CCLF YEAR IN REVIEW: TAKING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT TO THE NEXT LEVEL
2023 was a banner year for CCLF! When the books were closed, our numbers showed that it was our best year, ever! At the start of the year, we set high goals, and the hard work of our entire team allowed us to end the year with a total of 31 loans for over $42.6 […]
CCLF HONORED BY SHOREBANK ALUMNI WITH DONATION
Recently, CCLF was honored with a financial award from the ShoreBank Alumni Planning Committee after the 50th Anniversary Celebration of ShoreBank’s founding. In conjunction with ShoreBank’s donation, Faith-Walk Church International and Senior Pastor, Dwayne D. Brown, bestowed upon CCLF an additional contribution. According to ShoreBank Alumni Planning Committee member, Kim Jones, Vice President Director of […]
ASPIRE CENTER – REPURPOSING SPACES FOR A STRONGER COMMUNITY
In 2013, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) made the unprecedented decision to close 50 schools at once throughout the city in an effort to balance the budget. It was the largest mass closing of schools in one city in our nation’s history. No other city had ever attempted such an undertaking. This decision left 50 abandoned […]
PRO BONO WORK OF ATTORNEYS LEAD TO THRIVING COMMUNITIES
CCLF provides flexible and affordable financing for real estate transactions that benefit low- to moderate-income households throughout metropolitan Chicago. CCLF is able to keep interest rates low for borrowers because of its many social impact investors but also because of pro-bono attorneys. In 2022, pro-bono attorneys provided CCLF with $783,628 worth of free legal services. […]
SPUTNIK COFFEE: BREWING UP SOMETHING GOOD
According to a 2015 groundbreaking study conducted by Technomic for the National Coffee Association, 76% of American adults drank coffee either at home or at one of the one million foodservice venues in the United States. The study revealed that the coffee industry has a $225.2 billion economic impact in the U.S., generated $28 billion […]
SENATOR DICK DURBIN – ADVOCATE FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Senator Dick Durbin has served in government since 1983 and in the U.S. Senate since 1997. He is currently the Democratic Whip, which is the second highest office in the U.S. Senate. Issues of equity and fairness for all Americans have always been the focus of his public service. The largest city in Senator Durbin’s […]
EM BRANCH & ASSOCIATES, INC.: HELPING OTHERS TO COPE
Throughout our lives, we all are faced with challenges, some mental, some physical and some emotional. In fact, roughly 26% of adult Americans suffer from some form of diagnosable mental disorder each year. Understanding how common mental disorders are is important so that we can measure and understand their impact (i.e., physical, financial and social) […]
2023 CCLF STAKEHOLDERS MEETING: BACK TOGETHER AGAIN
After three years of virtual meetings, CCLF had its first in-person Annual Stakeholders meeting on Thursday, May 18, 2023, at the DePaul Center in downtown Chicago. Prior to the meeting, the 77 attendees were treated to a delectable breakfast enthusiastically networking after the long hiatus. Once the meeting was underway, Erik Hall, CCLF Board Chair, […]
RIMLAND GRAND OPENING: MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD OF AUTISM
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as “a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain.” This disorder can begin to show symptoms within the first 12 months of life. Some children may progress and develop new skills and reach developmental milestones at or about 18 – 24 […]
UNITED YARDS GROUNDBREAKING
Settled in the mid-nineteenth century, Chicago’s Back of the Yards neighborhood is a historic community known as the home of the Union Stockyards. Chicago’s concentration of railroads and ingenuity led to the large development of the meatpacking industry and those seeking job opportunities. The precarious and unsanitary working conditions, industry pollution, and low wages spurred […]
