Latest Wins from the Communities!

Melody parents pose after they successfully organized a community clean-up and Nixon school parents listen at a forum they hosted to learn more about how undocumented immigrants can obtain driver’s licenses.

COFI-trained parent action teams are always busy organizing to impact change in their local communities. Some recent wins:

• Penn Elementary Parents were alarmed and outraged when they heard from their children that the water had been shut off in the children’ bathroom! Children were being told to use hand sanitizer in lieu of washing their hands. The parents fought back. They met with their principal and school engineer and got immediate action. The water was turned back on!
• At Melody School, The Concerned Parents of Melody School are organizing to clean-up the mess. After finding broken bottles and drug syringes in front of the school several mornings, they met with and convinced the Alderman to supply more garbage cans and street-sweeping. In April, they co-sponsored a clean-up with neighbors, schools partners and their elected officials.

• Padres Activos de Nixon (the Active Parents of Nixon) are concerned about immigration reform – an issue that deeply affects their West Humboldt Park community. They hosted an informational forum on how to get drivers’ licenses for immigrants despite their legal status which was attended by almost 50 community residents. They also are working on financial security goals and organizing a craft fair to sell handcrafts that they have been knitting and crocheting all winter.
• At Dewey Elementary in Englewood, the parents hosted a Career Fair to help parents connect with employers. 40 Dewey parents attended.
• Our newest parent team, Parents of Excellence, consists of (mostly teen) parent participants in a home-visiting project on the Southside. As their first team goal, this parent team organized a trip to the Chicago Children’s Museum this month in which 26 adults and 26 children participated!
• Also, across the city, Walking Preschool Buses, a parent-initiated program to help preschoolers get to and from school, are up and running in local neighborhoods.