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The Environment

Chicago's North Side - especially from the Chicago River to Fullerton, west of the Gold Coast - is experiencing a cataclysm of change. Triggered by a massive business and residential revolution -- especially the ten-year process of redeveloping the Cabrini-Green housing development -- the change is intensified by welfare reform and a booming upscale housing market. This dramatic evolution represents a significant challenge to everyone who resides in, does business in, or traverses this and adjacent areas. It also sets Chicago at center stage of the contemporary re-consideration of healthy urban communities and public housing solutions.

As people of nearly opposite social and economic backgrounds are brought into contact with one another, conflict and confusion in this community are inevitable. In addition, the current and former residents of Cabrini-Green need support services to help them cope with the pressures of extreme poverty, racism, and other issues that they continue to face. This community has the potential to serve as the model for modern urban integration of rich and poor, people of all races, residential and commercial interests, and public and private housing.

A Partner in Community Building

The LaSalle Foundation is a uniquely sophisticated not-for-profit organization -- an affiliate of the well-known LaSalle Street Church and an intelligent investment by the church in the Near Northside community. Through its non-traditional mission - financing and managing a 50,000 square foot building for the benefit of the community - it possesses a leadership role in the North Side's transformation.

In 1987, the Church took a landmark step when it created The LaSalle Foundation. The Foundation's mission is to work in partnership with the LaSalle family of ministries to provide resources that strengthen their life changing work. In only 13 years, the Foundation has established an impressive resume of accomplishments:

" In 1996 the Foundation developed Maple Pointe, a 342-unit residential facility for low-income senior citizens on LaSalle at Maple, just south of Division. Maple Pointe provides affordable, high-quality apartments for aging people, in a safe neighborhood where stores and other conveniences are close by.

  • The Foundation helped Cabrini Green Legal Aid - a member of the LaSalle Street Church family - locate, purchase, and finance at below-market rates their home at 206 West Division, just west of Wells. (The facility is co-owned by the Foundation.)

  • In 1998 the Foundation built the Cornerstone Center, a new hub for community activity and permanent home for the LaSalle family of ministries and many other organizations.
  • In conjunction with opening Cornerstone Center, the Foundation formed Cornerstone ChildCare, a licensed, not-for-profit high quality childcare program that occupies the entire second floor of Cornerstone. A scholarship fund ensures access to Cornerstone ChildCare for families from a variety of backgrounds and encourages diversity among the children who attend.

Of the five ministries begun by LaSalle Street Church, four reside in Cornerstone Center while the legal aid clinic is a block away and within sight of the Center. These organizations have earned respect in the neighborhood as grass roots organizations focused on helping people overcome challenges and reach their goals:

  • CYCLE (Community Youth Creative Learning Experience), which strives to augment school-based education with fun and interesting educational experiences outside of the classroom, and positive role models for African American children.
  • The Center for Life Skills, providing counseling and psychological assistance through a range of therapeutic services
  • LaSalle Young Life, one of more than 500 Young Life groups in the US and the first of only 70 in an urban center, offers support, spiritual guidance and character-building activities for teenagers
  • LaSalle Senior Center, a weekly social and educational program for non-homebound senior citizens as well as an outreach for seniors who need assistance in their homes; recipient of the Retirement Research Foundation's Encore Award, and the American Association of Retired Persons' Partners-in-Eldercare Award
  • Cabrini Green Legal Clinic, providing competent legal services free of charge, interning law students in public interest law to encourage development of professionals in the field, and home of the Northtown Housing Resource Center which specializes in housing-related legal cases.

Cornerstone Center

Cornerstone Center is an invaluable anchor and hub for the North Side. The Foundation manages the facility, facilitates interaction and cooperation among its occupants, and significantly subsidizes their residence in Cornerstone Center.

  • To maintain the Center as an affordable home for its not-for-profit occupants and keep them near the clients that rely upon them, the Foundation supports nearly 70% of the cost of occupancy. Each resident pays a small, pro rata portion of operating expenses. In addition to the occupants already described and to offices of LaSalle Street Church, other important not-for-profit residents of Cornerstone Center currently include:
  • Cabrini Connections & Tutor/Mentor Connection
  • Mid America Leadership Foundation
  • Vision Thru Fine Arts
  • Willow Creek Extension Ministries
  • Cornerstone Academy
  • Urban Enterprise Fund
  • Young Life Midwest Division
  • Cornerstone Catering and a soup kitchen

Living under one roof has spawned increased cooperation and communication among these organizations, including program collaborations and ongoing interaction.

The Center contains nine meeting and conference areas which provide affordable meeting space in the neighborhood - a rare commodity. Already, Cornerstone Center has hosted:

  • A Community Health Fair
  • Make-a-Wish Foundation
  • Multiple Sclerosis Society
  • Urban Initiative Group
  • North Town Youth Net
  • Suzuki Orf School
  • High Sight
  • River North Association
  • International Urban Associates
  • Christian Community Development Association (CCDA)

The Center's staff handles scheduling, set-up and clean-up, management of the audio-visual system and other logistics.

  • The Center maintains a commercial kitchen and professional staff who provide affordable food service to the ChildCare Center and Senior Center, in addition to catering for outside groups.

The continuum of organizations and services housed in the Cornerstone Center help people of all ages, incomes and stages of life to strengthen mind, body and spirit. The rent subsidies supplied by the Foundation enable these organizations to remain close to those who need them, and the property management and other services provided by the Foundation enables the organizations to focus on their service-oriented missions. The Near North community is an area where wealthy and poor, artists and businesspeople, and individuals of all ethnic backgrounds interact. The Cornerstone Center provides a meeting place, life-and spirit-building services, and an anchor in a rapidly changing area.

Recognizing Success

The Foundation has been honored recently:

  • Non-Profit Neighborhood Development Group of the Year, 2000
    Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards
  • Richard H. Driehaus Foundation
    Faith in Community
    Best Stewardship Award

 

These are public signs of the Foundation's success.

The Foundation also measures its effectiveness through monthly meetings of its President and the Executive Directors of the occupant organizations. These outspoken and dedicated professionals provide voices for those they serve as well as the organizations they represent. Finally, the ultimate measure of the value of the LaSalle Foundation is the work of the organizations occupying Cornerstone Center. More than 1,000 people use the building each week, a testament to the value these organizations give to the community.

Information published by others on the work of the Foundation

An article about their involvement in the Maple Pointe project published by the Union Labor Life Insurance Company.

An article from the Illinois Housing Development Authority about their support for the Maple Pointe Affordable Seniors Housing project.