On Tuesday, May 16, 2017 tens of thousands of Chicago-area residents will gather in small groups to share a meal and discuss the challenges and opportunities residents face. These conversations can inspire new ways to work together to make our communities stronger, safer and more dynamic.
Rashanah Baldwin and 14 other Chicagoans were selected as Chicago Community Trust Ambassadors for their communities to host conversations of why #YourVoiceMatters and why #YourCommunityMatters.
Englewood will host an “On The Table” dinner discussion with Greater Saint John AME Church, 6201 S. Throop Street. To join the group RSVP by sending an email to: [email protected]
Englewood’s “On The Table” discussion focus will include the need for quality education, quality housing and violence reduction. This discussion is to ignite a movement where citizens are engaged in the process of building a new Chicago, starting with the #GoodInEnglewood campaign.
On the Table is entering its fourth year of providing a yearly forum to elevate civic conversation, foster new relationships and inspire collaborative action across the region. Tens of thousands of Chicago-area residents are expected to gather in small groups to share a meal and discuss the challenges and opportunities our communities face, often inspiring new ways we can work together to make our communities stronger, safer and more dynamic.
To help encourage On the Table participants to move from discussion to action, the Trust announced the return of the Acting Up awards – up to $150,000 in cash awards to support tangible activities that benefit neighborhoods and public good.
Working in partnership with Goodcity, the Acting Up awards will provide up to 100 $1,000 awards and up to 20 $2,500 awards to On the Table participants who have actionable ideas for community impact coming out of their conversations. The 2016 awards were awarded to a variety of ideas – hosting an event to provide accessible breast cancer screenings for women with disabilities, holding art workshops for senior citizens in Pilsen, providing youth with free bike helmets to accompany 500 free bicycles in North Lawndale, mini- libraries built in neighborhoods across the city and more. The charge for this year remains the same – simply encourage people to work together and take action for the public good.
On the Table participants are invited to submit a brief video, no more than two minutes, outlining their planned activity. Video entries will be accepted online between May 17 and 31 at www.onthetable.com. A selection commit- tee of diverse regional representatives will select winners based on creativity, level of community engagement and potential impact of the ideas. All Acting Up winners will be announced in late June.
For additional rules and regulations, visit www.onthetable.com/acting-up-awards/.
