Take Action in Englewood

41 percent of all families in Englewood live below the federal poverty line.

86 percent of young children in Englewood live at or below 185% of the poverty level.

And more than two-thirds of families in Englewood are headed by single women¹.

These facts drove Chicago Foundation for Women to act.

Chicago Foundation for Women, Teamwork Englewood and the Englewood Quality of Life Plan launched the Englewood Women’s Initiative (EWI) to increase opportunities and the economic security of women in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood.

Through the EWI, CFW is leading a coalition of eight agencies to work together to equip sixty women with the tools, skills and resources to put them on a path to good-paying jobs and long-term economic stability. This collaborative approach to economic security will address the full range of issues that impact women’s security, from job training to domestic violence. The Center for Urban Research and Learning at Loyola University will assist with monitoring and evaluation of the programs.

Economic security is about more than having the right skills or the right job. It’s about feeling safe, supported and empowered to navigate all of life’s challenges. Metropolitan Family Services will provide financial empowerment programs and legal aid, while Demoiselle 2 Femme will offer a range of services for young women, including workforce readiness coaching and mentorship, as well as leadership and personal development workshops and resources. Domestic violence, which often involves financial control and abuse, affects not only women’s physical but their economic security. Family Rescue will develop a unique approach to client services, referring clients to EWI job training programs, while also serving EWI participants who are victims of domestic violence.

Chicago Women in Trades and Jane Addams Resource Corporation will provide women with industry-specific skills training for careers in construction, manufacturing and other trades, while the Women’s Business Development Center and ACCION Chicago will offer resources for women entrepreneurs looking to start or strengthen their own business, with a specific focus on childcare.

CFW bringing together a coalition of agencies to take a broad and innovative approach to investing in women’s economic security. When we invest in women and girls as catalysts, we create strong communities for all. The Englewood Women’s Initiative is an investment not only in the future of individual women and their families, but in the future of an entire community, our city and our region.

¹Heartland Alliance