chase, come through Chase, tax credit.

9:09 If you guys know, you know. So, Senator Collins, Senator Harmon, Sharif Walker and Bethel New Life, Yolanda Fields, Carlos Nelson, Norma, I hope y'all went here somewhere. Norma, I got that email late, but you ain't here, Norma. Come on, Norma. The city of Chicago, Mayor Brandon Johnson, Mayor Lightfoot, who's probably tired of me. But that's okay. Kamina, everyone, the Legacy Families, Tashica, May, like everyone, like y'all, I'm happy.

9:41 I'm looking out and I'm seeing names, so I might just start calling them out. Mariella, United Way, Isaac. Like, United Way held my hand. Like, they were like, come with us. We'll take you to where you need to go. Robin, the Erie family, Lindsay, Jim, the whole board. Just, y'all, I love y'all. Rekia, Rekia, you held me to a standard. And I was happy to rise to it. So that was an arm sharpest arm moment for me and I'm grateful. Sierra, Jessica, like just every, y'all, if I didn't say your name, I'm sorry.

10:12 Mary Nelson, I just see her, I'm just shouting people out. This is very West Side, okay? The speech has gone left, y'all. The speech has gone left. Oh, we're just talking. Kristen, Aker, Tinney, yes. Adam, Lee, everyone. Aisha, Omar. I met Omar, Dr. Ansel, and Paula. Dr. Ansel, why are you so far in the back? Please, Paula, I love you. Hollis wants some more cornbread. Joe. Joe is my life coach, my big sister, just my everything. My best friend, Kashana. Ethan is in here somewhere taking pictures.

10:44 I just am grateful. I'm grateful. Jacob, I see you because you're smiling and you look great. Jay, Jay Stapleton. Come on, Chicago Vibrant Neighborhood Collectives. Y'all, I love y'all. JP, Steve, just all of y'all. I love y'all. And we could not have gotten here without any of you and your contribution. So keep holding me to the standard. I'll keep either saying no or yes. But I'll keep getting it done. This is where I'm supposed to be. This is my full circle moment.

11:16 As the church would say, my steps were ordered. My steps were ordered. as much as I wanted to resist against a level of leadership that I thought was beyond me. As I said, I wasn't going to cry. Lord, not the voice cracker. But as much as I wanted to resist a level of leadership that I thought was beyond me, I realized I was more than prepared, more than capable, more than ready,

11:47 and I would have everything I needed if I just stepped up and led. So thank you for letting me do as such. I really appreciate you all. Come on, West Side Forever, gang, gang. I said I wasn't going to cry. Ayesha, come on and get up here, sis. This is our board chair, Ayesha Jaco. Hey, Swappie. She's coming up, and we will hear from her. And y'all will hear from me later. I'm going to go finish crying.

12:17 All right. And thank you for being here. I am honored to serve as a founding member and board chair of the Garfield Park Right to Wellness Collaborative. I'd like to acknowledge our board members.

12:49 Please stand. Thank you. I am equally honored to serve as Executive Director of Westside United. I'd like to send a special thank you to our Executive Leadership Council, our staff. We are proud tenants in the Rush Suite down the hall, along with our suite mates Equal Hope, under the direction of Dr. Paris Thomas.

13:24 If you ever showed up to a Sankofa Wellness Village listening session, Gave feedback on our application or engagement process, wrote a check to help launch the village, volunteered, stayed up past your bedtime planning, worked on holidays, wrote a letter of support, created the blueprint for this building, poured concrete, gave a smile to our beautiful neighbors outside this building, prayed past your bedtime to ensure that we received our certificate of occupancy and other things.

13:55 If you spoke to a donor on our behalf, I'd like to say thank you. We say thank you. I have to give a quick shout-out to Nicole Kazi, Lindsay Sorrell, and Swathi Staley. It takes a certain amount of creativity to pitch for a multimillion-dollar capital development prize as a new collaborative. I had the privilege of working on our pitch for the Pritzker-Tribert Foundation's 2022 Chicago Prize with Kamina Brooks and Marshall Hatch, Jr.

14:27 Imagine pitching with one of Time's magazine's top 100 leaders, who happens to be a scholar and a minister from the west side, and one of the most dynamic developers in the country, and our secret weapon for the prize application, also known as Kamina Brooks. While preparing for our pitch, I got lost trying to create a soliloquy, okay? I was trying to channel Khalil Gibran, Toni Morrison, Bell Hooks.

15:00 Maya Angelou, it was a disaster. It was then suggested by Lisa Schneider Faves, yes, that I create a letter written from the perspective of a current resident, but I decided to write a letter to my grandmother, who lived in Garfield Park until she passed away in 2006. And some of you were in the room, and you can relive that moment. 36 years ago, my most fondest memory of this corridor with me getting my ears pierced in the flea market at Madison and Pulaski.

15:33 Today I am wearing chairs in my pierced ears, a seat for my grandmother, a seat for Lisa Schneider Faves. And all of those who have passed on and who have yet to arrive. Today I want to employ the principal of Sankofa and look back in order to move forward and share with you very quickly my 2022 Chicago Prize pitch letter in tribute to my grandmother and Lisa. Dear Granny and Lisa, it's 2026 and I wish you were here.

16:04 I'm at the Sankofa Village Wellness Center ribbon cutting. Grandma, I know you remember when we would go to Aldi's near Madison and Hamlin and stock up. It's closed, but the Sankofa Village Wellness Center or Wellness Village Community Grocer Initiative influenced the reopening of a grocer nearby and is planning to open a new store at the former Aldi site soon. Residents do not have to drive to Oak Park like we did for fresh produce. They can also stop at 40 Acres. This village has an award-winning center known as the Sankofa Village Wellness Center that Cousin Scooter and the entire family can attend.

16:41 She can go to doctor's appointments, sign up for yoga classes, and pick up her children from the YMCA's drop-in center after her appointments and classes, all under one roof. Tanya will not need to get her money orders from the currency exchange anymore because the center is scheduled to have a Leaders Network Credit Union, too. There are community health workers in the Wellness Center who can visit the church's Bible study to help the Usher Board and Booker T manage their blood pressures and schedule their appointments.

17:12 You would love the art on the wall. Lisa, we got it done. Maybe one day Ahmad Lee, the artist, can lead a residency at the Myopha Center for Arts and Activism, Granny, this is another beautiful space in the village that broke ground in the spring. We have leaders like Tinney Gross and the Institute for Nonviolence keeping the corridor safe. You'd be proud of this progress. Lisa, there are plants and shrubs outside, and so many of the people that you convened to aid us in activating the community's village are in this room, including Asher.

17:45 Asher, are you here? Yes, hello. And Brian, granny in the future, there'll be an exhibition about the great migration in the cafe that will open downstairs. They have a soul food menu on special occasions and cook their greens with turkey tails instead of ham hocks to cut down on the salt. And they'll provide great smoothies. The owner will be a young lady who receives funding and business coaching from the K, a business incubator that supports startups and existing businesses.

18:17 It is set to break ground in 2027. Well, Granny and Lisa, I've got to leave the podium and introduce the new speakers. I just wanted you to know that after all this time, positive change came to the neighborhood. I just wish you were around to see it, but I know you're here with us. Please join me in welcoming the Pritzker-Trobert Foundation trustees, Penny Pritzker and Brian Trobert. Thank you.

19:15 Good morning, everybody. I'm Brian Trobert. This is Penny. I'll lead it off and toss it over to you in just a minute or two or less. Everybody, what a beautiful, beautiful day. But I think what we all realize is if it was 38 degrees and driving rain out there, it would still be a beautiful day. So let me just start by congratulating the entire Sankofa Village team, the Garfield Park Right to Wellness Collaborative,

19:49 and all the community partners on this milestone. You know, while dreams come true, they don't come true without years of vision, collaboration, and hard work of so many people that are reflected in this gorgeous and important building. So in 2022, when the Sankofa Wellness Village was chosen as the Chicago Prize recipient, it stood out as a beacon of hope. We saw a coalition led by longstanding community leaders in partnership with institutional organizations

20:27 coming together to act on a shared vision in a community that hadn't seen large-scale investment in decades. So the collaborative helped us see what could be possible. And, you know, I used to take a, we'll never forget, we will never, I mean, I have a whole thing talking about that letter that you said that inspired us. And your vision. And that you would weave that vision that you just shared with us. And we would find ourselves in the very building today that you dreamed of not that many years ago.

21:04 So it's a tribute to everyone who has worked so hard on this. We're just simply honored to be associated with this. And, Penn, I'll just toss it over to you. All right. Well, Bri, first of all, thank you to everybody who's here today. We are truly inspired and incredibly moved by the commitment, the vision, and the grit that it took to bring the Sankofa Wellness Center to reality.

21:40 An incredible transformation is happening right here before our eyes. Not just in this building, but a few blocks away at the MAC, which will be a center for arts and activism. That's going to open later this year. And then, of course, the K, Business Entrepreneurship Center. That's going to start, I think, construction next year, open soon. But all this isn't possible without something really important, the power of partnership.

22:14 It takes more than the Chicago Prize. It takes more than public funding. It takes more than private funding. It takes more than philanthropic investment. It requires all of that standing alongside dedicated community leaders to bring this to life. And so we want to celebrate those visionary leaders behind this work. Drea, where is Drea? There she is

22:51 Don't you just feel the enthusiasm when she's up here? It's like hard to sit in your seat Kristen Freeman and Jim Webb who are residents of West Garfield Park and that are investing back in this community and Pastor Marshall Hatch and Marshall Hatch Jr. we would not be here without your family and your unwavering commitment to this community. We also want to remember and recognize our dear friend, Lisa Vabes.

23:26 Tragically, she's not here today. She worked selflessly for this community and this project. She would have been so proud of this moment. We all miss her terribly. Brian and I miss her terribly so let this be let this place forgive me I get a little verklempt if you will when I think about Lisa I miss her a lot

23:57 but let this place be a testament to Lisa's passion and love for this community and for our city now we would also not be here without our institutional partners Rush, Erie, The Y, and TCB. All of you are pivotal and essential to this project.

24:30 You have made a deep commitment to this community, and there are countless others also that have come before and will continue the momentum into the future. Brian and I are honored to have been welcomed into your community and to take part in this historic project and historic moment. So congratulations to all of us.

25:05 And now please turn your attention to the screens for a brief video that is featuring the leaders and partners who will bring this center to life. Thank you.

27:50 First, I want to give all honor and glory to God, because without him, none of this would be possible, all right? Today is not just a ribbon cutting. This is a promise fulfilled. Back in 2017, I was a part of the first Maafra cohort. I was searching for identity, searching for purpose, and in that space I found something that changed my life. I found out who I was.

28:21 Fast forward to 2018, the opportunity to sit down with my dear friend Omar Lateef. And I said to him, let me go back, I'm sorry y'all, I'm trying to get through this. In the first MIHAFA cohort, I declared that it will be a West Garfield Park Wellness Center in my neighborhood. Not just any center, but a place that will allow us to heal.

28:51 And fast forward to 2018, that's when I met my dear friend Omar Lateef, and I shared that same vision. A place where our people could feel safe, where we could be cared for, and where we could finally be seen. And today, the vision is standing right here. This is our village. Now let's tell the truth about West Garfield Park. For too long, we've experienced disinvestment.

29:23 For too long, we have been overlooked. For too long, we've been told to wait our turn to ask for a seat at somebody else's today. But today, we built our own table. And this wellness village is what it looks like. But let me slow down for one second. Because this didn't come out of nowhere. This came out of pain.

29:56 Earlier this week, I had a conversation with My brother, my mentor, Malcolm, Malcolm Davis, and I told him that I miss my other brother, Albert Mullen, a fellow of my awful brother that was taken too soon from us. And I thought about Ramiel Stovall, who died of an asthma attack when I was like, he was like 13 years old. And he just needed air. He just needed help. And he didn't have it in time.

30:33 And these are not just names. These are people we loved, people we laughed with, people we grew up with. And if I'm being honest with y'all, I had to step away from social media because I got tired. I got tired of opening my phone and seeing another face I grew up with gone. Another name, another candle, another rest in peace. And at some point, we all have to say, enough is enough.

31:07 The census killing, it has to stop. Not tomorrow, not next year, but right now Because we can't keep building memorials instead of building futures, okay? And that's what this Wellish Village is about This is our village

31:38 This is about saving lives This is about what's Garfield Park saying And if you believe it, I want y'all to say it with me We got each other But hear me clearly This building won't save us, alone. This building alone won't save us. We have to protect it, we have to pour into it, we have to show up for it, and for each other.

32:08 Don't walk past this building like it's not yours. Don't let this become something we had, make it something we used. Because this was built for you. This is our village, this is our healing, this is our future. And what we do with it will define what happens next in West Garfield Park. And to every single person, every organization, every hand that will help bring this vision to life, I thank you all.

32:41 Now it's my honor to introduce our Director of Operations for my mentor, somebody I call my grandfather, man. Reverend Irvin. Praise the Lord, everybody. Praise the Lord. Everybody. He almost had me back to crying, and I don't cry. But I'm glad to be here to represent the Montford Denton Project

33:13 and Newmont Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church because if it weren't for those two entities, I wouldn't be here today. I grew up on the west side of Chicago, didn't grow up in church, didn't grow up in politics, didn't grow up doing anything that was productive. I grew up in the streets. joined the gang at the age of 14 and I lived that lifestyle for 36 years until I went to Newmont People Missionary Baptist Church and met a man named Reverend Dr. Marsh Elijah Hatch

33:46 found out he grew up in the projects that like I did and gave me hope and they invested in me and now investing in young black and brown young men because somebody invested in me. I believe That anybody can change I believe that anybody can be transformed With the right help With people that really care about them And love them Willing to make sacrifices for them I believe that everybody deserves

34:17 Not just a second chance But another chance And another chance And another chance Because everybody don't get it right On the first chance or the second chance But I think we keep investing in people. It's good to invest in buildings. That's cool. But we need to start investing in people's lives. Together. It only happens if we come together. One organization can't

34:48 do it by himself. One church cannot do it by himself. One entity cannot do it by himself. We got to come together. We see what we can do when we come together, right? You see this investment like this in Chicago in how long? About 60 years? We did it. We did it. Not no one person did it, not no one organization did it. We did it together. This shows you that anything is possible when we come together in unity.

35:18 It got to be in unity Harmony On the same key No big eyes And no little youths Supporting one another Celebrating one another Lifting each other up This shows you what God can do If we come together Because without God This is not impossible I mean this is impossible But with God The Bible say all things are possible So this is our time to shine.

35:51 This is our time to build, to grow, to unite, to come together and show the world that Chicago is still the best city in the world. Amen. Praise the Lord. Thank you, Reverend Irvin. And everybody said amen today. I am Kenya Joyce Hatch, the Executive Director of Beautiful Seed Foundation for Young Women of Color. and one of the things we've done great with the Mile for Redemption Project is that we poured into our young black men here in West Scarfield Park.

36:25 But what we discovered is that we cannot forget about the backbone which are the women and the black women in this community. Jeremiah 29 and 11 says, For I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.

36:55 And that is what today is about. It's about a future. A future that we are called to build with intention. And this is why partnership matters. This is why this room is beautiful. because, one, at Beautiful Seed, we believe that every young woman, especially our black and brown girls, is a seed already planted with purpose, with brilliance, and with possibility.

37:26 And our role is not to change who they are, but to cultivate them, to cultivate the conditions they need to grow. And the reality is, in West Garthal Park, those conditions have not always been present. We are serving young black and brown women in communities where they are more likely to experience trauma and under-resourced schools and limited access to mental health support, where too many of them are surviving but are not always given the space to truly heal and thrive.

38:02 And this is why this work is intentional, because there's a need to create spaces rooted in healing and rooted in identity and rooted in leadership so that our black and brown girls are not just coping, but they are growing into who they were always meant to be. and this is why today matters this is not just about a beautiful

38:34 building and it is gorgeous but this is a commitment to our black and brown women this is a commitment to our community a commitment to healing and a commitment to a future where black and brown women are supported, are seen and are able to thrive thank you all for being here today I'm Will Woodley

39:18 I lead real estate development for the Community Builders in the Midwest. And at the Community Builders, as a mission-driven developer, we focused on improving the lives of all Chicagoans for over 25 years. Our mission is to build and sustain strong communities where all people can thrive. And we most often do this by providing quality homes across Chicago that are affordable to a wide range of incomes.

39:49 But with the partners here today, we saw the opportunity to contribute our expertise in development and finance to help provide... This building, a community-focused wellness hub in a neighborhood that has suffered far too long from indifference and disinvestment. And so today is more than a ribbon-cutting. It's a statement of belief, of collective belief, that where you live in Chicago should not determine

40:21 how long you live or how far you can go. A belief that all Chicagoans deserve quality health care, and access to opportunity. The vision for Sankofa started in 2019 with faith leaders, Rush, too many community organizations to mention, and we were lucky to be there as well, the community builders.

40:52 We sat down a few blocks from here with a simple but urgent mission, improve health and quality of life in Garfield Park. With like-minded partners like Westside United, Erie Family Health Centers, the YMCA, the Pritzker Traubert Foundation, and the City of Chicago itself, all joining the effort, we knew that we could make this vision a reality. And so the Sankofa Wellness Center does exemplify what can happen when community, expertise, finance, and commitment come together.

41:33 On behalf of the community builders and our project team, including Leopardo, Ujamaa, Moody Nolan, and Converge, thank you for trusting us to help build this center. As I've mentioned, funding partners are essential. We had 19 of them. I was told that if I take the time, everybody else is taking forever, but I'm sticking to my script. And I was told that if I take the time to list them all, they would kick me out of here.

42:06 But thank you to all of our funders. You, too, made this happen. And with that, it is my honor to introduce one of our funders, Karen Purcell, head of community development banking for JPMorgan Chase. Thank you. Good morning. I'm Karen Purcell. I lead community development banking for JPMorgan Chase.

42:37 I prepared remarks, but there is nothing I can say that would add to what's been said. There is no investment that as a funder we can make that means anything without your investment. And so I want to honor that, and I just want a moment for you to congratulate yourselves. This is remarkable. I think a round of applause is in order. Okay, so I'm going to keep it brief.

43:09 I'm proud of the work that our teams at the bank do every day alongside our clients, many of whom are here. We support the development and preservation of affordable housing. We invest in CDFIs and impactful redevelopment and job creation. We are proud to do it. We want to do it.

43:40 We want to do more. While my view is national, my heart is local. I live and work in Chicago, and so I am particularly pleased and honored to even be in the room with you all to celebrate Sankofa. This is building on the past and seeing how we go forward. It is a blueprint for what it looks like when we come together to solve hard problems.

44:14 We heard a little bit about disinvestment, and I think if the focus were only on investment in the bricks and mortar, we'd be missing the point. I think the investment is something that we all bring, and I think it is in coming together. I don't think any of the ingredients that were spoken about already or will be spoken about, if any were missing, it wouldn't be the same result. And really

44:44 the work begins now, right? The investment begins now. We heard this is a seed in a lot of ways. What can grow is still to be determined and still to be Shaped by all of you. So it's collaboration and dedication and vision, really, of the organizations that brought us here. And I think that we are fortunate many of our clients were involved in this.

45:16 And so I do want to talk about the group that I am up here to represent. So we're especially honored to work with S.B. Friedman, Chicago Development Fund, Grow America, IFF, and BMO Harris to provide a new market tax credit investment, which helps make the resources available and also enables Sankofa to fulfill its mission. really proud to be a part of that group

45:48 and to be able to stand with you all in that regard so together we're creating a hub that is really going to serve thousands of residents and make access to resources not something unusual right I think it's a testament to the impact we can have when we work together okay so with that thank you to everyone who made this project possible. I am proud to stand with you as we continue to invest in the future of

46:20 West Garfield Park and our communities across Chicago. And now it's my great honor to welcome Mayor Brandon Johnson to the stage. Mayor Johnson thank you for your leadership and your commitment to West Garfield Park and communities across Chicago. Wow good morning. It is really an honor to be with you all as we celebrate this incredible investment. I was here back in 2024 September for the

46:54 groundbreaking so it is very special for all of us to be here today. I do want to thank our elected leaders, Senate President Harmon, Alderman Jason Irvin, Cook County Commissioner Tara Stamps I believe is here as well, and all the elected officials who represent this community. Thank you to the Department of Planning and Development, Commissioner Sierra Boatwright, and of course our dear brother and friend and my neighbor, Reverend Marshall Hatch, and of course everyone who has been thanked.

47:25 It's an exciting day for the people of the West Garfield Park community. Here on the west side, we are still seeing black Chicagoans experience, unfortunately, higher rates of preventable diseases and lower life expectancy rates. And these residents often lack access to health care, fitness and wellness options. This is why the opening of the Sankofa Village Wellness Center is such an important investment to this community. With the opening of this center, residents will have access to medical services, dental care, and mental health services, which is so critical.

47:58 And the center will anchor this neighborhood through community spaces, fitness facilities, and a gathering space for our young people. Today, we are not just opening a wellness center. We are adding to the revitalization of West Garfield Park's Madison-Pulaski Corridor. and we are ensuring that residents have access to high-quality health care. The city invested more than $7 million in this project because we truly believe that when we invest in communities that have been left behind, remarkable things can truly take place. By investing in people and communities, we are working to ensure that all residents,

48:33 no matter their zip code, can have access to the tools, resources, and services needed to live healthy and prosperous lives. But these investments do not happen in a vacuum. They happen because of the partnerships and collaboration between elected leaders, community partners, and organizations with a shared goal. So with that, thank you to the Westside United, the community builders, the Garfield Park Right to Wellness Collaborative, and of course to Brian and Penny from the Pritzker-Trawbert Foundation for their partnership in bringing this project to life.

49:06 This is what building better together looks like. community-led, city-supported, and focused on the health and dignity of every resident in our city. So let's continue to work to make Chicago the safest, most affordable, most equitable, big city in America. Thank you all, and God bless you. I think Sankofa

49:47 Wellness Village will have a great impact within the community of West Garfield Park, as well as the west side and beyond, because it, for one, is showing partnership and collaboration in a completely different way, where you have federally qualified health centers, huge medical systems, you have the YMCA, you have small community-based non-profits really working together to ensure that people here in this community have access to the resources that they need. And it's not just healthcare, right? You're bringing fitness, you're bringing food, you're bringing economic opportunities, housing. There's so much that together we can all

50:20 work collaboratively to ensure that people have the right to better choices and better opportunities here in their community. I think because of the disinvestment and the neglect in the neighborhood over the years, there's a lot of hopelessness and despair in the community. And for me, it's important that we are here because I really think that we're going to be a beacon of hope for the community. Westside United has a mission of eliminating the life expectancy gap between Westside neighborhoods and the Loop. And across the Westside, West Garfield Park has the lowest life expectancy.

50:54 It's about 20 years lower than downtown, which is crazy. And you can see, I think, when you visit the neighborhood, the disinvestment and lack of assets and resources that are in the neighborhood. That's why for us, it was a priority to really focus here, where I think the need and opportunity is the biggest. West University Medical Center understood that the health disparity, the life expectancy gap that you see with residents on Chicago's west side and for those residents on the Gold Coast. It's like a 20 year gap. My life expectancy from Garfield Park is what, like 56, 60, somewhere in there.

51:30 Whereas if I lived on the Gold Coast, it's 80. Right. That gap is expanded because of COVID and some other things. What we've done as an organization is been able to corral and convene resources, in particular hospitals of the Illinois Medical District, and bring those resources back to Westside neighborhoods to combat that life expectancy, to address the issue as opposed to the symptoms of that health disparity and that health gap. You know, that is what we do in a nutshell.

52:02 As a native Westsider, I'm just proud to see it here and proud to see that the investment that we've made in a community that's had years of disinvestment. I think secondly, when it comes to West Garfield Park, you know, there's definitely barriers that residents face every single day. So fewer clinics or hospitals. There's also economic barriers. Right. So if you don't have insurance or you're limited to the type of insurance you have, you're probably not going to go to your regular doctor's appointments.

52:40 And so our hope is that we can close that gap being in this community. So making sure that we are providing quality care, affordable care is important. Culturally competent care is also super important. But also that care is community based. So making sure that we are listening to the community with everything and anything that we do. If we focus on locally first, it's going to create leaders.

53:11 because individuals are going to walk into this space and see people that look like them. So it gives them this extra added motivation, right? This inspiration of, look at this building in West Garfield Park, in my neighborhood. Look what I can be. Look what I can do. I think as you see what we're doing here, you're going to see other entities move into West Garfield Park and hopefully provide more resources like healthy foods and new business opportunities, entrepreneurship. I look forward to seeing what the Madison corridor looks like over time, right?

53:42 But also ensuring that that legacy of West Garfield Park and the individuals that have resided here for so long continue to hold as we build, right? Building together an infrastructure that ensures that everyone has economic viability, but then also beautiful spaces to live. It's inspiring, and it shows the residents of this neighborhood that they're worth investing in, and this neighborhood is worthwhile and can be a beautiful place. and already is with the love and attention and legacy of all the folks living here. And I think we're catching up with some of the investments just now.

54:28 Good morning. Thank you, Mayor Johnson, Alderman Irvin, the Pritzker-Traubert Foundation, Penny Pritzker, and Brian Traubert, and everyone that's been a part of this incredible journey today. I want to shout out a couple of my fellow commissioners that are here today, our library commissioner and our building commissioner. who are in the room, I'm really excited to take a couple minutes to underscore the city's commitment to this project and the holistic investment that directly supports

55:00 residents as well as the local economy, neighborhood, vitality, and walkable amenities that are making West Garfield Park a neighborhood of choice and restoring Madison Street's legacy as the main street on the west side. Health is wealth, and the Wellness Center is really the centerpiece of a half billion dollars of recent and planned improvements involving storefront activations, missing middle housing, job training, a community center, and grocery store, and

55:35 other resources that are empowering residents and fostering community cohesion. I want to credit the entire Sankofa team for its years-long commitment to this project and the people it will serve, as well as my staff for coordinating city support, including 5.9 million dollars from a sale of city land on the near west side, $1.5 million in Chicago recovery plan proceeds, most of the land beneath this project,

56:06 plus a $10 million new market tax credit allocation from the Chicago Development Fund. I'm so psyched to see the results and the services that will resonate with thousands of Chicagoans far and wide for generations to come. So thank you and congratulations to the entire development team and all of the community partners. Now I have the pleasure to bring up the incredible alderman of the 28th Ward, Alderman Jason Irving.

56:51 Thank you, Commissioner. I've always said this is a so goes Madison, so goes the west side of Chicago. The rebirth of Madison and Garfield Park is underway. Just like Drea said, I too am a child of the west side of Chicago And I too share some of the same memories that she talked about in this conversation from earlier today

57:23 But the reality is that this project almost did not happen It was 2017 I believe When Pastor Hatch called me and asked me to come over to the church The reason I remember this day was the day I got four of my wisdom teeth pulled out of my mouth And I recall us being cross over at the church And he was talking about we were going to build this project But it wasn't going to be here

57:54 It was actually going to be at the corner of Washington and Kildare And after the presentation, after the folks were talking, I asked one question, and they could barely understand me because my mouth was still numb, I had stuff in my mouth and all of that, and I said, yeah, what's in it for the church? and you can hear a pin drop. This community cannot, will not be built on, it will be built

58:31 with the people that are here. Let me say that again. It will not be built on, but built with the people that are here. That moment crystallized the point that everyone has continue to come here with their things, their solutions, their thoughts, but without the people that it impacted the most. So I'm glad that we did not embark on that particular project at that

59:05 time, even though it was not a no, it was a not yet. But then a few things started to happen. The Chicago Prize came Even though, I'm going to give our predecessor, Mayor here, Mayor Lloyd Leifert We did not get along at first, I'm going to tell you all this, right But in time we started talking about the west side of Chicago And what we can do to make the west side a better place

59:37 And while this particular project was not an iteration of Invest Southwest And then Southwest put a refocus back onto the west side of Chicago And how these things and how these projects and how these investments can impact the lives of people Now a full circle moment comes again because the new New market tax credits that were allocated to this project, who would have thought at the time that two members of that board would actually be residents of the Garfield Park community?

1:00:08 Who at the time thought that we would see the investment from the Traverton Pritzker Foundation for the Invest Southwest Prize? People talked about all these closing as an issue, but quite frankly it has become a blessing in disguise because that will be the site of our newest investment because this investment here today has started a rolling ball down Madison that will bring forth affordable housing, that will bring forth health care,

1:00:39 that will bring forth business incubation, that will bring forth all the things that a community needs to be successful. And I'm going to close with this. For the community, by the community. For the community, by the community. Thank you and God bless you. Next, I want to bring up a gentleman who really needs no introduction. All he needs to bring is his checkbook with him, and we love him. Most dearly, let's give it up for our Senate President, Don Harmon.

1:01:18 Thank you, Alderman, for those low expectations. It is a joy to be here in this beautiful building on this corner today. I'm the proud grandchild of the West Side, and more than 100 years ago, my grandpa started a business here on the West Side. And its last location was the next corner west on Madison. So I'm feeling the gentle tug of my ancestors today and hoping that there are more family businesses that get started here on Madison Street on the west side.

1:01:54 I certainly want to recognize my old friend, Mayor Brandon Johnson, for all the work on this project. I also want to shout out my colleague, Senator Lakeesa Collins, whose leadership and persistence helped make this day possible. Walter Minervan, Commissioner Stamps, it's great to have this new facility in your ward and your district. And Pastor Hatch and all the clergy who have helped make this possible, thanks so much. In 2024, we stood with shovels in the dirt talking about what this could become. Today, we opened the doors on something this community built together.

1:02:28 Sankofa Village Wellness Center is more than a building. It's a response to a reality we can't ignore. a 13-year life expectancy gap across just six miles. It's a response rooted in action, accessible mental health, fitness and youth programming, workforce training and opportunity, all under one roof, designed by and for this community. That doesn't happen by accident. It happens because people organize, advocate, and refuse to settle for less. So to everyone who made this possible, thank you and congratulations.

1:03:01 This is a great day for West Garfield Park and a powerful step towards a healthier, stronger future. With that, it's my pleasure to introduce Dr. Lee Francis from Erie Family Health Centers. Thank you, Senator. I'm Lee Francis, CEO of Erie Family Health Centers. And Alder Irwin, we do have a dentist upstairs, just letting you know.

1:03:36 All of us in the room share the belief that health care is a human right. And no one shares that more than the leaders and staff of Erie Family Health Centers and the patients that we serve. And I wanted to ask our staff and leaders and Board Vice Chair Carolyn Dickens to stand up real quick. You are the leaders that made this happen. Thank you. And it's this belief that has driven Erie's work in and around Chicago for nearly 70 years.

1:04:10 And it's the reason we were honored to be invited to be an anchor partner in this visionary project. Upstairs, on the third floor, is Erie Sankofa Village. We welcome everyone, from babies to great-grandmas. We are providing that high quality, integrated, primary care. What is that? It's medical care.

1:04:40 It's prenatal care. It's reproductive health care and family planning. It's pediatrics. It's chronic disease management and prevention. And Brother Marquis, we have treatment and prevention for asthma. No one should ever ever die from asthma in the greater West Garfield Park community, ever. And we bring that together with substance use disorder treatment,

1:05:15 behavioral health care, nutrition services for young families, case management, and dental care. How are we fitting it all into that little small space right up there on the third floor with the track that goes around? I don't get it, but it's happening. And it's without regard to a patient's insurance status, their income, or who they are, or where they're from. We know that 80% of a person's health is determined by factors outside of this building, outside of this exam room, upstairs.

1:05:59 That's the social drivers of health. And that's why this collaboration is so innovative and so impactful, because our patients also have access to the services provided in this building by the Y, by the Garfield Park Right to Wellness Collaborative, by Equal Hope, by Westside United, in collaboration with MAFA and Rush, we will help everyone live their healthiest lives.

1:06:30 Now, as was said by Chase, it takes capital money to create a collaboration such as this. And so I want to give a special shout-out to Erie's lead capital donors for the Erie Sankofa Village Health Center, Schreiber Philanthropy, Hunter Family Foundation, Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, and the Illinois Children's Healthcare Foundation. Thank you. And although he's not here today, and Clarice Alduque, I think I saw you lurking around,

1:07:08 we are grateful to Senator Dick Durbin, who brought $3 million in congressionally directed spending to this building. Thank you. And while we're so excited to celebrate the official opening of the Wellness Center today, Erie got a little bit of a head start. We opened our door to patients eight weeks ago, and we have already welcomed hundreds of patients to Erie Sankofa Village.

1:07:40 One of our first patients, who was from the West Garfield Park neighborhood right here, got to see their medical provider on the first day and our dentist on the same day and booked a behavioral health visit. And if she had seen, excuse me, if they had seen the behavioral health specialist on that day, it would have been an eerie trifecta, all under one roof. And our first pregnant patients have already found their way to deliver their babies at rush.

1:08:16 So, to sum it all up, here's what it's all about, everyone. Health care is a human right. Can we say that? Health care is a human right. There's more to come. We are just beginning, and it's my pleasure to welcome Adam Alonso, YMCA. Good morning, everybody. What an honor to be here. I want to first thank my predecessors who actually envisioned this project.

1:09:01 I've only been at the Y eight months, but as was said earlier, now the work begins once it's open and everyone comes here. I'm especially grateful to our partners, elected officials, community leaders, and neighbors from across the West Side. This is a powerful moment, as you've heard, and we're proud to be able to share that with you. At the YMCA Metropolitan Chicago, our mission is simple. It's to strengthen community by connecting all people to their purpose, potential, and each other.

1:09:31 Today, that mission comes to life in a very real and tangible way. Sankofa Wellness Village is the result of a shared commitment, a commitment to listen, to partner, and to respond to the health and wellness needs of this community. Reflects years of collaboration and a deep belief that everyone deserves access to the resources that support a healthy and full life. From early childhood to the teen years and to adult and beyond, we create Spaces where people can grow, connect, and thrive at every stage.

1:10:04 And that's exactly what Sankofa makes possible. Bringing those opportunities together in one place in a way that's rooted in the community. This space is more than a building. It's a place where young people can build confidence, where families can spend time together, where individuals can take steps toward better health, and where a community happens every single day. Imagine this place on a Friday night, packed because there are basketball games here. Imagine this place on weekends where families are here, community festivals and events are happening.

1:10:40 That's community. We also know that while today is a celebration, it's something bigger. Across the West Side, the YMCA has been serving the community for more than 20 years through our early learning programs and our work in schools and neighborhoods. I want to make sure that all of our families, our young people, have access to our sleepaway camps. Those are important opportunities to get young people and families out from the neighborhood, to give them a space to learn and to grow, to reflect, to be with nature.

1:11:13 Excited for that opportunity. This is why we'll roll that out here. This new West Garfield Park deepens the commitment in a meaningful and lasting way. We're proud to be part of the broader ecosystem here at Sankofa Village, working alongside all of our partners who are here today that's how real change happens so today we celebrate what's been built but even more importantly we look ahead to what will happen here the lives that will be impacted the connections that will be made the community that will continue to grow

1:11:45 stronger thank you for being a part of this moment and for being part of the work I'd like to now welcome to the podium Dr. Omar Lateef of Rush thank you it's really a pleasure being here I I'm not used to presenting without slides but I only have about 22 minutes of material so I'll start reading that off

1:12:19 now you know I had all this stuff I was gonna say and it kept changing every time somebody else spoke because they stole my material the best parts of what you heard today was my material. So just count that for me. I also typically in every presentation have the best socks in a room, but I was sitting next to Mayor Johnson and I lost that too today. So I'm having a bad start. I'm going to be brief from this point on. I'm going to be brief from

1:12:52 this point on and say that health care is not that complicated. I was on a panel once talking about homelessness and someone asked me the question, why do homeless people have worse diabetes outcomes. I didn't know how to answer. It was such a surreal question. Maybe if you're living under a bridge, you don't have access to medicine. Healthcare's not that complicated. And it turns out that it's pretty lucrative to prove that there's some bad outcomes. And what I mean is, about 10 years ago, Dr. Ansel wrote a book called The Death Gap.

1:13:24 And in it, he showed that the most powerful predictor of how long you live is your zip code. And the knee-jerk reaction was that it must be gun violence. The knee-jerk reaction is there must be some violence and community distrust that's driving that death gap. But they went on to show that it's heart disease, that it's diabetes, that it's stroke, that it's chronic disease, and that if you're in these neighborhoods you can't get help for chronic disease. And then a lot of other people started to study it. And then we

1:13:55 started funding all these articles that came out. And then you could write articles about it, you You can go around the country and you can talk about it. And then you can choose a lot of different neighborhoods and say if you're from a disadvantaged neighborhood, you're going to have a worse outcome. But if you want to solve it, you have to do something different. If you want to solve it, you have to put action over words. And that's where this team of people came together to put action over words. That's where everybody in this room, I walked in and someone handed me this VIP pass.

1:14:28 I was like ashamed to put it on. I really was. Because I looked around the room and I thought of how many people came together to put action over words. It turns out it's very simple to write about inequity. It's very simple to talk about the death gap and present it. And it's really hard to fix it. Because it's hard to convene people. It's hard to pull resources together. It's hard to say things that are uncomfortable for people to hear. We're standing today on a battle

1:15:00 Basketball court. You're sitting on a basketball court. This basketball court will save more lives in the next 10 years than our transplant programs will. This basketball court will save more lives than anything we do at Rush. Rush had very little to do with it besides screaming as loud as we could that there's a problem. You brought the solution. Now we have to scale it.

1:15:32 I'll finish with this. What's next? Just imagine for a moment, you've created a model that can teach the entire country what resilience and belief in a community can do. What's next? There's other communities that have the same problem. There are people. And we can't sit here and say health care is a human right and all people deserve a chance to be healthy without building the next Sankofa. Thank you all for your time. We handled a pair of really sharp, huge scissors. This is the real deal. Hey, everybody. Thanks. We made it through. So thank you. Give yourselves a round of applause of the celebrating.

1:16:44 Now we get to the part of actually cutting the ribbon on this amazing space. Thank you to all the speakers, to all the electives that were patient. Cut your speeches short. You all are confident professionals. I really appreciate y'all because we still on, kind of on track. It is the west side and we're a little bit on CP time, but that's okay. So I'm going to invite everyone that spoke, all of you, all of our speakers today, you are going to help me. We're going to line up across here. I'm going to come down with these. Mayor, I may give these to you just because I think you're better at this than me probably.

1:17:16 This feels like a liability. Rush, Erie, y'all got my back? I got insurance. Let's go. Let's start this ribbon cutting. And then afterwards, we're going to call up, after speakers, we'll call up groups. So we'll have the board, the GPRWC board. We'll have Erie. We'll have Rush. So your respective groups will ask that everyone else start to disperse, network, mix, and mingle. but less stay put as this first group of speakers joins me to cut the ribbon

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