The Chicago Project

“What are some approaches to helping people and communities in inner-cities move from poverty to prosperity?”

Arriving in North Lawndale

We arrived in North Lawndale Tuesday night in late April.  The “inner-city” image was coming into focus for most of us, and that picture was quite different from the snapshot our upbringing had provided.  We did not see many prostitutes, gangs, or much graffiti. Rather, it was an area of abandoned buildings, vacant lots, trash-littered streets interrupted with storefront churches, relief organizations, and people busy with activity.

Breaking Ground and Connie Milton

Breaking Ground is a mission-driven not for profit organization building strong inner city communities through self-sustaining entrepreneurial programs and services.  We stayed at their facility in a couple of classrooms they made available to us.  Our first morning we met with Connie Milton, program participant and now leader.  He shared his story of being a “dope fiend” for over twenty years.  He was either homeless or incarcerated for a significant portion of that time.  He was both inspirational and educational concerning the lifelong consequences of drug abuse and the choices we make. He gave us many unforgettable quotes including, “there is no right way to do wrong,”  “I was entertaining a killer,” (referring to drugs), “forever is too long to be wrong.”

“Its nice to know that it is possible to get off drugs and get your life on the right track because one of my good friends is into drugs and after listening to you it gives me hope for her and for me to keep trying to help her.”

                                                Michelle Easterling, 2008