Partnership Between Chicago Public Schools and Faith-based Community Builds on Strategies Aimed at Protecting Kids and Reducing Violence, Giving Youth an Alternative to the Streets
Mayor Richard M. Daley said today that the “Safe Haven, Safe Summer” program, a partnership between Chicago Public Schools and 40 churches, will give an estimated 1,000 young people a positive alternative to hanging out in the streets this summer.
“With school out and summer here, I want to remind all Chicagoans that we all have a responsibility to end the cycle of violence that plagues too many of our neighborhoods and takes our children from us,” Daley said in a news conference held at Bethlehem Star Church, 9231 S. Cottage Grove, one of the participating churches.
“This violence, whose victims include many of our young people — only makes me more determined to ensure that, as a city, we’re doing all we can to give our children positive opportunities to help keep them out of harm’s way,” he said.
“Our police department is stepping up their strategies in our most troubled neighborhoods where our kids are most at risk. And, we’re piloting a new way of enforcing our city’s curfew, where kids who are in violation of it are connected with positive activities and mentoring,” he said.
The Mayor said that the “Safe Haven, Safe Summer” program is based on every Chicagoan’s shared commitment to do an even better job of keeping the City’s children safe and giving them a good start in life.
“We can’t allow our children to embrace a life of crime and wrongdoing. We must keep them involved in positive activities and away from violence and put them on the path to success in life,” he said.
“Safe Haven, Safe Summer” was established as a six-day program during the winter school break in December, 2009, with 24 churches serving about 500 young people between the ages of 5 and 17.
“The success of this program is a great example of how our faith-based community has once again accepted its responsibility to help protect our children,” the Mayor said.
The larger goal of the program is to reduce violence by using creative activities and the performing arts to build a “culture of calm” among our City’s young people.
Forty churches will partner under the “Safe Haven, Safe Summer” initiative which will run from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. weekdays from July 6 until August 6.
Each church will provide breakfast and lunch, security, T-Shirts, and bus transportation. The lunches have been donated by Catholic Charities of Chicago.
Mentors and college graduates from the church communities will be available to the students and will encourage awareness of the City’s “Stop the Violence, Stop the Silence” campaign aimed at ending the code of silence that protects too many criminals in Chicago’s neighborhoods.
And at the end of the program, there will be student performances on the “Stop the Violence, Stop the Silence” theme, including poetry, rap, singing and drama.
“’Safe Haven, Safe Summer’ will teach our young people important lessons about conflict resolution and community engagement – lessons that will benefit them all their lives,” Daley said.
Daley said “Safe Haven, Safe Holiday” is one of many other programs the City and its sister agencies and partners have established to provide more than 250,000 educational, athletic and other opportunities to keep Chicago’s young people constructively occupied this summer.
These include:
Athletic programs for more than 12,000 young people offered in partnership with World Sport Chicago and supported by money Chicago 2016 raised from the business community.
Arts, sports, technology, science and communications program for almost 7,000 Chicago teens offered by After School Matters.
And programs for thousands more young people offered by the Department of Family and Support Services, the Chicago Park District, the CAPS Program and the Police Department, CPS and the Chicago Public Library.
Daley said this summer’s programs build on the many other steps the City has taken to put its young people on the right track and away from gangs in the first place and to better protect every student from violence at school and on the way to and from school.
“We can’t be with our children every minute to keep them out of harm’s way. But we can create positive activities that give them an alternative to the streets and help set them on the right track in life.
“Our parents and guardians — along with community and faith-based groups — share the responsibility for protecting our children. We’re in this fight against gangs, guns and drugs together,” he said.
Safe Summer Safe Haven Locations
New Eclipse
715 W. 51st St.
Chicago, IL60609
773-592-2553
Contact: Pastor Zebadiah White
St. Stephen AME Church
3040 W. Washington
Chicago, IL60612
773-826-7009
Contact: Pastor Albert Tyson
Greater MorningViewChurch
2335 W. 100th St.
Chicago, IL60617
708-351-6176
Contact: Pastor Tyrone Harrington
PraiseTabernacleChurch
9511 S. Commercial
Chicago, IL60617
773-706-7972
Contact: Pastor Bishop Steve Jones
BethlehemStarChurch
9231 S. Cottage Grove
Chicago, IL60619
773-487-8078
Contact: Phyllis Watkins
Greater Institutional
7800 S. Indiana
Chicago, IL60619
773-873-0880
Contact: Pastor Walter Johnson
HoseaTempleChurch
966 E. 93rd St.
Chicago, IL60619
773-720-0872
Contact: Pastor Eddie Johnson
New Bethlehem #4 Church
8850 S. Cottage Grove
Chicago, IL60619
773-483-7251
Contact: Pastor Louis Montgomery
TrueLightChurch Baptist
7300 S. Maryland
Chicago, IL60619
773-789-7237
Contact: Pastor LaRue Kidd
1st CorinthianChurch
7500 S. Halsted
Chicago, IL60620
773-488-6519
Contact: Pastor James Thomas
St. Sabina Church
1210 W. 78th St.
Chicago, IL60620
773-483-4333
Contact: Father Mike Plfeger
New Mt.Pilgrim B. Church
4301 W. Washington
Chicago, IL60624
773-287-5051
Contact: Pastor Marshall Hatch
People’s Church of the Harvest
3570 W. Fifth Ave.
Chicago, IL60624
773-533-6877
Contact: Pastor Michael Eaddy
LilydaleFirstBaptistChurch
649 W. 133th St.
Chicago, IL60628
773-785-8623
Contact: Pastor Alvin Love
SheldonHeightsChurch
11325 S. Halsted
Chicago, IL60628
773-568-2929
Contact: Pastor L. Gilbert
St.JamesMinistries
11750 S. Lowe
Chicago, IL60628
312-909-9714
Contact: Pastor W. J. Campbell
LiberationChristianCenter
6810 S. Ashland
Chicago, IL60636
773-979-0444
Contact: Bishop James Dukes
New MemorialM.B.Church
6844 S. Indiana
Chicago, IL60637
773-488-6869
Contact: Pastor Roosevelt Walker
HeritageInternationalChurch
5312 W. North Ave.
Chicago, IL60639
773-237-9600
Contact: Pastor Dwight Gunn
TrinityAllNationsChurch
9600 S. Vincennes
Chicago, IL60643
708-254-3583
Contact: Pastor Larry Roberts
TempleLife of Church
5040 W. Madison
Chicago, IL60646
773-272-1680
Contact: Pastor Al Reese
Home of LifeChurch
4650 W. Madison
Chicago, IL60646
773-626-8655
Contact: Pastor Johnnie Henderson
Come Alive Ministry
2206 E. 73rd St.
Chicago, IL60649
773-704-7218
Contact: Pastor Marrion Johnson
New SpiritualLightChurch
7566 S. Shore Dr.
Chicago, IL60649
773-734-5483
Contact: Pastor Walter Turner
Heirs of the Promise
4821 W. Chicago Ave.
Chicago, IL60651
708-906-1366
Contact: Rev. Joseph Kyles
New BirthChristianCenter
5335 W. Lemoyne
Chicago, IL60651
708-752-1980
Contact: Pastor Robbie Wilkerson
Truth and LifeChurch
4146 W. Chicago Ave.
Chicago, IL60651
773-395-6822
Contact: Pastor Cathy Palmer
BrightStarChurch
735 E. 44th St.
Chicago, IL60653
773-606-2880
Metropolitan ApostleChurch
4100 S. King Dr.
Chicago, IL60653
773-805-2654
Contact: Pastor Leon Finney
St. Mark International Christian Church
832 North Leclaire Ave.
Chicago, IL60651
(773) 378-4601
Contact: Pastor Andre Thurmond
Mt.VernonChurch
2622 W. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL
773-392-1902
Contact: Rev. Tinner and Pastor Johnny Miller
Another ChanceChurch
1641 W. 79th Street
Chicago, IL60620
773-846-3333
Contact: Pastor Kenyatta Smith
Church of God and Christ
4520 W. Washington Blvd.
Chicago, IL60624
708-218-6259
Contact: Pastor Wheatly
RhemaWordChurch
5460 W. Ohio St.
Chicago, IL
773-378-4327
Contact: Pastor Virgil Brackett
GospelTruthLifeChurch
5301 W. Madison
Chicago, IL
773-378-4800
Contact: Bishop Jeff Davis
PromiseCenter
13560 S. Indiana Ave.
Chicago, IL60827
708-743-8323
Contact: Dr. Margret White
New HomeBaptistChurch
4804 W. Polk Street
Chicago, IL60644
773-378-2235
Contact: Pecola Parker
Greater GarfieldParkChurch
3757 S. Douglas Park
Chicago, IL60623
773-277-1700
Contact: Cathy Crawford
Mt.EbenezerBaptistChurch
3555 W. Huron St.
Chicago, IL60624
773-552-3424
Contact: Laura Bass
Original Greater RockChurch
4955-59 W. Harrison
Chicago, IL60644
773-533-4299
Contact: Emma Burrage
