Hundreds volunteered to repaint and landscape the Allison United Foundation for Better Living (AUFBL) facilities at 4540 W. Washington Blvd. in Chicago on Wednesday, August 12, 2015.
The mission of the Allison United Foundation for Better Living is to serve individuals in the communities of the West Side of Chicago including Austin and Garfield Park. For example, they are the meeting place of the West Garfield Park Community Stakeholders, a nonprofit dedicated to reducing violence and substance abuse on Chicago’s west side. Clients of the AUFBL include ex-offenders, joblessness, Adult New Readers, and GED.
History of the the Allison United Foundation for Better Living:
The Allison United Foundation for Better Living has over fifteen years experience in addressing the needs of the residents on Chicago’s West Side. The Allison United Foundation for Better Living began as an initiative of the Late Bishop Bennie Allison to provide scholarships to college for in-school youth. Subsequently as manufactures shut down local and city-wide plants, and entry-level positions in other major facilities were eliminated, the community’s unemployment rate escalated at a rapid pace. With the realization that not only was the high unemployment rate being caused by job loss, but a rise in “employment barriers” the AUFBL stepped up to address this challenge, using education, job training and placement as tools to do so.
During its first year of operation,(1993) with initial funding and training from World Vision International Relief and Development Organization, the Allison Foundation served approximately 100 individuals and placed 65 participants into full-time employment. In 1995,a grant from the Secretary of State provided funding to implement a literacy program. Each year the adult literacy program has served over 50 new adult readers and has provided 35 volunteers to assist the adult new readers.
