United Power is a non-partisan community organization composed of 40 religious congregations, not-for-profit groups, hospitals, health centers and civic organizations from across Cook County. Ascension and St. Edmund Parish is a member of this organization.

United Power brings people together across boundaries of race, class, faith, geography, and political ideology to act together on their values and to work on common issues of concern identified by people in United Power’s member institutions. Issues worked on by United Power include creating affordable housing for the disabled, working families and seniors, rebuilding communities struggling with vacancy and violence, reducing gun violence, immigration, access to health care, and addressing government corruption. United Power also works to help its members strengthen their own institutions (e.g. parishes, synagogues, mosques, schools and community organizations).

Volunteers with United Power work together to craft concrete and realistic solutions to large and difficult public issues. Most recently, Ascension and St. Edmund has worked with United Power on successful efforts to create affordable homes, safe streets, and good schools on the Southwest Side of Chicago (through the Reclaiming SW Chicago campaign) and to expand this campaign to the North Lawndale neighborhood.

For more information contact parishioner Nick Brunick at [email protected] or Jim Schwarber at [email protected]

March 2024

God calls us forth each day to pray and act together in our world…to use the power of love and our God-given gifts to transform the world around us – to replace the darkness and death with light and life.

United Power for Action and Justice gives us an opportunity to do that here in our city – by working together to transform vacant lots and buildings into homes, to transform violent streets into safe blocks, and to help families secure a home and build wealth and equity through homeownership.

Working together, we can create neighborhoods with affordable homes, good jobs, safe streets, and good schools in every part of our city. Each of you has helped these efforts – making a difference in the lives of thousands of our brothers and sisters.;

But we can only succeed if many people from every part of our city and region continue to be involved – including many people here from Oak Park.

Updates on United Power Progress – May 2024

• Over 75 homes are under development across four neighborhoods.
• Since Thanksgiving alone, 14 new homes have been completed and sold in Lawndale and Back of the Yards.
  • 14 new homeowners have moved into new homes!
  • 6 additional homes are completed and under contract with new homebuyers and slated to close in the next 30 days.
  • 12 more homes are nearing completion.
• Roseland – the first new homes in 61 years are under construction there – just down the street from where the new Red Line extension will go.
• SWOP and Chicago Lawn – over 20 homes and apartments are being rehabbed – including a formerly vacant 6-flat building, a formerly vacant 10-flat building, and 6 single family or two-flat properties.

Creating much-needed affordable homes; creating new homeowners in our city; replacing violence and vacancy with safety and opportunity; creating jobs with local residents and businesses; putting vacant properties back on the tax rolls; and rebuilding neighborhoods for families… led by local residents full of faith and courage… and supported by people from across our region.

That is what this ministry is about. Most importantly – it is creating hope and possibility – showing that we can do something about the challenges we face no matter how daunting they seem.

There is so much more work to be done.