Bright Star Community Outreach Corporation

The organization participates in chicago public schools' (cps) safe passage program which is designed to provide safe routes for students to increase attendance, decrease violent incidents involving cps students, and increase student perception of safety while traveling to and from school. During the fiscal year ending 6/30/2022, our safe passage program covered 8 schools, employed 34 Community residents, and touched the lives of nearly 2000 students.

This program is a groundbreaking initiative to advance health and racial equity. It deploys hyper-local strategies to confront the social and environmental factors that contribute to heath and racial inequity. The goal is to close chicago's racial life expectancy gap. Bsco was selected as one of many community-based organizations to implement strategies that address the root cause of health inequities. During the funding period bsco and its collaborative partners have brought free vaccines to our Community achieving over 15 thousand vaccinations, disseminated information that educated our residents while sharing facts and breaking down stigmas about the virus, variants, and vaccines. At the same time, we created a safe space for residents to participate in peer support groups. These groups became a long-awaited beacon of light where residents found hope and created a sense of Community as they voiced their challenges, difficulties, and mental health frustration during and post covid 19. Our Outreach team/community health workers brave the streets of the greater bronzeville Community daily, gathering data through surveys (over 1,300 collected), ensuring the voice of our Community is reflected while producing new health focused programming.

Trauma services is comprised of a trauma helpline, caring and resilient environment rooms (c.a.r.e.) And Community ambassadors and advocates. The helpline is a toll-free number that interacts with clients who are currently in crisis or have been affected by trauma and/or violence. The helpline utilizes trained faith and Community leaders as paraprofessionals who set up regular calls to walk callers from brokenness to wholeness. There is no length of time for services and no cost to participants. This year the helpline received 678 calls for a total of 1,181.3 hours of engagement with direct participants the ambassador component of the program works in concert with the helpline to help make the greater bronzeville Community and beyond better informed about trauma. This is accomplished by conducting seminars and training that vary from days to weeks depending on the needs of the client. The ambassadors have successfully engaged 11,630 individuals this fiscal year. The c.a.r.e. Program concentrates on addressing triggers and symptoms of trauma. Our advocates are trained trauma informed mental health workers. Each advocate is qualified to be sensitive to all issues related to trauma. The intention of the c.a.r.e. Room and the advocates are to be a symbol of hope for healing and attainment of positive social, emotional learning and mental health. 1,256 students were serviced by this program during the fiscal year.

The goal of the greater bronzeville neighborhood network (gbnn) is to collaborate with other Community organizations within bronzeville to enhance the lives of bronzeville residents. During the fiscal year, bsco collaborated with 32 Community organizations and conducted 35 training and workforce development activities. The goal was to provide 5,000 greater bronzeville residents with jobs that sustain a household by 2027. Currently this initiative has placed nearly 4,500 residents. Gbnn will transition from strictly a workforce focus to a broader focus in the upcoming year. Other programs other programs conducted during the fiscal year included family advocacy, Community action plan, corridor ambassador, re-imagine public safety, choose to change, one summer chicago, safe haven and parent university. All are designed to support the Community.