After Years of Waiting, Humboldt Park Location Gets a Playground
Our after-school program The Vine in Humboldt Park got a new playground! After years of the students dreaming, sketching, and planning what it would look like, it finally happened! The students are thrilled and ask to play on it every day during gym time. This playground is so much more than a playground. It promotes social and emotional learning, brain development, motor skills and coordination. It also helps students cope and heal from the trauma they experience in their neighborhood
Playing for Peace: Crosstown Classic Game
Centers Opens New Technology Center, AT&T Partnership
We recently held our official ribbon-cutting ceremony for our new AT&T Connected Learning Center. This is located on the second floor of our Pan de Vida Fresh Market building. Our students from La Semilla will be the first beneficiaries of this technology center. We are so excited to be able to provide additional safe space for our participants. This center is part of AT&T’s mission to bridge the digital divide and the homework gap.
Hundreds Run El Grito 5K Despite Heavy Rain
September 11, 2022 was very special. We held El Grito 5K Family Run/Walk for the first time since the start of the pandemic. We were blessed with a lot of rain and got soaked. Hundreds of runners came out to enjoy Zumba, dance to tamborazo, tamales and jarritos! We are so thankful for all the volunteers and sponsors who helped make this race happen!
Following the race, our organization participated in the annual Mexican Independence Day Parade. We had a couple of floats! Matt DeMateo, our executive director, was honored to be a Grand Marshal. Centers was recognized for the work done during the pandemic through the food pantry.
Participants Land in Field of Dreams
We are so proud of our 5 baseball programming participants who have made it to the Cubs RBI team. This is MLB’s Cub’s development team. Through this opportunity, they were able to play a televised game at the Field of Dreams event in Iowa. They actually won 12-7! The youth were MVP guests at the Field of Dreams MLB game and had first-row seats next to the Cubs dugout and even met some famous athletes! It was an experience of a lifetime.
Young Little Village Residents Compete at Copa La Villita 2022
Copa La Villita 2022 came to a close for the under 20’s division tournament. We enjoyed gathering some of our community at the Little Village Academy soccer turf field every week as co-ed teams competed against each other. Afterward, spectators were able to take part in pick-up soccer. Most importantly, it became a safe space for our youth during the summer.
Massive shout out to Chicago House AC pro soccer players who come out to volunteer as referees every week.