<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[My Site]]></title><description><![CDATA[My Site]]></description><link>https://www.steansfamilyfoundation.org/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Mon, 12 Oct 2026 15:27:23 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.steansfamilyfoundation.org/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Southland Partnership Aims to Turn Contracts Into Growth for Minority-Owned Businesses]]></title><description><![CDATA[(Tinley Park, IL) — Winning a construction contract is one challenge. Having enough cash to pay workers and keep the project moving before the first payment arrives is another. A new partnership between the Southland Development Authority and the Steans Family Foundation aims to help minority-owned businesses close that gap — pairing access to working-capital financing with support to manage growth. For the foundation, that investment comes with a specific expectation: creating jobs for North...]]></description><link>https://www.steansfamilyfoundation.org/post/southland-partnership-aims-to-turn-contracts-into-growth-for-minority-owned-businesses</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6abe7bf50baa3fe7ecc731ec</guid><pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2026 15:29:52 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/61ce42_89cfd00f41c84e54956d6554340eb4cf~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_675,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>tara541</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[New fund provides $5.5 million to develop solutions for food, housing, healthcare, and safety services for Chicago residents]]></title><description><![CDATA[From The Chicago Defender As federal funding and policy changes add pressure to already strained safety-net systems, public benefits and essential services are facing new uncertainty. The Resilient Chicago Fund (RCF) today announced $5.5 million in grants to 17 nonprofit-led projects that will design, test and refine new models for delivering benefits and services. The projects will explore whether these models can improve residents’ access to basic human needs such as food, shelter, health...]]></description><link>https://www.steansfamilyfoundation.org/post/new-fund-provides-5-5-million-to-develop-solutions-for-food-housing-healthcare-and-safety-servic</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6abe7df7d74fd4e5603e81f0</guid><pubDate>Thu, 30 Jul 2026 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/61ce42_b8e162affdae49168db5042a8b50ec65~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_601,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>tara541</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Fund Awards $5.5 Million to Strengthen the Chicago Region’s Social Safety Net]]></title><description><![CDATA[To help Chicagoans preserve access to food, housing, healthcare, and safety services amid federal funding shifts and policy changes, the Resilient Chicago Fund (RCF)awarded $5.5 million to 17 nonprofit organizations to lead projects that will test new ways to deliver essential benefits and services. Grants range from $100,000 to $500,000 and aim to improve the coordination of services across government agencies and providers—helping residents navigate complex healthcare systems, find food,...]]></description><link>https://www.steansfamilyfoundation.org/post/fund-awards-5-5-million-to-strengthen-the-chicago-region-s-social-safety-net</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6abe7fdcf895ca2e7a975f5b</guid><pubDate>Thu, 23 Jul 2026 15:45:02 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/61ce42_ed84b0a41da34173a7907c2439902e05~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_500,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>tara541</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Fillmore Linen Service brings jobs and opportunity to North Lawndale]]></title><description><![CDATA[Residents of the West Side neighborhood face health, social and economic factors that can hurt their opportunities for upward mobility, data from Opportunity Insights shows. Ron Vann has spent nearly a third of his life behind bars. The 58-year-old’s lengthy record of drug trafficking offenses have been a red flag for prospective employers his entire adult life. Two years ago, he applied for a job at Fillmore Linen Service, a commercial laundry in North Lawndale serving the healthcare...]]></description><link>https://www.steansfamilyfoundation.org/post/fillmore-linen-service-brings-jobs-and-opportunity-to-north-lawndale</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6abe803c0baa3fe7ecc73ab0</guid><pubDate>Sat, 18 Jul 2026 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/61ce42_58d052b9e15347f4a6acd1cd88850ac1~mv2.webp/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>tara541</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[West Side Spin Cycle: North Lawndale Laundry Turns Dirty Linens Into Second Chances]]></title><description><![CDATA[Inside the cavernous Fillmore Center on Chicago's West Side, an industrial-scale laundry has quietly turned into something bigger than a place to wash hospital sheets. Fillmore Linen Service has grown from a few dozen workers to more than 160, and it is gearing up to spill over into a neighboring building as demand climbs. The company makes a point of hiring North Lawndale residents, people in recovery and folks coming home from prison, and many workers say the steady paycheck and clear path...]]></description><link>https://www.steansfamilyfoundation.org/post/west-side-spin-cycle-north-lawndale-laundry-turns-dirty-linens-into-second-chances</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6abe8110d74fd4e5603e88d5</guid><pubDate>Sat, 18 Jul 2026 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/61ce42_1216849e93424ac4a1c341fb31f53226~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_760,h_442,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>tara541</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Groundbreaking Held For Missing Middle Housing In Lawndale]]></title><description><![CDATA[A groundbreaking ceremony has been held for the second project of the city’s Missing Middle Infill Housing initiative in North Lawndale. Announced just over a year ago, the Lawndale sites are part of a larger initiative led by the city to redevelop vacant lots into affordable homes for local residents. This comes after another project already broke ground on seven two-flats. Read the rest of this story at ChicagoYIMBY.]]></description><link>https://www.steansfamilyfoundation.org/post/groundbreaking-held-for-missing-middle-housing-in-lawndale</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6abe81e2f895ca2e7a9763c7</guid><pubDate>Thu, 02 Jul 2026 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/61ce42_36f2d2ce99fa426ebeaaf24ec25b4b42~mv2.webp/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>tara541</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[‘Missing Middle’ Housing Program Breaks Ground On 27 Units In North Lawndale]]></title><description><![CDATA[NORTH LAWNDALE — City officials on Tuesday broke ground on the latest chapter of a project designed to rebuild middle-class housing on vacant lots across the South and West sides. Nine three-flats in the 1600 and 1800 blocks of South Drake Avenue and South Trumball Avenue represent the latest set of homes planned as part of the Missing Middle Infill Housing Initiative, which is bringing affordable housing to eight vacant city lots. Read the rest of this story at Block Club Chicago.]]></description><link>https://www.steansfamilyfoundation.org/post/missing-middle-housing-program-breaks-ground-on-27-units-in-north-lawndale</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6abe8260a376471cc326dce0</guid><pubDate>Wed, 01 Jul 2026 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/61ce42_5494718d75864db0ae3f604aac3836ec~mv2.webp/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>tara541</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Southside Blooms Expands Its Nationally Renowned Farm-To-Vase Operation To North Lawndale]]></title><description><![CDATA[NORTH LAWNDALE — A South Side flower shop that’s earned national recognition in recent years just opened a new, bigger outpost on the West Side.  Southside Blooms, an Englewood-based farm-to-vase nonprofit, opened a West Side location at 4100 W. Fillmore St. in North Lawndale on Tuesday. The site houses the organization’s retail order fulfillment and wholesale operation while the Englewood location will focus on its event and wedding flower business.  Read the rest of this story at Block Club...]]></description><link>https://www.steansfamilyfoundation.org/post/southside-blooms-expands-its-nationally-renowned-farm-to-vase-operation-to-north-lawndale</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6abe84227a453d464744a2ed</guid><pubDate>Wed, 24 Jun 2026 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/61ce42_95f2da3bb3b940ae8a6024a6d06c750d~mv2.webp/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>tara541</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Southside Blooms expands to Chicago’s West Side]]></title><description><![CDATA[Southside Blooms is expanding to North Lawndale with a new location. Founder Quilen Blackwell joins ChicagoLIVE to discuss what this expansion means for the community. Watch this story at FOX32Chicago.com]]></description><link>https://www.steansfamilyfoundation.org/post/southside-blooms-expands-to-chicago-s-west-side</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6abe83b8a376471cc326dfde</guid><pubDate>Tue, 23 Jun 2026 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/61ce42_195ebbe8945240e898e50ee3aa290a7f~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>tara541</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[North Chicago High scholarships continue to aid CLC students: ‘They get to go there to begin their dream’]]></title><description><![CDATA[Awarded a Warhawk-Lancer Scholarship as a member of the North Chicago Community High School Class of 2022, Gisele Trujillo entered the College of Lake County the following fall, planning on a career in computer science. But after taking a psychology class her freshman year, her career goal changed from computers to eventually earning a master’s degree in social work and becoming a licensed clinical social worker, helping people with mental health issues. Read the rest of this story at Chicago...]]></description><link>https://www.steansfamilyfoundation.org/post/north-chicago-high-scholarships-continue-to-aid-clc-students-they-get-to-go-there-to-begin-their-d</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6abe8cc8756803964254d0b0</guid><pubDate>Wed, 03 Jun 2026 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/61ce42_2b11c1d93d2f4e1986b0ebd60392a9f5~mv2.webp/v1/fit/w_1000,h_539,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>tara541</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[DePaul research groups lead effort for housing solutions in North Lawndale]]></title><description><![CDATA[The Steans Family Foundation recently awarded a $200,000 grant to three DePaul research groups with the goal of addressing housing issues in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood.  The Institute for Housing Studies is one of three DePaul research groups collaborating on the project. The others are the SPARK Center and the Visual Informatics and Data Analysis Group. Each group has a different specialty, though all have expertise in data analysis. Read the rest of this story at The DePaulia.]]></description><link>https://www.steansfamilyfoundation.org/post/depaul-research-groups-lead-effort-for-housing-solutions-in-north-lawndale</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6abe8dd4756803964254d2af</guid><pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2026 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/61ce42_516b771258f04eb29b2fb8cb557167c4~mv2.webp/v1/fit/w_1000,h_800,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>tara541</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[West Side housing advocate works to turn vacant lots into homeownership opportunities]]></title><description><![CDATA[Jasmine Hagan joins us to discuss Chicago’s affordable housing crisis, her focus on “missing middle” housing, and efforts to revitalize neighborhoods like North Lawndale, West Garfield Park and Austin through new home construction. Watch the rest of this story at Fox32Chicago.]]></description><link>https://www.steansfamilyfoundation.org/post/west-side-housing-advocate-works-to-turn-vacant-lots-into-homeownership-opportunities</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6abe8e66d74fd4e5603ea3ee</guid><pubDate>Mon, 02 Mar 2026 06:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/61ce42_690ac198e52c48449decf898c0826437~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>tara541</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Sweet Beginnings urban beehives helping former prisoners build new lives]]></title><description><![CDATA[Helping people make the move from incarceration to inspiration. It's all happening in a sweet way in North Lawndale. The folks at Sweet Beginnings are busy as bees, producing skin care products made from honey. Read or watch the rest of this story at CBS News Chicago.]]></description><link>https://www.steansfamilyfoundation.org/post/sweet-beginnings-urban-beehives-helping-former-prisoners-build-new-lives</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6abe8f2f756803964254d560</guid><pubDate>Fri, 16 Jan 2026 06:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/61ce42_d0281962209a44da87ed15d1b7abcff6~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>tara541</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Chicago Education Alliance seeks to bring clarity to CPS’ toughest issues]]></title><description><![CDATA[On the white board of Arnie Rivera’s downtown office is a list of controversial issues confronting Chicago Public Schools. Looming budget deficits. Half-empty schools. Privately run charter schools that are increasingly struggling to survive. When these issues and others have come up at school board meetings over the past year, discussions are often tense. For decades, the mayor appointed the entire board and public debate was often nonexistent. Now, it’s a 21-member hybrid board with 10...]]></description><link>https://www.steansfamilyfoundation.org/post/chicago-education-alliance-seeks-to-bring-clarity-to-cps-toughest-issues</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6abe9017756803964254d6ff</guid><pubDate>Fri, 09 Jan 2026 06:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/61ce42_83c5eefada9f44339ca7d4815d12d090~mv2.webp/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>tara541</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Southside Blooms Flower Shop Expanding To North Lawndale This Spring]]></title><description><![CDATA[NORTH LAWNDALE — A beloved South Side flower shop whose co-founder recently won a national “hero” award is expanding to the West Side early next year. Southside Blooms, an Englewood-based farm-to-vase nonprofit floral shop, will open a location at 4100 W. Fillmore St. in North Lawndale in the spring. The site will house the organization’s retail order fulfillment and wholesale operation while the Englewood location will focus on its event and wedding flower business. Read the rest of this...]]></description><link>https://www.steansfamilyfoundation.org/post/southside-blooms-flower-shop-expanding-to-north-lawndale-this-spring</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6abe90baa9315679ff7db34d</guid><pubDate>Thu, 11 Dec 2025 06:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/61ce42_12dabdca53e942f8aada5804d54ea650~mv2.webp/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>tara541</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[North Lawndale Employment Network fosters second chances with job training, community support]]></title><description><![CDATA[CHICAGO (WGN) — A community-based organization continues to support many formerly incarcerated individuals in Chicago as they reintegrate into society.  Established in 1999, the North Lawndale Employment Network (NLEN) aims to provide a better life for those given a second chance. No one knows that better than Sadie Joseph, who says she was imprisoned at 20 years old, up until the age of 47.  Joseph turned to NLEN and never looked back.   Read or watch the rest of the story about this Steans...]]></description><link>https://www.steansfamilyfoundation.org/post/north-lawndale-employment-network-fosters-second-chances-with-job-training-community-support</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6abe99cda9315679ff7dc3fd</guid><pubDate>Tue, 24 Jun 2025 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/61ce42_cda107d272d948cd9db459fdbf5b2f2c~mv2.webp/v1/fit/w_1000,h_888,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>tara541</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Make no big plans. Just act, together.]]></title><description><![CDATA[Chicago’s historic mantra, “make no little plans,” guided the rebuilding of our city after the Great Fire. When Chicago faced rapid industrialization, explosive population growth, overcrowded neighborhoods and inadequate infrastructure, the Burnham Plan spurred the creation of green space, organized streets, lakefront access and countless iconic features that define Chicago. But the approach that guided Daniel Burnham’s rebuilding in the last century doesn’t fit our challenges today. Our...]]></description><link>https://www.steansfamilyfoundation.org/post/make-no-big-plans-just-act-together</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6abe9a6c7a453d464744cdee</guid><pubDate>Mon, 16 Jun 2025 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/61ce42_a6c085d9e1f6429eb9d19e99ab19d4d9~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>tara541</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Raising High School Graduation Rates in North Chicago]]></title><description><![CDATA[Research has shown that a student’s likelihood of graduating high school can be strongly predicted by freshman year performance. For that reason, the state adopted a measure of 9th-grade progress called the Freshman On Track rate. Between 2018 and 2022, North Chicago’s Freshman On Track rate rose from 56 percent to over 90 percent.]]></description><link>https://www.steansfamilyfoundation.org/post/raising-high-school-graduation-rates-in-north-chicago</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6ab415c52ef047c88151315b</guid><pubDate>Tue, 10 Sep 2024 18:10:54 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/61ce42_d9be298dbc2c472987455266512ca483~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_980,h_396,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>tara541</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Catalyzing Economic Opportunity in North Lawndale]]></title><description><![CDATA[North Lawndale Catalyst Initiative An entity of the Steans Family Foundation, the North Lawndale Catalyst Initiative (NLCI) leverages thought-partnership and investments to promote economic growth, workforce development, and a thriving ecosystem for community.]]></description><link>https://www.steansfamilyfoundation.org/post/catalyzing-economic-opportunity-in-north-lawndale</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6ab418ed623d83f4dfcafbea</guid><pubDate>Thu, 02 Mar 2023 19:24:36 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/61ce42_0c8e4791c7054d65a946ec46550367d5~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_400,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>tara541</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Tackling Unemployment in North Lawndale]]></title><description><![CDATA[North Lawndale Employment Network has helped thousands of people returning from incarceration find jobs, continue their education, and build their financial skills.]]></description><link>https://www.steansfamilyfoundation.org/post/tackling-unemployment-in-north-lawndale</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6ab4168c494a443cf62610e0</guid><pubDate>Thu, 01 Sep 2022 18:14:39 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/61ce42_c89ad90dc29547daba6dc6ac2c14d330~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_600,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>tara541</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>