Event

Healthy Neighborhood Festival

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West Suburban Medical Center invites you to participate in this free event at West Suburban Medical Center,  3 Erie Court in Oak Park. Free screenings for lead, PSA testing, bone density, body fat, cholesterol, blood sugar and more. Bike rodeo for kids (with helmets), walking course, pedometers, and healthy snacks. For more information, call 1-877-RES-INFO (737-4636).

Event

Expungement Summit

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The day-long event for adults and juveniles will be held at Dwight Eisenhower High School, 12700 Sacramento Ave. in Blue Island. Sponsored by Cook County Clerk of the Court Dorothy Brown. For information, call 312-603-5696.

News

Austin wants to count in 2010 census

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By Mark Hertvik

Residents of the West Side’s Austin neighborhood believe the community was undercounted in 2000, and are working to gain full representation for their neighborhood in the 2010 census. The 2000 census counted 117,527 people living inside the city-defined borders of Austin, representing 4.1 percent of Chicagoans. Community activist Malcolm Crawford says this number is inaccurate, and estimates Austin’s true population to be as much as 20 percent higher because the population is wary of being counted. “[There is] a lack of information, a lack of understanding of what the census is,” said Crawford, whose nonprofit Sankofa Cultural Arts and Business Center is involved in promoting census awareness in Austin. “A lot of our people are in precarious situations” and don’t like to talk to outsiders or the government, he said.

News

Christ the King work-study program offers unique glimpse into corporate world

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By Wendy Wohlfeill

Instead of toting her backpack to school on Friday mornings, high school sophomore Kyara Lee strays from her usual schedule to venture outside the classroom. For one day each week, she sets aside her school books to work alongside investment professionals. Lee remembers her first day of work last September, being nervous as she took the elevator to the 22nd floor of a Chicago high-rise. Her nerves soon settled, and now she completes daily office tasks with ease and confidence. This is her second year participating in the corporate work-study program at Christ the King College Preparatory High School, which just moved classes to a new $28 million facility in Austin.

News

Austin program for ex-offenders nearly overwhelmed by demand for services

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By Wendy Wohlfeill

Officials at a far West Side organization fear if client demand continues to rise, more and more recently released prisoners will be left fending for themselves. Roger Ehmen, director of Westside Health Authority’s Prisoner Re-Entry Center, said a recent jump in numbers shows the dire need for the program in Austin. Ehmen said the center saw an increase of 104 percent more clients over the last two years. In 2008, the office helped just over 5,000 clients, while last year the program assisted close to 11,000. The biggest concern now is that the numbers will continue to rise, and many more ex-offenders in need will be left without services.

News

West Side program helps ex-offenders get a second chance

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By Wendy Wohlfeill

Charles Ezzard speaks with ease and confidence, pausing from time-to-time as if visually sifting through the past chapters of his life. He recounts times of hardship, yet immediately changes pace when speaking about his future. His face lights up as he states his goals, such as finishing school and giving back to the community. Ezzard sits in a bustling office in Austin, while snow falls outside on a brisk winter afternoon. Inside this well-kept space, half  of a dozen men sit at computers placed against one wall searching on-line job postings, while others work on resumes and speak to caseworkers.