Enlace Chicago

Audience Served

Enlace Chicago focuses on engaging stakeholders in Little Village and surrounding communities. The majority of its participants and leaders are low-income Latinx/e from immigrant families. All of Enlace’s initiatives benefit immensely from the community's strong culture of collaboration, and Enlace is the convener of a number of neighborhood networks that engage a diverse range of community partners and leaders.

Geograhic Location Served

Little Village, which roughly shares the boundaries of the Chicago Community Area of South Lawndale, is located east of Western Avenue, west of Cicero Avenue, north of I55 and south of the BNSF train line.

Mission

Enlace convenes, organizes and builds the capacity of Little Village stakeholders to confront systemic inequities and barriers to economic and social access.

Vision

Enlace is dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of Little Village residents by fostering a safe and healthy environment and by championing opportunities for educational advancement and economic development.

Website

https://www.enlacechicago.org/

Details

Enlace is first and foremost a community-based organization and, over the years, Enlace has adapted its work to meet the priorities, needs and interests of the community. Currently, Enlace’s comprehensive community development approach integrates four key strategies that include organizing and advocacy, individual and community capacity building, convening and community planning, and program implementation and service delivery. These strategies are employed through four issue areas that include: 1) Immigration: Enlace organizes community-based workshops, provides free legal services and engages in policy advocacy, 2) Education: Enlace promotes a strong culture of education by partnering with local public schools and supporting successful transition to high school, post-secondary and beyond, 3) Community Health: Enlace maximizes local resources and builds the capacity and continuing education of community health workers (CHWs) to promote holistic wellness and equity, prevent chronic disease, and increase access to high-quality healthcare, healthy food and other resources, and 4) Violence Prevention: Enlace takes a comprehensive and trauma-informed approach to building safety and promoting peace in Little Village.