Director's Letter
Spring 2011
Dear Friends,
I am happy to announce that Jamal Place is scheduled to begin the Metanoia Home violence prevention pilot program in April.
A small federal grant was received from Project Safe Neighborhoods and the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority to start working with children in the North Lawndale community who are beginning to show behavior problems in school and/or the community.
Our referral sources will be the local school, the juvenile court diversion program and the Chicago Police 10th District CAPS program.
It is our hope that the 17 week pilot program will be extended through a continuing combination of city and federal grant resources.
Our Metanoia Home violence prevention program will utilize an anti-violence curriculum developed by Project NIA and use "Talking Circles" to develop conflict resolution skills. Our former group home Child Welfare Worker, David Wolfe, will be the Metanoia Program Manager. He has over 25 years experience working with at-risk youth. He will follow the program participants' school performance and behavior and will attend any court appearances the youth may have. We are excited about the possibilities of this new program.
Our DeAngelis House Transitional Living Program is running smoothly. We have three young men attending Malcolm X College, three who will be enrolling in April and three who are finishing their high school educations. Monthly community service activities are scheduled at the Greater Chicago Food Depository and we will be working on a video project with Beyondmedia Education. To learn more about Beyondmedia Education visit: www.beyondmedia.org
Sadly, the neighborhood where our transitional living program is located has seen an increase in crime and gang disputes. To address this issue, we have met with Commander Penelope Trahanas of Chicago's 11th Police District to strategize ways to eliminate the problems in our neighborhood. Our TLP program is open to the Chicago Police to observe the goings on in the community. We have asked our alderman to put a blue light camera at the corner of Lexington and Springfield Avenues and we have told our youth that if they feel unsafe that we will transport them to their transportation hubs.
The monthly community police meetings are also held in our building. Jamal Place always tries to not only address the needs of the youth we serve, but also be good neighbors and active community partners.
Lastly, we are hosting a fundraising drive to raise $100,000 in a hundred days. We have had such incredible support for our boys and young men over the past 15+ years. As we enter our new programming phase, we are asking you to continue your support with a donation to Jamal Place. You can go to www.firstgiving.com. Type in: Jamal Place, Inc. in the search bar. Click on our information. This will lead you to the "Make a Donation Now" page. If you prefer, you can also mail your donation to: Jamal Place, Inc., c/o 1137 W. Taylor St. #163, Chicago, IL 60607.
There are so many needs right now for youth--safety being paramount. Thank you for helping us keep kids protected and thank you for your support to help us continue our mission!
Have a safe and happy spring!
Sincerely,
Ann G. Deuel
Executive Director