Archive for the ‘Business and Economics’ Category

Dismantling Racism

Posted: March 8, 2011 in Awareness, Business and Economics, Education, Gangs, Gangs and God, Get Involved, Gospel, Housing, Incarceration, Informational, Intervention, Law and Justice, Love, Neighborhoods, Organizations, Poverty, power, Programs, Race and Ethnicity, Responsible Christianity, School and the Gang Life, Violence
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Dismanling Racism by Joseph Barndt, Author.  Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Books, 1991.Here is a book about racism in America, written “for white people and about white people . . . by a white person.”Joseph Barndt, defining racism as “prejudice plus power,” asserts that efforts against racism have often been incorrectly focused on minority populations rather than the majority. “The cause of racism is in the white society. The effects are felt in the communities of color,” he writes. Rather than attempting to soften the effects, we need to attack the cause.

The book examines individual, institutional, and cultural racism, and includes a section on racism and the church—with particular attention to the European American traditions inherited by white congregations, which Barndt refers to provocatively as a contemporary “circumcision crowd.” The author asks congregations to incorporate multicultural aspects in its worship before the congregation becomes multicultural and to work to achieve a pluralistic, not racist, witness to the world.

and consider that…

 “At the center of the Christian faith is the reminder that the time is
always right to do the right thing,” Turner said. “The church can and must
provide moral leadership that helps move the world’s nations into people of
transformation. The church has the capacity to transform itself to be an
agent of change, but this only happens when the church is engaged in the
struggle for justice.”

                                                                                                            -Rev. Otis Turner, 1996

 

Arloa Sutter and Breakthrough Urban Ministries

Posted: March 8, 2011 in Awareness, Business and Economics, Education, Entrepreneuership, Evangelism, Gangs, Get Involved, Housing, Incarceration, Inspiration, Intervention, Jobs, Law and Justice, Neighborhoods, Organizations, Poverty
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Arloa Sutter is the Founder and Executive Director of Breakthrough Urban Ministries. Breakthrough restores broken networks by providing neighborhood-based holistic services to individuals and families in Chicago’s East Garfield Park community. For more information on Arloa Sutter and Breakthrough Urban Ministries please go to:

http://www.breakthrough.org/

and

http://arloasutter.com/

Breaking Ground Ministry

Posted: March 8, 2011 in Awareness, Business and Economics, Education, Entrepreneuership, Evangelism, Gangs, Get Involved, Housing, Incarceration, Informational, Intervention, Jobs, Neighborhoods, Organizations, Personal Stories, Programs, Resources, Women
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Breaking Ground is a faith community characterized by grace and truth that seeks and develops those who desire to become instruments of lasting change in their community.

Vision
Breaking Ground is a mission-driven not for profit organization building strong inner city communities through self-sustaining entrepreneurial programs and services.  We are a comprehensive community development corporation focused on transforming low income individuals and their communities by offering integrated real estate development, homeownership assistance, job training, and direct employment, along with client-centered services.

Find information about this transformative ministry at:

www.breakingground.net

Second Chance Coffee Shop

Posted: March 8, 2011 in Awareness, Business and Economics, Education, Entrepreneuership, Evangelism, Get Involved, Incarceration, Inspiration, Jobs, Organizations, Personal Stories, Programs, Responsible Christianity
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A story about getting a second chance in the Chicago area. We believe in fresh coffee and fresh starts. We roast our Specialty Grade coffee fresh daily in small batches so you can enjoy the natural flavor and aroma of each bean. And we help ex-offenders get a fresh start by providing gainful employment, job training and a nurturing community of acceptance. Passion + purpose. It’s a beautiful thing.

See their website at:

http://www.ihaveabean.com/

See the Tribune story at:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-second-chance-coffee-w-zone-oct14,0,6010009.story

Barrio Bonito

Posted: February 4, 2011 in Awareness, Business and Economics, Education, Entrepreneuership, Gangs, Get Involved, Informational, Inspiration, Intervention, Jobs, Neighborhoods, Organizations, Violence
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Mission Statement:

Barrio Bonito has a mission to inspire economic growth, celebrate the strengths of inner-city communities, and empower urban youth to lead positive change amongst their peers. Barrio Bonito is dedicated to creating innovative employment opportunities for urban youth, by showcasing their artistic talents, encouraging their entrepreneurial spirit, providing interpersonal and career development education, and through strategic partnerships, offering them job placement services.

Objective:

Our primary objective is creating sustainable employment opportunities that increase the self-sufficiency of our participants and decrease the crime and violence associated with unemployment.

Goals:

 Barrio Bonito is a passion driven organization founded on a comprehensive model for Arts, Community, Entrepreneurship and Hope, constructed to pioneer innovation in Social Enterprise.

While pursing our mission and employment objective, Barrio Bonito seeks to achieve the following:

  • To stimulate economic development in under-served communities by creating innovative job opportunities for urban youth, a demographic afflicted by our nations highest unemployment rates.
  • To foster personal growth amongst our youth participants by encouraging conviction in their self identity and by providing opportunities to develop interpersonal skills.
  • To lower Entrepreneurial barriers to Chicago’s urban youth by providing start-up business education and legal counsel.
  • To initiate a trend of young people leading change in their communities.
  • To reduce gun, gang and related violence by empowering youth to commit to their passions and encouraging them to take ownership over the positive effects of urban culture (style/fashion, entrepreneurship, entertainment, art, athletics, faith).

 

Find out more at: http://barriobonito.org/

The Open Table

Posted: November 15, 2010 in Business and Economics, Education, Evangelism, Gang Addiction, Gang Families, Gangs, Get Involved, Incarceration, Inspiration, Intervention, Jobs, Law and Justice, Neighborhoods, Organizations, Personal Stories, Programs, Responsible Christianity, School and the Gang Life, Sex and Gender, Violence, Women
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The Open Table provides an interesting model for helping to restore individuals and communities and could have specific applications for turning around the lives of gang members in those communities. Find their site at:

http://theopentable.org/

Christian Community Development Association

Posted: September 5, 2010 in Awareness, Business and Economics, Education, Get Involved, Incarceration, Law and Justice, Media, Movies and Movie Reviews, Neighborhoods, Organizations, Poverty, Violence
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http://www.ccda.org

For the CCDA upcoming Justice Film Festival see:

http://www.ccda.org/film-festival