Chicago City Wire

Mayor Brandon Johnson and the City of Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) have invited local leaders, stakeholders, and young people to the Harold Washington Library Center Winter Garden for a citywide meeting focused on youth development. The December My CHI. My Future. (MCMF) meeting aims to showcase efforts by Community Anchor Organizations in addressing the needs of youth across 15 regions in Chicago.

"My CHI. My Future. is more than just a program—it's a promise to our city's young people," stated Mayor Brandon Johnson. "By bringing together community leaders, stakeholders, and youth from across 15 regions, we are continuing our commitment to create meaningful opportunities for every child."

The initiative has seen an investment of $14.2 million through the American Rescue Plan Act as part of Mayor Johnson's Road to Recovery Plan. Since 2023, it has funded 15 delegate agencies as Community Anchors tasked with creating strategies that connect young people to out-of-school programs.

"Today’s meeting represents the culmination of nearly two years of work creating collaborative, data-driven strategies for addressing the needs of youth in 15 communities across Chicago," said Brandie Knazze, DFSS Commissioner.

Community Anchor Organizations have been active in hosting monthly meetings with local partners and creating community plans based on collected data to address gaps in youth programming.

"The MCMF Anchor Organizations initiative gave us the opportunity to bring together many great organizations who serve young people in Little Village," shared Jackie Covarrubias from Beyond the Ball.

Pauline Sylvain-Lewis from Phalanx Family Services added insights about their work: "Working with youth and community stakeholders to develop the Greater Roseland My CHI. My Future. plan has been a powerful experience."

The final MCMF citywide meeting for this year is scheduled for December 17 at Harold Washington Library Center Winter Garden from 4-6 pm. While public registration is closed, press members are welcome to attend.

For further information about services offered by DFSS, visit www.cityofchicago.org/fss.