Programs & Services

Strengthening parents and families, child and youth development, and 
community-building are related processes, mutually dependent upon one
another to improve people’s lives. When a new immigrant masters English, her
employment prospects improve. When a parent finds a better job, his children
are more likely to thrive. When a child attends afterschool, she does better in
school, and in life. When a community feels supported, and supports its

members, it flourishes. To these ends, our programs: 

• Support family stability and ensure that children are in safe and permanent homes     in their own neighborhood. 
• Improve the economic stability of families through job readiness and placement         services and guidance on public benefits. 
• Create safe work at fair wages through the incubation of inclusive and                            democratically-run worker-owned cooperative businesses. 
• Engage large numbers of children, youth, and adults in daily programs designed       to meet their diverse needs. 
• Help youth develop into confident, capable adults through school-based and               afterschool programs that build skills and promote academic as well 
   as social, artistic, and physical development. 
• Support families facing emergencies, including hunger, homelessness, and legal         crises. 
• Advocate for projects and policies that benefit children and families through              collaboration with neighborhood schools, service providers, 
  and the local Community Board. 
• Employ a diverse group of over 200 staff, the majority of whom have been                    program participants and live in our community. 
  Our “ladder of leadership” promotes higher education; a number of past                          participants now serve as program directors. 
• Recognize the self-determination of all people and use collaborations and                    partnership to promote healthy personal, family, and community development.  



  

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