AustinTalks (http://austintalks.org/tag/austin/page/13/)
Join BUILD staff and state Rep. La Shawn Ford to learn about work being done in Austin and plans for the future. Building tours will be given, at 5100 W. Harrison St., and refreshments will be served at the 5:30 p.m. event on Dec. 17.
In its first year, the campaign to improve Austin garnered $13 million in investments. That includes a record $10 million gift from BMO Bank. “It’s been a really momentous year. There’s been a lot of success,” said Darnell Shields, executive director of Austin Coming Together. The nonprofit, launched in 2010, is the driving force behind the quality-of-life plan.
All Austin residents are invited to the community summit, where updates will be given on Austin’s quality-of-life plan. Celebrate the victories and investments, and discover how you can get involved. The meeting will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Dec. 14 at Kehrein Center for the Arts, 5628 W. Washington Blvd.
The event will kick off at 5 p.m. Dec. 6 at Unity Fellowship Church at the corner of Cicero and Madison, followed by the tree lighting at 6 p.m. in front of the 15th District Police station, 5701 W. Madison St. The annual parade and tree lighting is organized by the Austin Chamber of Commerce.
Traveling as part of the “Get Counted” bus tour, members of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus made a stop at MacArthur’s Restaurant to unveil a new partnership they hope will help hard-to-count areas such as Austin get an accurate count in next year’s census. The data collected every decade determines the number of seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives and is also used to distribute billions in federal funds to local communities.
The hospital – which remains the largest private employer in Austin, with 624 people on staff – received an A rating for its fall report, after receiving average ratings of C’s and D’s. The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit based in Washington, grades hospitals across the country on factors like in-patient care, infections and practices to prevent error. Hospitals voluntarily participate, and Leapfrog releases reports twice a year.
Veterans were honored Monday at the 29th Ward’s Veterans’ Peace Garden, 5413 W. Madison St. The event – held in the midst of falling snow and bitter winds – was sponsored by the recently formed Austin Veterans Community Organization (AVCO). The group will be meeting the third Wednesday of every month at noon at the 29th Ward Veterans’ Peace Garden when it’s warm enough to meet outside and at MacArthur’s restaurant during the winter.
One of the experts featured in “FIRSTHAND: Gun Violence” is Jermaine Harris, a community policing sergeant in the Chicago Department’s 15th District, who talks about using social justice as a means of supporting the Austin community. The series launches Nov. 12 on WTTW.
Musician Larry Taylor will be performing at the event, which is a fundraiser for Austin youth to travel. Stop by 5940 W. Chicago Ave. from 12 to 6 p.m. Nov. 9th.
The donadtion – the largest corporate gift in United Way of Metro Chicago’s history – will be used to help implement Austin’s quality of life plan and to support social service infrastructure and development in the city’s most-populated community area. The investment was announced last week at an event hosted by Mayor Lori Lightfoot and attended by several local elected officials.