Fifteen community-based organizations across the South Side and nearby suburbs just got a major summer boost. Southland RISE, a joint effort from UChicago Medicine and Advocate Health Care, has awarded \$150,000 to grassroots programs focused on youth development, trauma support, and violence prevention. The grants are expected to benefit more than 8,000 young people and families through a mix of creative, mental health, and leadership activities. Think jump rope. Bike repair. Theater. Therapy. Since 2019, Southland RISE has distributed close to $1 million in total, helping over 80 organizations build out community-driven work. “These programs are vital,” said Dr. Catina Latham of UChicago Medicine. “They help create space where kids can be safe, supported, and heard.”
This summer’s grantees reflect the many ways communities respond to trauma and disinvestment. In Bronzeville and Englewood, FAM Entertainment Theatre’s “HEAL” program is using storytelling and live performances to help youth process emotion. In Roseland, Burst Into Books is blending literacy with wellness for children and their families. And in Greater Grand Crossing, Beautiful Beginnings to Lasting Legacies is using double-dutch to teach teamwork and financial literacy. Sista Afya Community Care is offering therapy for Black teen girls and women in South Shore, Hyde Park, and surrounding areas. Envision Community Services is back with peace circles and outreach along Chicago Lawn and Gage Park. “There’s no single solution,” said one organizer. “But there are trusted leaders on every block.”
Workforce and mentorship programs are also part of the mix. Manufacturing Renaissance is giving young adults hands-on trades training in more than 20 neighborhoods. Girls Inc. of Chicago is leading a camp focused on career pathways for Black and Latinx girls in South Chicago and Auburn Gresham. Think Outside Da Block is hosting bike rides that double as repair workshops and safe-space sessions in Englewood. Still Searching Project is working with youth to paint murals and hold healing groups focused on missing and murdered Black women. Others like Men on the Rise and Kids Above All are engaging young people caught in the justice system, offering consistent mentorship and life-skills coaching.
Both UChicago Medicine and Advocate Health Care point to their hospital-based trauma programs as a foundation for Southland RISE. UChicago’s Violence Recovery Program has supported nearly 12,000 patients since 2018. Advocate’s Trauma Recovery Center has reached over 9,500 people, many of them survivors of intentional violence. The Southland RISE model draws from that experience, but moves the healing into neighborhoods. It also builds on the Chicago HEAL Initiative, launched by Senator Dick Durbin, which brings hospitals and community leaders together to tackle violence at the root. “This work takes time and trust,” said Dr. Kim Miiller of Advocate. “And that’s exactly what these groups are grounded in.”
Every group selected this year is a nonprofit rooted in its community. From mural projects to grief circles, mentoring to mental health care, each is responding to neighborhood needs with neighborhood wisdom. These programs don’t replace systemic change. But they do keep doors open. They help young people stay grounded in joy, identity, and possibility. “The money matters,” one grantee said. “But what matters more is showing up for the kids. Every single day.”
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