Inspirations

Esther Schoenfeld

Things that inspired me during Week 1:

a.   Team Woodlawn’s enthusiasm and creative energy. Not only do we get along perfectly, but we know how to put minds together to come up with a great product. This became apparent during our brainstorming session for our service project; Sierra suggested an incredible idea (which I think we should keep secret for now!) and the rest of us started jumping in with new things to add.

b.   The idea of community assets. In Team Woodlawn’s schedule, we included large blocks of time for “community exploration.” Initially, I was worried that we would run out of things to do. I could not have been more wrong. In just two mornings spent in Woodlawn, we have already done the following: explored the Woodlawn Charter School and its garden, found a youth center filled to the brim with kids playing basketball and watching movies, been on a tour of the enormous Apostolic Church of God (and its swimming pool, tennis courts, and television studio, among other resources!), been to the South Side YMCA and had our blood pressure taken, and toured the Woodlawn Fire Department. What most struck me was how friendly and eager to help everyone was. We would just show up, and people opened their doors with a smile, listened to what we had to say, showed us around, and really talked to us.­ Olivia later told me that she, a Woodlawn resident, was surprised by all that Woodlawn had to offer!

c.   The work that citizens on the South Side are doing right now to improve their communities. On Tuesday, we went to an Expanded Anti-Violence Initiative (or EAVI) meeting for the police district that includes Woodlawn. EAVI meetings include both police officers and community members (some there as concerned citizens, some acting in an official capacity), and the program stresses the necessity of mutual cooperation between the two groups to fight crime.

The high school students were bored out of their minds by this event, and I can understand why; the issues discussed (muggings, gang activity, loitering) are nothing new to them. What interested me, however, were not just the issues themselves, but the whole idea of community meetings and the types of people that attend them. I have never considered going to one in either my neighborhood in Brooklyn or in Hyde Park. As I sat through the meeting, I wondered: Who is my own community? How can I most effectively give back to it?

d.   The power of wisdom and experience. Team Woodlawn met with Joyce and Rudy Nimocks, a couple which has lived in Woodlawn for 60 years. They are both friends with the Obamas (the high school students’ eyes widened at this point in the conversation). And they are both devoted to the Woodlawn community.

Here are some links about them and the work they have done:

http://www.uchicago.edu/features/20090727_nimocks/

http://chicagoweekly.net/2010/05/26/the-promised-land/

http://chicagomaroon.com/2009/06/02/leaving-the-force/

http://chronicle.uchicago.edu/090528/nimocks.shtml

Despite their accomplishments, they were humble and kind. They asked the high school students what they wanted to do for a living, and complimented Aliyah’s beautiful artwork (which was hanging on the wall of the coffee shop we were in!) Their friendliness, energy, and caring about young people reminded me of my own grandparents. Rudy beamed when I told him this.

Green City Market

Green City Market found us learning much about community gardening and tasting fresh, organic fruits and vegetables. I found the lemon sorrel to be amazing with its surprising lemony taste since I never thought an herb could pack so much zest into one leaf. What I found most compelling on our short tour of Lincoln Park's Edible Garden was both the ease and difficulty of gardening. I fell in love with lemon sorrel instantly when I bit into it and just had to ask how I can grow some at home. The process, as with most herbs, wasn't too difficult. A small plot of land will do just fine. These instructions from Harvest to Table give a great overview on how to grow sorrel in your own garden but simply you plant the seeds about 2-3 inches apart, keep them evenly moist and wait about 60 days until you can use your sorrel in salads, as garnishes or even as a small, tasty snack. It's not a demanding herb; it only needs a little bit of love and attention to grow. Hopefully I'll be able to plant my own somewhere in my apartment complex's backyard. Though I love sorrel and could buy it at the store, I'd much rather grow my very own for a) the organic and fresh aspects and b) just the fun experience of home gardening.

Herbs are easy enough to grow at home but other produce requires much more time, patience, equipment, knowledge, hard work, the list goes on and on. Edible Garden grows many different types of produce but much of it is due to the resources they have on site. They have an irrigation system, on a timer, that waters the produce at the optimal time of day for water absorption. They have a three-stage compost heap in order to give the best possible nutrients to their produce. Probably their biggest resource is their staff, with years of home gardening experience and time to volunteer to tend to the garden and teach the community about local produce. This may be a consequence of Lincoln Park's neighborhood socioeconomic status. Having been working in the South Chicago neighborhood, I've been fortunate to understand the community from various perspectives and know full well that the neighborhood can start a community garden much like Lincoln Park's, with minor financial help I would say for start-up costs. My team and I stumbled across a community garden adjacent to South Chicago Neighborhood House, indicating that residents of the South Chicago neighborhood know how to grow produce and have the time to do it. What I didn't see at the community garden, however, was some sort of community education program or equipment similar to the types present further north in the city. An interesting project could be to implement a community education garden in the South Chicago neighborhood that brings the community education. After all, who wouldn't want to try some sorrel? What kids wouldn't want to get their hands dirty while simultaneously getting dirty? An aesthetically, who wouldn't want a great looking, colorful, good-sized garden right in the middle of their neighborhood? I know I do!

Robust Coffee Lounge

Tom Couri

Across the street from a Woodlawn health clinic and adjacent to a vacant lot which houses protest movement against this health clinic for the shuttering of its mental health services sits Robust Coffee Lounge. Established in 2009 at 63^rd and Woodlawn Avenue, Robust is a coffee shop with all of the characteristics that make a coffee shop successful: unique ambience (an industrial feel with exposed ceilings and old license plates and street signs on the walls), comfortable furniture, and good hot coffee. Every time I’ve been to Robust a steady stream of customers have filtered in and out, to drink, eat, lounge, and loiter. What I love to do at Robust, though, is meet. From meeting with my SSP team to discuss next week’s planning to sitting with prominent community members discussing the history and future of Woodlawn, Robust is the perfect local establishment for meetings. Not because of its delicious food or drink or any of the reasons I outlined above, really. For me, meeting at Robust means supporting a unique business in Woodlawn, a shop that will hopefully serve as a template for other businesses in the Woodlawn community. Joyce and Rudy Nimocks, longtime Woodlawn residents and activists, told our team of the various businesses that used to line the streets of Woodlawn before the 1960s riots, of the lack of vacant lots and of a community teeming with 80,000 residents in its heyday. Sitting and meeting in Robust, talking about Woodlawn—its past, present, and future—makes me optimistic about the neighborhood’s resurgence. I hope Robust has their rent locked in. 

The Nimocks

Aliyah Singleton

The first week of Summer Service Partnership has been a fun and enlightening experience. Exploring Woodlawn has opened my eyes to the many different assets the community has to offer. On Wednesday, going to the Green City Market was very fun and new to me. I enjoyed learning about new foods that are healthy and fun because usually I'm accustomed to boring healthy foods that don't taste as good. My favorites were sugar snap peas, fresh strawberries, raspberries, and whole wheat bread with a garlic cheese spread. It shocked me that I would like the sugar snap peas because I have always hated the taste of the normal frozen ones. On Thursday, we met two of the oldest residents of Woodlawn, Rudy and Joyce Nimocks. The Nimocks have lived in Woodlawn for 60 years, are in their 80s, and are the most inspiring and community involved people I have ever met. I loved their enthusiasm and positivity about rebuilding and restoring health and education in the community because they made me want to make a serious change too. Joyce and Rudy told us how in the 1950s Woodlawn was highly populated and a desirable place to live in because of safety and education. It was surprising for me to learn this because I only knew of the unfortunate, poor characteristics of the community. Although Woodlawn is worse now than it was in the 50s, it was encouraging to hear about how the Nimocks are already working on making Woodlawn as good as it used to be. They have lots of projects and programs they're working on and I would love to be involved with them to help in increasing health awareness, education, safety, and housing in the community.

South Chicago Neighborhood House

Elise Madrid

Last week Team South Chicago met with Rich Melendrez who runs the South Chicago Neighborhood House. We caught him on an off week while he was preparing the building for the following week's summer program. As we walked in I was surprised by all the space. Not only was there a basketball court inside for exercise and different activities there was also a game room and two kitchens. From the outside I would never have guessed how large the facilities were and all the activities that were occurring in it. Rich mentioned that the basketball court not only serves as a place to play basketball but a dance room, a conference room, and a general location for them to hold activities, and the kitchen’s were not only a place to prepare snacks but a location to teach nutrition classes. Perhaps most exciting was hearing from Rich that the center is run completely by volunteers who then are able to find jobs after working with the Neighborhood House. Not only is the center helping the kids in the neighborhood providing a safe space for them to learn and have fun outside of school, but it is also helping adults find work in a difficult job market. I can not wait to go back and see the Neighborhood House in action.

Gary Comer Youth Center

Benjamin Trnka

When identifying assets within a community, it’s difficult to ignore Gary Comer Youth Center & College Prep (GCYC & GCCP) within the neighborhood of Greater Grand Crossing (GGC). The polychromatic walls of this money-infused complex contrast with the beige boards that plaster so many vacant lots in the area. This surrounding area, known affectionately as ‘Pocket Town’ (for its gang affiliation) is isolated from the rest of the Greater Grand Crossing due to its physical location, and more recently because of the creation of GCYC and GCCP. As we interviewed local community members with the aid and added commentary of Sam Binion – ‘Mayor of Pocket Town,’ respected community member and friend of the late Gary Comer – we realized that the center was becoming isolated within the pocket itself.

“They built it for the community, but now I’m not so sure,” stated a concerned senior citizen in the local neighborhood, a thought echoed by many other residents. Evidently, when the late Comer passed away, the center became less for the community members and more for business. With rising summer camp costs, alleged favoritism and exclusivity, some have gone so far as to say that the late Comer would fire all of the current administration were he still alive.

For a center with a 24 hour health center, reasonably priced farmers market, and full exercise facilities, you begin to wonder why the neighbors travel as so far as downtown to see a doctor, resort to buying fast food and can’t find facilities for recreation. At this point, there is no clear fault to be blamed, but some gap in communication and accessibility must be bridged in order for the community members to reap the benefits of such an asset.      

Pocket Town

Marissa Smith

The first week of SSP was very informative. On the first day I was able to understand the mission of the program: to go out into the neighborhood and make change for the better, help the neighborhood become more sustainable then what it is. The rest of the week was really for my group and I to get a better understanding of Greater Grand Crossing A.K.A Pocket Town. Greater Grand Crossing is know as Pocket Town because in a certain area there is only one way in and one way out which resembles a pocket.

Yes! that does seem a little bit boring but it wasn't. On Wednesday we all went to the farmers market, and even though I thought it was going to be boring it was actually pretty fun. We were able to talk to a gardener and learn what she grows. What was very interesting to me was that I didn't know many people never tasted or heard of mustard greens. I was able to get a better feel of what is really new to people. 

On Thursday, my group took a tour with Sam of the Pocket to get a better feel of the neighborhood. Sam is like the mayor of Pocket Town, everyone comes to him for help and he always finds a way to get it done. He is the communities voice. Even though I am over here for the school year, I never knew the stories behind the neighborhood. As we were walking around, we were able to talk to many of the residents of the neighborhood. As we talked to them I was able to understand the bitter-sweet relationship between Gary Comer and the community. It’s sweet because many people believed it gave many kids and opportunity to become more active. Its bitter, because many people believe that the mission of the Youth Center has changed. At first the center was built for the community and accepted many people, but now the center is money hungry. They are money  hungry because the summer camp should have a  reasonable rice ($55) since many of the families don't have a lot of money. Instead they have have ridiculous prices that many people cannot pay ($220). 

The community feels as if Gary Comer is taking over and lost  the reason why the center  is founded. If I can figure out a way to bridge the gap between  the Center and the community, that would be my project for the summer. I want the communities voice to be heard, and to create a sustainable relationship between the two.

Preventative Medicine

David Goese

"Preventative medicine" is the health field dedicated to reducing the incidence of disease for our patients. There are more people now than ever who are obese, have heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and other chronic, preventable health conditions. In other words, preventative medicine isn't working. It is one of my life goals to join the many, many smart and talented people who together are on a quest to make prevention effective. When viewed through a social entrepreneurial mindset, solving problems of health requires a deep understanding of the role of social determinants of health in terms of the health processes they encourage or discourage. One of the primary goals in a social entrepreneurial venture would be to understand the target market and the problem, including their nuances, well. Social justice would place the venture in a place that experiences health problems the worst. In the last week, SSP has convinced me of the importance of knowing one's community well in terms of the quest for developing positive, active preventative health.

The modern field of medicine is highly specialized. Those who do not specialize practice as primary care physicians, but even these nonspecialists still tend to have certain areas in which they are more proficient. My thought now is that there is not enough medical emphasis on prevention in terms of resources spent. Why is it that we don't do preventative medicine well? Part of it--as noted through my experiences in SSP this past week--is that we as medical schools and doctors do not truly get to know our patients well.

I realized this after talking with community members earlier this week. On a walking tour with Mr. Sam Binion, a figure of public trust, a community activist, and a friend of the neighborhood, we heard from community members what some of their own problems were. A few things made this special. The neighborhood people, as an extension of trust toward Mr. Binion, opened up to us. This doesn't often happen as powerfully as it did for us on Thursday. We connected relatively well granted the short time scale and scope of contact with the community (note: I don't know if that's for sure how it was interpreted by the community members, but that's how I felt). What I found fascinating was that much--perhaps almost all--of the information I deemed "important to health" came from conversations outside what is normally considered part of normal conversation of doctors.  I could see that spending more time with community members, one would be able to understand how to most effectively recommend to them how to stay healthy.

What we learn about in academia is informed by research. This is extremely important. However, in the context of community health, health care disparities, and preventative medicine, what we know and what we learn from research is fatally incomplete. For those doctors being trained in preventative health and community health, there should be an opportunity in the training period for a semi-structured learning experience outside the university, and outside of academia, out in the community, and outside of being in the doctor's office. I'd argue that the more background, the better in terms of thinking of preventative medicine solutions.

We have the opportunity for more conversations with community members in the SSP program. This is the first true week of the summer, and we have grazed the surface of some community health issues, and it has been transformational. I am unbelievably excited to delve deeper and learn about how we can encourage people in the Greater Grand Crossing community to live at peak health and avoid disease. 

Calumet Fisheries

Dr. Kohar Jones

All neighborhoods have their gems.

On Wednesday, we celebrated one of the economic (and gustatory!) assets of South Chicago, with lunch at the Calumet Fisheries.

SSP leadership team: the College and Med school students

Calumet Fisheries is a seafood joint in a shack on the banks of the Calumet River.  It is next to the 95^th Street drawbridge made famous for being jumped in the movie The Blues Brothers.  No seats, no bathrooms, just fresh fish served up by the same family who founded the restaurant in 1948.  Sid Kotlick and Len Toll had the dream of serving the “tastiest, freshest fish on the South Side.” The restaurant is famous today for its naturally smoked fish.  It won a 2010 James Beard Award (the Oscars of Restaurants) for American Classic.  In 2012 it is on the list of Top 100 US Cheap Eats on the Opinionated About Dining blog.

Salmon, trout, chubs, cat fish and shrimp (imported from far and wide) are smoked in a woodshed behind the restaurant.  Calumet Fisheries also serves fried fish, scallops and shrimp, which is also tasty, if not exactly “healthy” as we usually define healthy food.

Wise nutritional counselors would encourage us to eat fresh fruits and vegetables rather than fried fish, or food provision experts would advise preparing local foods at home to decrease the green footprint. But Calumet Fisheries supports a healthier community by providing a local restaurant that is recognized for its excellence, supporting the economy and positive self-identity of the community.  I love eating there, celebrating the health of the community.

3259 E. 95th Street
Chicago, IL 60617
773-933-9855
www.calumetfisheries.com

Sunday – Wednesday:
10:00 am – 9:45 PM
Thursday: 9:00 am – 9:30 PM
Friday and Saturday:
9:00 am – 9:45 PM
Open every day except New Year’s, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Tastes From the Farm

Dr. Kohar Jones


On Wednesday June 20, we traveled north to learn about where our food comes from, and how it gets to market.


Near the Green City Market we toured the Lincoln Park farm, which is staffed by volunteers from Chicago and abroad (our farm guide was from Australia!). We tasted herbs, berries, greens and broccoli grown right in the garden, and learned how asparagus grows. It turns out we eat the tender shoots before the nubs sprout into the greens that feed the plant for the summer, strengthening the plant and creating new shoots the following spring.

Snap peas are in full bloom over the summer. ©Marissa Smith

Fruit's expensive in the Green City Market this summer - 80 degree days in March tricked the plants into blooming early, then a freeze in April killed the apple blooms at the most critical time in their growth. The harvest is predicted to be down 90% this year. In fact, there won't be enough apples to press and so we won't have fresh apple cider to drink in the fall. 

Fortunately, crop insurance allots the farmers enough money to survive this year, and plant again next spring.
Thank goodness for insurance--for both crops and for health.



In the garden and market, Everyone tried something new.
A list of new flavors and favorite tastes:


Mariah--strawberries, tomato basil spread
Elise--lemon sorrel (and her favorite too!)
Danny--pickled garlic scapes, lemon sorrel
Chris--kohlrabi, lemon sorrel (perhaos we should establish an official plant for SSP 2012--the  lemon sorrel)
Diamond--feta, pretzel bread and cheddar
Tiara--maple syrup crepes, a new favorite
Marissa-- crepes upon crepes
Joanna--pickled garlic scapes, favorite lamb potato pie
Ben--mustard greens,  sunflower micro greens (and mushroom and balsamic vinegar spread)
David--kohlrabi, grilled portabello mushroom
Tom--sorrel, baguette from Bennigans
Sierra--crepe and rhubarb--rhubarb a new favorite
Rebecca--trying and loving the mushroom cheese
Esther--also tried the mushroom cheese, also was down with that (along with the rhubarb)
Olivia--tried whole wheat bread for the first time, and her favorite was strawberries
Aliyah--new taste of whole wheat bread, her favorite was the garlic spread
Wujun--also very smitten with the rhubarb pie 
Dr Jones--introduced to the spicy taste of mustard greens--grown by Marissa's grandmother in her backyard garden. Favorite was the lavender honey.

Many new tastes, and new favorites. 

Welcome

Dear visitor,

Welcome to SSP! We are a group of 19 high school, college, and medical students committed to social justice on the South side of Chicago. With this blog we hope to chronicle our nine-week adventure in experiential learning about health, broadly and holistically defined. As a space for our voices to be heard, we will use this blog to share our reflections, aspirations, and plans for creating service projects geared toward improving health on the South side.

 Each team will work closely to explore, map, and learn from the assets their neighborhood has to offer. Individually we are organized into three neighborhood teams. 

Woodlawn	South Chicago	Greater Grand Crossing	Program Support
Tom Couri	Chris Casteneda	Joanna Perdomo	Dr. Kohar Jones
Rebecca Harris	Elise Madrid	David Goese	Sujata Mehta
Esther Schoenfeld	Danny Rosa	Ben Trnka	Wujun Ke
Olivia Singleton	Octavia Griffin	Tiara Harvey
Aliyah Singleton	Carl Mangrum	Diamond Gregory
Sierra James	Mariah Ryce	Marissa Smith

Together we are SSP 2012. Here's to an amazing summer!! :) :) :)

With special thanks to the Urban Health Initiative, Pritzker School of Medicine, UCM Department of Family Medicine, the College at the University of Chicago and the Jeff Metcalf Fellows program for their generous and ongoing support.