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The phrase it takes a village to raise a child is used frequently. Communities can mold a child and lead them down one of two paths; either success or destruction. Community Centers, like the new Pullman Center, are the driving force of that adage today.
The Pullman neighborhood is 12 miles away from the bustling streets of downtown Chicago. The owner of the Pullman Palace Car Company, created the community more than one hundred years ago to assist the workers of the railroad car factory. Chicago Sun-Times explains the community is now a historical district with National Monuments.
One history-making contribution is the Pullman Community Center, a $20 million project stretching over twelve acres of previously vacant land. Chicago CBS News affiliate mentions the center, which opened on Nov. 8, 2018, is “the largest indoor sports complex in the Chicago area.”
The center will help the economic standing of the neighborhood, by bringing both full and part-time jobs to the community. It offers programs for youth that are sponsored by the Chicago Park District and the Roseland Youth Center. Plans include space for mentoring, tutoring and computer-based learning.
The facility will contribute to raising active, intelligent youth who are ready to make a difference in their community. Many people understand that passion breeds dedication and nurturing the drive to be great, right in one’s own neighborhood, can inspire the dedication to take others along the same journey that shaped them.
Inside this community center, there are various options for the youth to explore. The multi-sport complex is equipped with three full-sized athletic fields and basketball courts. The year-round climate-controlled facility will house spaces for gatherings as well.
A single mother from the Pullman neighborhood may use public transportation to get her around. As her children grow in the neighborhood she will have an outlet to give back and activities for her growing children to participate in right in her backyard.
This community center is a great addition to the growth of the community. One bus ride away provides full access to 135,00 square feet of indoor sports, educational and community programs for people of all ages. It is conveniently located near a Chicago Transit Authority bus terminal, the Bishop Ford Freeway, and Olive Harvey College.
People in the neighborhood, contribute to the growth of the youth. Generations have said the community helps raise a child because they are there to help encourage, motivate, and guide the youngsters to succeed. The neighborhood in which a child grows up can either shed light on drugs, gangs, or sports, knowledge, and power. The community can work together to raise Generation Z to be successful individuals who give back to their community. It starts in the backyard.
When adults give back to the community, the children will follow. Pullman residents encourage all of their neighbors to join the movement toward a better future for the young people.
Written by Monet’ Goode
Edited by Cathy Milne-Ware
Sources:
Chicago Sun-Times: The Grid: Exploring the Pullman Neighborhood
CBS News Chicago 12: Massive New Indoor Sports Complex Opening In Pullman
Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives: Pullman Community Center
Block Club Chicago: $20 Million ‘Game Changer’ Pullman Community Center Set To Open Thursday
Featured and Top Images Courtesy of Christopher Dilts’ Flickr Page – Creative Commons License