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Valerie Leonard

Community

West Side residents invited to breakfast to set priorities

By AustinTalks | January 26, 2018

Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin will host the event from 9 to noon Jan. 27 at 5100 Harrison St. Breakfast will be served at 9 a.m., with the discussion starting at 10 a.m. Adam Alonzo, Iesha Hollins and Valerie Leonard will serve as moderators.

Community

Notable Chicagoans to be celebrated in Austin

By AustinTalks | February 23, 2016

Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin will honor three local leaders and the Illinois Civil Liberties Union Feb. 27 at the Columbus Park Refectory.

Ald. Chris Taliaferro

Getting the most out of West Side TIFs

By Terry Dean | January 4, 2016

Activists, some elected officials continue to push for the taxpayer funds to be used to improve Austin.

News

Some push for West Side to be represented on new governor’s team

By Austin Weekly News | November 11, 2014

State Rep. La Shawn Ford calls for Gov.-elect Rauner to included.

Community

West Side nonprofits rise to the challenge

By Valerie Leonard | October 9, 2014

Local resident Valerie Leonard helps organizations by challenging them to become compliant in 30 days.

Community

A year in review: 2011 Education Reform Act

By Valerie Leonard | September 5, 2012

West Side advocate Valerie Leonard looks back at the changes made by the act and talks to other activists about the reforms they think are needed for Chicago schools.

Opinion

Tell your alderman to vote “no” on the Infrastructure Trust Tuesday

By Valerie Leonard | April 23, 2012

West Side advocate and community development consultant, Valerie Leonard, is urging residents to contact their alderman before tomorrow’s 10 a.m. special Chicago City Council meeting.

News

Election continues in the 24th Ward

By Sarah Ostman | March 21, 2011

The ballot has been narrowed from 18 candidates to two. The current alderman, Sharon Dixon, faces Michael Chandler, who used to represent the area.

News

  • Expungement, record sealing event helps West Siders get jobs after leaving prison

    Austin resident Anthony Jefferson has been working over the past six years to expunge his criminal record. With help from the Monroe Foundation, he's moving toward the clean slate he wants to achieve to secure employment.

  • Get free groceries, other help from these Austin groups

    On a recent Thursday, volunteers from What About Us Charitable Enterprises spent the morning filling dozens of grocery bags with fresh food and staples that soon filled the arms of West Side residents in need. Dorin “Pastor Mac” McIntyre, executive director and co-founder of What About Us Charitable Enterprises and pastor of Mount Olivet Missionary Baptist Church, is one of many helping Austin residents struggling with food insecurity.

  • 29th Ward residents invited to holiday events on Tuesday

  • 29th Ward residents invited to propose how to spend $450,000

    Austin residents are invited to participate in this year's participatory budgeting cycle. The annual process lets ward residents ages 14 and up decide how to spend a portion of the aldermanic menu money.

  • Forty Acres Fresh Market marks important moment this week in bringing store to Austin

    Austin moves one step closer this week to getting a new grocery store with the groundbreaking of Forty Acres Fresh Market in the heart of the Soul City Corridor. Another effort to expand food offerings on the West Side continues with the Austin Community Food Co-op, which held a virtual info session last week on its efforts to bring a grocery store to the area.

  • Healing in nature workshop set for Saturday

    The Westside Cultural Alliance continues its "See, Feel and Heal" nature series Saturday at Garfield Park Nature Area, 100 N. Central Park with a workshop on making memory boxes. The workshop sessions focus on art and nature as vehicles of healing through art therapy, which provides wholistic healing for the body, mind and spirit.

  • Illinois residents can apply for help with paying gas, electric bills

    Applications are now open for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) for qualified residential customers who are over the age of 60, have a disability or have children under the age of 6 to receive financial assistance to pay their energy bills. LIHEAP is a federally funded bill payment assistance program that helps low- and fixed-income families pay their utility during the winter heating season.

  • West Siders turn out for chili cook off in Austin’s Soul City

    Over a dozen local chefs competed in the second annual "It’s Getting Chili in Soul City" event on Saturday. A team of five who make up the Austin African American Business Networking Association board – Malcolm Crawford, Shirley Fields, Sharmine Rickett, Ronald Smith and Marshawn Felton – created the chili contest last year.

  • Chicago Marathon runner raises money for West Side girls

    Over the last 20 years, Ashley Graham has run 56 marathons - including the Chicago Marathon five times. Several of those marathons she raised money for charity - and this year was no different.

  • Stop by Austin farmers market this week

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