A news report from Cristobal Martinez, LISC Chicago’s New Communities Program
Photo/Ivan Villafuerte, LISC Chicago's New Communities Program
The Chicago Police Department’s 10th District police station on Ogden Avenue usually hosts plenty of negative action in the North Lawndale community.
But on a recent Thursday night, the action was quite the opposite. The smell of grilled hot dogs and energetic tunes from a DJ drew residents out of their houses and into the station’s parking lot, where youngsters shooting hoops took center stage.
It was a striking counterpoint to the predictable references to youth violence, and a tribute to NCP lead agency Lawndale Christian Development Corporation’s (LCDC) elegant solution to late summer teen angst — a basketball and a set of portable hoops.
For the previous four years, LCDC hosted its basketball program, “Summer Slam,” indoors at Lawndale Christian Health Center. But this summer, NCP director Tracie Worthy thought it was the right time to show the neighborhood in a more public way that positive activities can keep the youth in the area out of harm’s way.
To continue reading click here to be directed to LISC Chicago’s New Communities Program.
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