The Commission also offers other ways to be involved on a regular or occasional basis.
Lakeview Action Coalition (LAC)
LAC is a coalition of more than 40 churches, synagogues, social service agencies, hospitals, and financial institutions, and Saint Clement is a member. LAC works on local issues based on relationship-building within institutions, among institutions, and with community leaders.
Past successes include bringing Deborah’s Place to the unused convent at Saint Alphonsus; the renewal of Section 8 contracts at Rienzi Plaza, saving rental units for seniors and others; the creation of a night-time bike patrol by the Chicago Police Department to reduce area hate crimes; and obtaining commitments to affordable housing from Aldermen Tom Tunney and Vi Daley. Currently, LAC task forces are working on affordable housing, affordable healthcare, and the relationship between police and homeless youth.
Parishioners can become involved by joining a task force, attending bi monthly Community Council meetings, or working within Saint Clement to identify social justice issues that affect our community and the broader Lakeview and Lincoln Park communities.
For more information on LAC, please visit
www.lakeviewaction.org, or contact
Allen Wesolowski at 312-422-1802.
Lincoln Park Community Shelter
The Shelter provides both transitional housing for homeless people on an extended basis and neighborhood outreach to daily visitors. It is supported entirely by volunteers, mostly parishioners from Saint Clement, St. Pauls United Church of Christ, and Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church.
Volunteers are needed to do everything from making sack lunches (40 at a time), providing dinner for up to 40 guests every night of the year, and staying overnight to coordinate late arrivals and supervise morning departures. Volunteers can also offer their special skills (nursing, dentistry, accounting, counseling, and so on) to the Shelter's guests on-site, or work on the public relations, fundraising, and event planning committees.
Time commitments can range from two or three hours every other month to several hours a week, if desired. The Shelter's wonderful staff is fun to work with and inspiring to all because of their remarkable dedication to helping those in need.
For more information, contact Shelter Volunteer Coordinator
Debbie Todd at 773-549-6111; or
Mary Cele Doyle at 773-281-0371.
Sharing Parish
Saint Clement and Our Lady of Mercy in Albany Park are sharing parishes.
Representatives of both parishes meet regularly in activities that nurture faith, build parish and community life, and further mutual understanding. Saint Clement supports Our Lady of Mercy, a largely Hispanic and Filipino congregation, financially through the Clement Commits program.
Saint Clement parishioners who are attorneys staff legal aid clinics, offering advice and handling cases for OLM parishioners. All Saint Clement parishioners participate in sharing activities and programs, such as the annual school supply drive for Our Lady of Mercy's religious education program.
If you would like to help with the legal clinic, please e-mail
Sarah Flosi or call her at 773 525 4954.
To be involved in other collaborations with our sharing parish, contact
Luz Dyer at 312-932-0253.
El Salvador Sister Parish
Saint Clement's sister parish, Iglesia 22 de Abril, is located in an impoverished area on the outskirts of San Salvador.
Parishioners have visited the Salvadoran parishioners regularly since the mid-1980s, staying as guests in their homes, providing educational, financial, and technical assistance, and welcoming the Salvadorans as our guests in Chicago.
For more information, contact
Monique Fouant at 773-769-0462.
Social Justice Grants
Over six years ago, when we were deciding what projects would be funded with our Millennium Campaign proceeds, it was decided that a portion of that money should go to the less fortunate among us. $250,000 of the goal of $5,000,000 would be set aside for grants to make a difference in people's life. This became our
Anchored in Faith Capital Campaign.
Each year, for five years, we have awarded $50,000 in grants to be awarded for special projects that will make a difference in the lives of the poor and needy.
Last year was the fifth and final year of these awards and eight projects were chosen to receive the grants:
- $15,000 to Catholic Relief Services for the Aid to Pakistan Disaster Relief
- $7,500 to Deborah's Place in Lakeview––a shelter helping women in need – to fund program needs
- $7,500 to St. Vincent de Paul to fund their Child Care and Early Childhood Program
- $6,000 to Association Loyola, Kosovo for secondary school scholarships
- $5,000 to St. Agnes of Bohemia, in Chicago’s Little Village Community, for school scholarships
- $5,000 to Saint Clement Volunteer House Build Program; parishioners partner with Habitat for Humanity, Breaking Ground and Rebuilding Together to work on housing construction for low income families
- $4,000 to Lakeview Action Coalition for Membership Dues
Working for Affordable Housing
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How the lack of affordable
housing affects our entire community.
Affordable housing
goals of United Power for Action and Justice/Lakeview Action Coalition.
Campaign for affordable housing and diverse neighborhoods.
