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DEVELOPING LEADERS... The Interfaith Leadership Project (ILP) is a membership based community organization of churches, businesses, and civic institutions in Cicero and Berwyn. Our mission is to call to collaboration communities of faith and organization to create positive change in Berwyn and Cicero by fostering a united voice through organizing people, promoting civic engagement and developing leadership for social justice. ILP was founded in 1989 by local clergy in response to various community issues and continues to this day as a primarily church-based community organization fighting for improved quality of life and greater accountability for Cicero and Berwyn residents. Our member institutions of local churches and businesses are working together to address the injustices that negatively impact the quality of life for area residents. ...STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES

Free Citizenship Workshop!!

Saturday, January 28th, 2012 9am -12pm

Sonido de Alabanza

5510 W. 25th street

Cicero, IL 60804

For more information: Teresa Dominguez 708-652-7711 Ext. 3

News

Volunteer Opportunities!!

To become a New Americans Initiative volunteer and help fill our applications or provide outreach to Legal Permanent Residents, please call Teresa Dominguez-Barajas at (708) 652-7711 ext. 3. Workshops are usually held on Saturday mornings and outreach is done throughout the week and on weekends.

Forclosure Office Hours

For foreclosure assistance, call (708) 652-7711 x.2 or visit us Mondays 10-12pm and 3pm-7pm.

About Us

The ILP Team

Cristine Pope has been part of Interfaith Leadership Project since 2000, and became the organization's Director in 2002. She has been a professional community organizer since 1994. Prior to joining ILP, she worked as an organizer at Organization of the NorthEast (ONE) in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood. She spent time in Guatemala studying Spanish and has a Masters in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania. She is married and has a 7 year old son.

Cristine Pope

Arturo is married to Erika Garcia and has two children, Isaac who is 6 years old and Erik who is 3 years old. He has been with ILP for 5 years and holds a BA in American History and Philosophy from Loyola University Chicago. He focuses his efforts on organizing core teams in member institutions that work on immigration and also cooperates with the Archdioceses of Chicago and the Mexican Consulate to hold workshops in the different communities in Cicero and Berwyn.

Arturo Gonzalez

Teresa Dominguez-Barajas has been a Cicero resident for 21 years. She graduated from Morton East High School and studied Spanish and Latin American History at DePaul University. She first started working with ILP as a youth mentor during a summer program when she was 17. Since then she has been an active leader and has lead various GOTV campaigns for the organization. She came on board as the Citizenship Coordinator in 2008 and currently also works with parents around local education issues. She lives in Cicero with her husband and two dogs.

Teresa Dominguez-Barajas

Members

Member Institutions

Access Community Health Network Cicero Area ProjectMacNeal Hospital Mary Queen of Heaven Our Lady of Charity Sonido de AlabanzaSt. AnthonySt. Frances of RomeSt. Leonard St. Mary of Celle St. Mary of Czestochowa AlliesIllinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee RightsIndustrial Areas FoundationUnited Power for Action and Justice

Accomplishments

Cicero Safe Space Resolution

On November 12, 2008, President Dominick and the Cicero Town Council enacted the Safe Space Resolution for Cicero. The resolution developed from the efforts of the Interfaith Leadership Project and the Latino Union of Chicago to increase protections and counter the fear rippling through immigrant communities.The main provisions of the resolution state can be found in the following document:

Cicero Safe Space Resolution Summary.doc

After-school ProgramsAfter many parents meetings, community forums, and individual meetings with elected officials and education leaders, ILP parent leaders won $250,000 in state funds to create three after school programs for elementary students in Cicero run by one of our churches and two local organizations. We also initiated a process through which the school district and existing non-profit organizations secured state funding for five additional after school programs at struggling schools. Our after school partners were awarded funding from the Illinois State Board of Education in July 2007 to sustain the new programs for the next five years. Health ClinicsILP partnered with Access Community Health Network to open a Community-Based Health Clinic that serves all residents regardless of insurance or documentation status. This clinic currently serves 25,000 patients per year.
Towing Policy During Street CleaningILP worked to eliminate the practice of towing for street cleaning violations in Cicero. Previosly, cars were towed five days per week, eight months per year for a fine of anywhere between $135 and $225, payable only in cash. The towing company kept all of the revenue from the tow, with the exception of $20 per car paid to the Town of Cicero. ILP leaders negotiated an agreement with the Town President and the Public Works committee chair which was approved twice by the Public Works committee. Under this new policy, $50 ticket will be given for the first three street cleaning violations, and towing will result from a fourth violation in the same year. ILP leaders put continuing pressure on Town leaders to adopt this ordinance and end the financial hardship that this practice put on residents. The new Towing ordinance went into effect on September 1st, 2009. For more detailed information, click on the following document:

Towing Changes.doc

Citizenship

Next Citizenship Workshop

Date: Saturday, January 28th, 2012Location: Sonido de Alabanza 5510 W. 25th Street, Cicero, ILTime: 9am - 12pmFor further information please contact Maria Teresa Dominguez at (708) 652-7711 ext. 3 or email at tere.dominguezbarajas_gmail.com You can also find more information at http://www.becomeacitizennow.org or by calling (800) 298-3235.In partnership with Instituto del Progreso Latino, ILP has office hours every first and third Wednesday of the month by appointment only. We work with the N-400, N-600, I-90 and Fee Waivers. Please call (708) 652-7711 ext. 3 for an appointment.We also hold workshops every 3 to 4 months in Cicero and Berwyn. At the workshops you will receive a free legal review and your N-400 or N-600 will be filled out by trained volunteers. Check back often for any upcoming local workshops.

Citizenship Program

ILP and Instituto del Progreso Latino are working together on the New Americans Initiative. The objective of this citizenship program is to motivate, help, educate, and raise awareness on the importance of attaining U. S. Citizenship status. We have helped Permanent Residents of Cicero and Berwyn initiate the process and apply for citizenship through a series of informative meetings and citizenship workshops. The applicants receive free civic education and legal assistance. At this time we have been able to help about 3000 people apply for citizenship.

Citizenship Requirements

You are eligible for U.S. Citizenship if you have:Permanent Resident card for 4 years & 9 months, and basic English, or aPermanent Resident card for 2 years & 9 months, basic English, and married to a U.S. citizen English is NOT needed for U.S. citizenship if: You have a disability, or 50 years old with Permanent Resident card for 20 years, or 55 years old with Permanent Resident card for 15 years For the Workshop bring: Study Materials for Test:For more study materials, click Study for Civics Test or Study for English Test For information on getting a fee waiver, click here

Documents for Workshop.docx

100 Civics Questions with Answers.pdf

Vocabulary for English Test.pdf

Issues

ILP ISSUES

CITIZENSHIP PROGRAM

ILP and Instituto del Progreso Latino are working together on the New Americans Initiative. The objective of this citizenship program is to motivate, help, educate and raise awareness on the importance of attaining U.S. Citizenship status. We have helped Permanent Residents of Cicero and Berwyn initiate the process and apply for citizenship through a series of informative meetings and citizenship workshops. The applicants receive free civic education and legal assistance. At this time we have been able to help about 3000 people apply for citizenship.

IMMIGRATION REFORM

ILP actively engages immigrants on local, state, and national fronts. In Cicero, ILP secured an agreement with Cicero Police Department to issue a regulation dissuading officers from enforcing immigration law. In Berwyn, ILP leaders lobbied the city of Berwyn to drop a proposed agreement between the school district and the City to share housing and registration information that would disproportionately purge children of immigrants and their families. ILP is an active member of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Rights (ICIRR) and the Catholic Campaign for Immigration Reform. ILP partnered with the 10 de Marzo Committee to march over 50 miles from Chicago to Batavia, IL to demand Immigration Reform at the office of the former Speaker of the House. ILP leaders hosted a reception, provided accommodations to the marchers at a member church, St. Frances of Rome, and they themselves marched on the office of the Speaker of the House. ILP also collaborated with several organizations to found a civic forum to engage thousands of immigrants in the 3rd Congressional District around the topic of immigration reform.

FORECLOSURES

ILP is working to alleviate the sizeable foreclosure problem that is not only affecting individual families here, but also affects all of Cicero and Berwyn. Several foreclosed houses on a block lower the property values of all. Vacant homes invite safety and gang problems. Schools, churches, neighborhood organizations and ILP also are being weakened as families struggle and leave. In 2010 alone there were 1066 foreclosures initiated in Cicero and 791 in Berwyn. ILP is working through our member organizations and in collaboration with other community groups to formulate solutions to this devastating problem. ILP has been working with the Circuit Court of Cook County Foreclosure Mediation Program for the past year. We have visited 1500 home owners and spoke personally to 800 homeowners in foreclosure to give them needed information and resources.

For more information call (708) 652 7711 ext. 2 or go to www.cookcountyforeclosurehelp.org

EDUCATION

Our newly formed Education team is working to build and train its leadership team to improve the educational environment and the quality of education for students in Cicero. Parent involvement in schools is essential to student success. For this reason, we seek to enhance the participation of local parents working to help insure the educational success of their children and the community in general.

Funders

708-652-7711

Contact Us

Director

Cris Pope x. 1

cris_interfaithleadership.net

Organizer

Arturo Gonzalez x. 5

arturogonzalez33_yahoo.com

Citizenship Coordinator

Teresa Dominguez-Barajas x. 3

tere.dominguezbarajas_gmail.com

1510 South 49th Court, Cicero, Illinois 60804 Phone 708.652.7711 Fax 708.652.7733 Spanish Website