Visit our Gallery page of photos from the following programs.

FY 09 Stats
These programs are run by volunteers from the community and funding is provided through grass root fund raisers as well as community enhancement program grants from South Suburban Area Project.

Beacon Hill
Beacon Hill community is in the process of organizing under the leadership of Reverend Walter Mosby; in conjunction with SSAP and the Chicago Heights Park District we were able to provide a summer program at Sesto Park and are reestablishing a program at Beacon Hill elementary school; where we will also bring Santa and his Elves to visit 400 youth this holiday season.


East Gate Community

The East Gate Community Association has held various community events such as bicycle rodeos, community beautification projects, unity day picnics, and several community forums as well as establishing a neighborhood watch program. We hope to be able to have a program at Algonquin School as well as visit the students with Santa and his Elves as we did in past years.


Euclid Youth Programs

Programs at Euclid Park, Washington/ McKinley School, and Grant School. Afterschool tutoring, sports and recreation, arts and crafts, as well as cultural programs and life skills development.


La Loma REACH

La Loma REACH program has afterschool programs at Jirtle Park that offer homework assistance, cultural activities, arts and crafts, sports and recreation as well as life skills development.


Posen (With Open Arms)

Posen’s With Open Arms program is in the initial stages under the direction of Mr. Kevin Fus who is enlisting the services of volunteers while establishing a board of directors and raising funds to provide programs for youth and teens in several areas of interest; with a primary focus on sports, and hopes to expand into Midlothian, Robbins, and Oak Forest in the near future. They will be looking to do a Run, Hit, Pitch Program as well as establish a baseball league in conjunction with several of the local park districts.


Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)

The ISBE (Illinois State Board of Education) funded program in Blue Island and Calumet Park were very successful with over 40 students at Burr Oak Academy and about 30 more students at Paul Revere and Whittier Schools where we were able to help provide computer programs systems for Reading and Math skills. Youth received tutoring 4 days per week as well as 1 day of recreation and/or crafts: on average the youth engaged in our program showed significant improvements in their Reading and Math skills over a six month period.


Tutor Mentor Program

The Tutor Mentor Program is off to a great start where we have established a wonderful working relationship with Ms. Mildred Andaluz of Prairie State College; utilizing honor students to tutor youth from the Southland Community at the college on Mondays; we also have 20 mentors to work with 20 youth on a one-to-one basis. We had a training with the mentors and will be having 2 more sessions hopefully getting input from Ms. Marie Goeff of CRA-WA-LA (Crawford, Wabash, Lawrence County Volunteers in Probation) and Ms. Maria Crews for Southland Hispanic Leadership Council and Morton College; the mentoring programs will involve 20 youth primarily referred to us from the courts as well as referrals from the local schools, police, and community contacts. We will design a 6 month curriculum based on the needs of the youth; but hope the relationships are everlasting.


ATI (Alternative to Incarceration)

ATI project is a combination of activities designed to keep youth out of the courts and in programs that help them make important life choices, setting 30, 60, 90 day objectives with a curriculum designed to meet the 3 sides of the bars triangle; this includes accountability, competency development, and public safety; as we hope to engage them in positive activities working in alliance with, Chicago Height Park District and their Teen Reach program our coordinator is Porfirio Torres and our program worker is Ignacia Gonzalez. This program has been funded in part by Nuveen Investments and the Chicago Area Project. In addition to the Teen Reach Program youth will be participating in various youth programs run by South Suburban Area Project and its affiliates; including developing summer programs though our affiliates and CHPD with Sonia Perez of Aunt Martha’s as she also is Park District Commissioner and 2nd Ward Alderman. We hope the summer program will be able to provide a lunch program as well and expand the exciting programs of Euclid and La Loma to incorporate projects that are youth designed and youth driven as well as developing youth boards with youth participants in the community program plans and fund raising projects, including special events and outings.

Another resource is youth service from local high schools to achieve their necessary goals for community service requirements for graduation. We are looking to work with Bloom, Thornton, and Homewood-Flossmoor High Schools.

Local groups are applying for Crossroad Grants and Youth Violence Prevention Grants. These projects are in the design stages, with plans to involve youth in several community activities such as Cinco de Mayo at Jirtle Park and the Euclid Community Picnic, also engaging the youth to assist with the Reach Out Community Fair run by Southland Hispanic Leadership Council of which SSAP is a proud member.


South Suburban Youth Practitioners Project

South Suburban Area Project has partnered with Chrysalis Community Center and the Chicago Area Project (to do a South Suburban Best Initiatives Program) funded by the Grand Victoria Project where we will be developing a survey to be administered to all of the various agencies and personnel throughout the Southland Community that service or work with youth and families, this being other agencies, libraries, park districts, schools, colleges, police, courts, probation, and churches to determine the needs for trainings that will be provided upon analysis of the survey.

We will be providing 4 joint trainings and Chrysalis Community Center and SSAP will be providing 4 additional trainings each for all interested youth practitioners on the various subjects identified by this survey; if you haven’t already taken the survey please do so by going to the link.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=wx_2b_2bct6vEU21tKLKSI35Dg_3d_3d

Your input is valid and it only takes about 5 minutes.



Special Projects

South Suburban Area Project is bringing ponies from Sarah’s Pony Rides to the Cinco de Mayo and the Euclid Picnic.

Christmas

Through our good friend Harold Whitecotton, of KW plastics raised $1, 500.00 to purchase and distribute a children’s book to 150 youth that were either terminally ill or hospitalized during the holiday season; at Ingalls Memorial and St. James where we at SSAP also gave each child a stuffed toy. The Fox family form the plastic company in Troy, Alabama flew up and back at their own expense to deliver and distribute the book, as well as to have their daughter dress as the mascot TNETNOC(content backwards) the Christmas Star, (which the story is based upon).

Through a Donation from Ken Baker we were able to distribute clothes and sporting goods to Emmanuel Healing Temple and to La Causa Community Committee and other local affiliates valued at nearly $1800.

Santa visits 4 elementary Schools, Beacon Hill, Grant, Garfield, and Washington; we were served nearly 1200 youth.

Donation and distribution of clothes to church and youth groups

Easter bunny and assistance from IDA Chapter
Visited 90 youth with games, pizza, and candy provided by our good friends Demond and Shanella Smith with Eastern Star IDA Chapter.

Fishing Derby

Fishing Derby #8
Saturday May 15, 2010
Wampum Lake
Cook County Forest Preserve, Lansing IL
8am- 3:30pm
Ages 8-12 (boys and girls)


Fundraising

Saturday, July 17, 2010
Donation: $50
 
Night at the Races
Balmoral Park Race Track
26435 South Dixie Hwy.
Crete, IL 60417


Saturday, August 21, 2010
Donation: $65 full day
$30 dinner only
 
3rd Annual Golf Outing Fundraising Benefit
Chicago Hts Park District
Golf Course East
315 Glenwood Rd.
Chicago Hts, IL 60411


Christmas in July
 
Fundraising dinner to raise money for our holiday programs where we bring Santa (community volunteers) with his elves(community volunteers) that wrap and bag candy for some 1800 youth so we may service 9 local elementary school where children receive a gift and bag of candy from Santa. We also honor volunteers at this annual event that have contributed countless effortless hours of dedication to their communities and our programs because they believe that they can make a difference because they care they are the back bone of the success of our affiliate groups and of the SSAP, last year we honored ) honorees last year) as well we shared in a delicious meal, camaraderie, and fine music of Joe Vega it is a special night and there are not enough words to express the thanks and appreciation of all the volunteers that contribute in so many different capacities to the continues success of programs for youth and communities.


Success stories number as of end of year 2009 and to dates

Updates:
end of year totals for FY 09 ending July 31 2009

Number of community committees 3
Total number of volunteers 204
Total number volunteer hours 4,556
Value of volunteer hours $ 88,933.12
Total in kind donations $23, 831.78
Dollars raised 9,000.00
Dollars donated 3,000.00
Total number adults served 811
Total number of adult service hours 2,433
Total number of youth served 2,458
Total number of youth hours 14, 227