Reaching Out to Neighborhoods

Council Officer Charles Goetze added another title to his long list of Council duties—emcee. Goetze received two thumbs up as the host of the 1999 awards dinner.

In fiscal year 1999, the Council continued its commitment to community-based organizations by awarding Centro Communitario Juan Diego (for its leadership and empowerment training for immigrants) and Youth Struggling For Survival (for youth leadership and development programs for teens) with a neighborhood award.

By the end of fiscal year 1999, the Council announced a major collaboration to ensure the strength and viability of the Annual Neighborhood Awards Dinner. Council President, Lucretia Bailey, announced that Pepsi-Cola General Bottlers agreed to sponsor the neighborhood awards dinner for three consecutive years, along with a financial commitment of $100,000.

Pictured from left to right: Council President Lu Bailey, Olivia Hernandez and Rosa Perea from Centro Communitario Juan Diego, and Council Board Chair Matthew Smith.

“Pepsi’s three-year commitment to sponsor the neighborhood awards dinner illustrates their dedication to enrich the lives of those who work as partners for a better Chicago,” said Bailey.

Miguel Gonzalez, a member of Youth Struggling For Survival, reads a poem he wrote about the struggles of today’s youth.

General Bottlers, the nation’s largest Pepsi franchise bottler, also has a strong economic presence in Chicago. The company operates a manufacturing plant and distribution plant on Chicago’s South Side.

May Campbell (holding plaque), InterChurch Executive Director, and her staff proudly display their Award for Promoting Opportunities for Immigrants.

Last year, the Council and Pepsi presented the neighborhood award to InterChurch Refugee & Immigration Ministries and the Southwest Youth Collaborative. InterChurch, located at 4753 N. Broadway, sponsors refugees so they can move from their native land to Chicago. The organization secures housing, offers classes in English as a Second Language, and finds them jobs.

Youth and adult members of the Southwest Youth Collaborative were enthusiastic about receiving the award for juvenile justice.

The Southwest Youth Collaborative, based at 6400 S. Kedzie on Chicago’s Southwest Side, oversees operation of both the Community Justice Initiative and the Alternative Justice Project, whose goal is to divert teenagers who commit nonviolent crimes and have minimal criminal records away from the juvenile justice system.

Both groups were awarded with a plaque, a videotape highlighting their accomplishments, and a cash grant of $1,000 courtesy of Pepsi-Cola General Bottlers.

Pepsi Executives and Council Directors. Pictured from left to right (back) Chuck Connolly, Craig Gilmore, and Victor Crawford; (front) Matthew Smith, Rita Butler, Charles Goetze, and Brian Cook.

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