Garfield Park Rite to Wellness Collaborative Legal Support
Clients: Garfield Park Rite to Wellness Collaborative
Partners: DLA Piper and Sidley
Challenge: The Garfield Park Rite to Wellness Collaborative (GPRWC) is a coalition of residents, faith-based organizations, healthcare institutions, nonprofits, and other stakeholders in Chicago's West Garfield Park community. The group was formally established in 2021 to develop a unified strategy to address the significant disparities in health outcomes in the area, where residents live thirteen years less on average compared to people just a few miles away downtown. This disparity is due to factors such as poverty, limited healthcare access, food insecurity, violence, and the lasting impact of systemic disinvestment.
The organization's primary initiative is the development of Sankofa Wellness Village, a comprehensive community development project aimed at addressing the neighborhood's economic, physical, psychological, and spiritual health. To help fund this ambitious undertaking, GPRWC successfully competed for the Chicago Prize, a $10 million grant awarded by the Pritzker Traubert Foundation. As a result of this award, GPRWC needed to strengthen its governance structure to secure a 501c3 non-profit designation, as well as legal representation to review and accept the $10 million grant.
Action: In 2021, Civic Consulting Alliance accelerated the GPRWC’s impact by establishing operational plans and a governance structure. Building on that support, our pro bono partner, DLA Piper, strengthened GPRWC's governance structure to become a 501c3 organization. Another pro bono partner, Sidley, provided legal support to finalize the grant agreement and help GPRWC move forward to accept the $10 million Chicago Prize from the Pritzker Traubert Foundation and build Sankofa Wellness Village.
Result: This work is foundational to help GPRWC move forward with building The Sankofa Wellness Village, a comprehensive community development initiative that will be an investment in the health, economic wellbeing, and social fabric of the community. This ambitious undertaking encompasses a wide range of interconnected projects, including a wellness center, a business hub, a maker space, a credit union, after-school care facilities, and a focus on improving food access. By providing essential services, creating job opportunities, and fostering a strong sense of community, the Sankofa Village seeks to address the root causes of the Garfield Park neighborhood's challenges. On September 16, 2024, stakeholders broke ground on the first major component of the Sankofa Wellness Village — the Sankofa Wellness Center.
