TEEN REACH

After-school activities help to shape the way children think, learn, and behave. The Teen Reach Program provide children/youth with a positive alternative to the streets and encourages them to talk about their problems and needs.

ABJ's Teen Reach Program is held in collaboration with the Jackie Robinson Park of the Chicago Park District and is a component of the "Future for Kids" program administered by the Department of Human Services. The program is designed to offer a safe haven for youth during after school hours and to increase community involvement with young people.

The program includes the following:

• academic assistance
• mentoring
• life skills education
• sports, drama, dance, music
• computer literacy
• adult/child activities

HIV/AIDS PREVENTION/EDUCATION

Outreach/Educational services are offered to at-risk African American males and females living in the South Shore Community. The goal of the program is to provide clients with information and education to assist them in changing behaviors that place them at risk for contracting HIV/ AIDS.

ABJ has contracted with the Department of Public Health to provide community outreach, education, case management services, and HIV/AIDS testing to clients within the South Shore community. ABJ has established linkages with community organizations, hospitals, foundations and housing centers to assist clients with referrals.

ABSTINENCE EDUCATION

ABJ's Abstinence Education and Mentoring Program is offered to youth between the ages of 10-17 years of age. Its aim is to inform adolescence of the risk associated with premature sexual activity; reduce teen pregnancies, avoid the risk of sexually transmitted diseases and provide youngsters with better decision-making skills. The program is offered at various schools on a daily basis during day and evening hours. Participants are encouraged to join ABJ's mentoring program, which provides structured activities and field trips. Over 300 youth are served in this program on a weekly basis throughout the calendar year.

top

P.A.C.E.

The Parent Child Education Center (P.A.C.E.) program intends to plant a seed for the future growth and development of the participants as it relates to their growth as individuals, parents, and teachers of their children.

The goal of the program is to provide adoptive, and/or foster families with parenting training, educational services, family life education, child/parent bonding, and counseling services to residents of Local Area Network (LAN) 77 who are at risk of abuse and neglect.

JUNIOR GOLF

Our golf program is targeted to community youth and wards of the state. This highly disciplined sport teaches self-awareness, responsibility, self-confidence and personal development. The ABJ Junior Golf Program also teaches youth golf etiquette, rules of the game, and sportsmanship.

G.E.D.

ABJ's G.E.D. program is a collaborative effort between Olive Harvey College and ABJ. The aim of the program is to assist individuals in obtaining a General Education Diploma. ABJ believes that through education, individuals will be able to improve their ability to care for their families, and move from dependency to self-sufficiency.

top

FOOD/CLOTHING PANTRY

ABJ's food pantry is a joint venture with the Greater Chicago Food Depository. ABJ distributes food to low income households on a weekly basis. ABJ currently services more than 100 clients each week through the food pantry and privately donated items. Food is also distributed on an emergency basis when the need arise.

Our clothing pantry is a direct result of community participation. ABJ's volunteers assist with the distribution and collections of clothing items. ABJ volunteers solicit "gently" used items to assist our clients that are entering and or re-entering the job market, families that have been displaced, and families and individuals within the community.

ABJ works closely with the community to provide positive outcomes for all of the families it serves. ABJ attempts to leverage its resources by offering services that have been identified by the community.

top