The atmosphere around the former site of Banner Academy in Austin is welcoming and vibrant. This is a true community, where men greet each other and embrace after a long weekend, ask staff when they can play basketball in the old school’s gymnasium, and chat comfortably in a space they’re making their own.
This old school is now the site of Heartland Human Care Services’ (HHCS) new West Side Hub, which is the permanent site of READI Chicago’s Austin community. The West Side Hub now houses the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago (INVC) outreach team and HHCS transitional jobs team for READI Chicago, allowing the teams to better coordinate their efforts to address safety and quality of services for participants, all in one centralized location.
“There’s also been a big difference in the participants, in how they see their engagement in services at this location,” said Larry Alexander, HHCS’ director of workforce development. “They feel that this is their space. There’s a sense of ownership and belonging, and there’s consistency in where they’re going to meet daily, where they’re going to go, how they’re going to transition for services. That’s very important for their development.”
While the West Side Hub currently houses the INVC and HHCS READI Chicago teams, it will eventually house several other HHCS programs, in addition to serving as a community gathering space for the Austin neighborhood.
“The vision is to work with the community to address the concerns of local residents and stakeholders, and of course to support our participants who we work with to address poverty and lack of access to services that help create a more equitable society,” Larry said.
Larry said while the site’s primary focus is currently on violence reduction and employment, HHCS hopes to eventually offer community adult GED services, in addition to expanded work and training opportunities.
“We’re just happy to be here,” Larry said. “I think staff and participants are both excited to be in this space and can envision the impact it will have on so many lives. That’s the real opportunity here.”
