Three teenagers were shot in Albany Park in the last 10 days. While the state slashes funding for various programs, including youth services, the local community is left to pick up the pieces. Our Lady of Mercy Church, The Albany Park Neighborhood Council and a life-long resident Eric Criniere are leading the pack.
Eric Criniere used to own the local skateboard shop Armory Chicago with his friend Rico Sepaden, and his store quickly became the default hang-out for the local youth. As the crowd of children grew, Criniere and Sepaden began teaching the local youth the art of DJing, skateboarding, graffiti art and breakdancing- the essential skills of a “b- boy”. Merchandise was pushed to the side, and classes spilled out onto the street and even to outside of Criniere’s home. As the throng of children grew larger, it hit Criniere that his neighborhood was missing a functioning community center. As time went on, Criniere found himself disenchanted with “the mission of selling things” and he began to hate that he was “chasing a profit margin”. When Rico Sepaden decided to move back to California, Criniere closed down his shop in order to concentrate full time on creating his own non-profit community center “A Champion’s Mind”. Criniere says “champions aren’t born, champions are built”, and it’s his mission to provide discipline through the arts.
So far, the going has been tough.Criniere tried volunteering at the local community centers but was rejected flat out. He suspects it may have something to do with his appearance (b-boy style), and relates a similar story when he tried going there as a kid:
Read More:
- News
- Albany Park
- Albany Park Community Center
- Albany Park Neighborhood Council
- Armory Chicago
- California
- California,United States
- Coordinator
- Eric Criniere
- food
- Juan Cruz
- Mercy Church
- Mercy Church
- Michelle Fleming
- mural artist
- paint
- Rico Sepaden
- skateboarding
- Town Hall
- USD
- Youth Development Coordinator
- youth services
- Neighborhoods
- Albany Park Community Center
- Albany Park Neighborhood Council
- budget cuts
- gang violence
- Our Lady of Mercy
- youth programs
FruzsE
I'm an immigrant, lazy citizen activist, and freelance writer/blogger. I also write for Trueslant. Check it out! http://trueslant.com/fruzsinaeordogh/ More
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Thanks for covering this story.
First of all, three teens were not killed in the last 10 days. That they were shot is outrageous enough. APNC's youth leadership development project is doing more than awareness- and fund-raising: interview them about the VOYCE program and the video they filmed with youth re solutions to decrease the dropout rate and the mentoring they're working on with Roosevelt youth.
Thanks for covering this story.
First of all, three teens were not killed in the last 10 days. That they were shot is outrageous enough. APNC's youth leadership development project is doing more than awareness- and fund-raising: interview them about the VOYCE program and the video they filmed with youth re solutions to decrease the dropout rate and the mentoring they're working on with Roosevelt youth.
Thanks for the proof read. Fixed!
As for APNC programs, I was going by what Juan Cruz (the youth coordinator) told me. I will ask him about VOYCE though-
If you're going to include VOYCE (research done by the students) as an after school program for teens, then that still makes only one after school program in this neighborhood. And from what I understand, VOYCE is a 3-year initiative that ends next year- it's not a permanent addition to the neighborhood.