The first week of Mental Health Awareness Month kicked off to a great start with a Mental Health Kit giveaway! We visited Proviso West High School during lunch hours to connect with youth and provide them a mental health resource. For this event, we gave away 50 mental health kits which puts us at a total of 2,922 kits given away since 2022. Thank you to PWHS for having us!
Yesterday our youth committee, focusing on black and brown solidarity, took a field trip to Urban Belly dining experience to learn more about cultural foods and practices. Chef Craig and Chef Bill first walked the youth through why cultural dining is important to experience and how we should be respectful of other’s foods. Urban Belly’s menu is Puerto Rican and Korean-inspired dishes. This includes mango boba, dumplings, matcha, and ice cream sandwiches. The youth were able to try other drinks, desserts, appetizers, and main courses.
Thank you SO MUCH to Ignited Minds who sponsored this event and allowed the youth to experience this amazing restaurant. Also, thank you to Chef Bill who personally gifted one of our youth, aspiring chef, a cook book!
The youth committee will take this information and apply it to our Black and Brown Solidarity Convening on June 5th, 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM to highlight cultural experiences.
We are so excited to have handed out Mental Health Kits at Proviso East’s health fair last week! Overall, we gave away 321 kits at this Health Fair. Additionally, it was great to see our community partners and meet new ones! This event is impactful for students and community organizations as well. Thank you to Loyola’s School-Based Health Center for inviting us!
We are so excited to announce our second annual Black and Brown Solidarity Art Convening with the help of Healing Illinois. This event is completely planned and executed by local youth.
So far, we are finishing the planning phase and getting into the execution phase. The youth committee started by participating in healing circles. These were co-led by Liz and Benjamin who are both trained as circle facilitators. This was to introduce the youth to restorative justice but also to build trust with one another, especially because they will be holding each other accountable during this process. After, the youth picked a topic for what this convening would be focused on. This year, it’s Creative Experiences within Proviso!
The Convening will be held on June 5th, 2025 from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM. The youth are looking for creatives to submit their art to be featured at the convening. Please see the link below to submit your piece on your own cultural experiences or cultural experiences within Proviso.
