FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
The Graceland West Community Association is excited to announce the progress of its green space initiative, with the installation of planters at Rizal Community Center, located at 1332 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago. A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at 2 pm on Sunday, October 14, 2018. Funded by the Filipino American Council of Greater Chicago, it is a collaborative project with the FACC and the Boy Scout Troop 865 at St.Benedict Parish. It demonstrates community involvement and how urban gardens can help promote beauty, function, and health as well as stormwater management. It showcases many of the community benefits that result from native and nativar planting and green stormwater infrastructure development.
The planter project is part of the GWCA ECO Committee’s work to help demonstrate how green solutions can help urban pollinators thrive and can reduce neighborhood flooding, sewer system overflow, and stormwater runoff that pollutes the Chicago River – while enriching community life and expanding engagement opportunities for neighborhood residents. The Committee has been working since the 1980s to further the vision of urban habitat gardening and stormwater management across the neighborhood and its surrounding area. The FACC, owner of the Rizal Center and a member of the GWCA ECO Committee, has been working on the green space initiative since August 2017, beginning with research on the pollinators native to the region impacted by the loss of natural habitat, particularly the endangered Rusty Patched Bumble Bee, due to commercial and residential construction and development. The project team was assembled in June 2018. Marty Sandberg, AIA – Via Chicago Architects, designed the planter concept plan. The advisory group included stakeholders and Lisa Hish, local beekeeper and environmental advocate. The project planning team highlighted intergenerational participation and included Bennett Munds, Boy Scout Troop 865 candidate for the Eagle Scout Rank Merit Badge. The project construction team included members of Boy Scout Troop 865, including scout leaders Matt Dupree and Rob Munds, who is also a member of the GWCA ECO Committee. The project planting team included FACC’s Araceli Obien, Board corporate secretary; Ari Lehman, creative director; and Elaine Lehman, executive director. Planter design, construction, and initial planting were completed on time and on budget in October.
Attendees of the Ribbon Cutting will enjoy light refreshments and Filipino dishes. They can also learn more about GWCA’s environmental initiatives, including permeabe hardscape, green roof, and working with adjoining neighborhood associations on pollinator pathway and stormwater absorption, from the Chicago River to Lake Michigan and from Addison to Foster. Please note that this is an outdoor event and will take place rain or shine.
GWCA’s Council Member and ECO Committee Co-Chair Janice Horwich emphasized that her organization’s deep partnerships with community businesses, schools, and organizations like the Filipino American Council of Greater Chicago have been critical to shaping the projects to maximize community benefits. “Since the 1980s, our community outreach has involved education and awareness-building regarding stormwater absorption, air quality and pollinator pathways. Our mutual-benefits approach has enabled us to form many long-lasting, rewarding relationships in this community.”
“This project serves the broader community we live in and it will beautify the area, said Bennett Munds, project leader. “The project also brings together the community and organization and it will make the Rizal Center look nice. …15 scouts and adults [were] involved with the project. The project serves the environment because it will provide native plants … The plants will allow native insects that also play a critical role in maintaining our environment, to have a place to rest and pollinate in our community.”
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The idea to pursue an urban planter project began with the Filipino American Council of Greater Chicago’s goal to contribute to the urban pollinators’ well-being, with focus on the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee. Upon joining GWCA in 2017, the FACC, a property owner in the Graceland West neighborhood since 1974, also saw it as a way to contribute to the neighborhood’s efforts to improve stormwater management. The planter project also complements the FACC’s plans for a green roof. and a farmers market. “This endeavor reflects the vision our organization’s founders and leaders, with especial memory of former chair Dr. Rufino F. Crisostomo who espoused unity in diversity,” said FACC’s Board Chair Alfredo Barranco. Ari Lehman added, “Through mindful initiatives like this, we are working to build awareness of key environmental issues that affect not only the neighborhood but our world. This project has also set us on our way to being part of Budburst, a research project of the Chicago Botanic Garden.”
The working planter project will nurture the use of native and nativar plants and will offer volunteer opportunities to students who want to learn how to maintain an urban garden and to observe pollinators as part of Budburst. “The Filipino American Council of Greater Chicago is a proud member of Graceland West and we support GWCA’s initiatives. The planter project, as part of our community beautification and environmental advocacy project, exemplifies community benefit, inclusivity, and engagement. As equally important, it showcases our Rizal Community Center as a welcoming place in Chicago and in helping to create a more beautiful and sustainable future for our community. We are excited to watch the project as it grows and delivers benefits to our community. We hope it serves as a model for similar neighborhood initiatives throughout the city,” said Elaine Lehman.
The planter project was initially funded by the Filipino American Council of Greater Chicago. Plans are underway for future fund and resource development to expand plants, green initiatives, and community environmental education at its Rizal Community Center.
Established in 1953, the Filipino American Council of Greater Chicago, a 501c3 nonprofit organization, is one of the oldest Filipino American organizations in the nation. Its mission is to build community through arts, culture, civic engagement, community education, and services. The FACC endeavors to promote appreciation and understanding of Philippine and Philippine American culture, and dialogue and celebration of its intersection with diverse ethnicities and cultures. Programs include Tagalog language classes; fighting hunger and food insecurity for low-income seniors and veterans; caregiver classes; immigration and environmental advocacy. For more information about the FACC’s projects and how you can be part of it, contact them at facc.rizalcenter@gmail.com .
The Graceland West Community Association is a non – profit 501c3 corporation. GWCA was established in 1979 and has continuously represented the neighborhood. Leadership includes nine Council Members who serve staggered 18-month elected terms. They are supported by Block Rep volunteers. Three GWCA council members are elected for terms beginning in July and January each year. GWCA’s charted purposes are to: Encourage a sense of community and develop a neighborhood spirit; provide an open forum to discuss community matters and their resolution; provide a united effort in the securing of city and neighborhood services; develop and preserve an appreciation for the historical significance of the area; encourage preservation, restoration, and beautification of the neighborhood; promote an appreciation of the cultural diversity of the neighborhood; and establish a means to provide for the welfare of the community.
For membership information, visit our website https://gracelandwest.org/membership/.
The GWCA ECO Committee’s membership includes Lakeview High School, Warner Park and Gardens, and the FACC’s Rizal Community Center. Established in 2015, the Committee seeks to promote urban environmental best practices and collaborative green solutions in the neighborhood, through educational meetings and demonstrations. For more information, contact Co-Chairs Janice Horwich or Joanne Yonan at info@gracelandwest.org.