The man in his castle

The First Man on the Island
The  floors are done! The roof is done! The walls are in! Kitchen? Check! Bathroom? Check! So take off your shoes, grab a seat and a cup of tea, enjoy the Sinatra and Coltrane ambiance, and welcome to the YMEN College and Career Residence. After 2 years of planning and 8 months of construction, YMEN has 90% of the College and Career Residence finished. Its first occupant, yours truly, has been keeping careful watch over the building, inside and out for the last 2 weeks.

My take on it? Sweet digs! Aside from a lack of a shower bar, curtains, and paint…the place is pretty nice. The kitchen is faaantastic, the neighbors are quiet and nice people (except for those reclusive Trouts next door, who continue to be a scourge on Avers, especially their hound-from-Hades, Zeek, who manages to bark incessantly and sully the good name of North Lawndale when he does his business all over the lawn), and it’s right off of three major intersections. There isn’t much in the way of amenities that other neighborhoods I’ve lived in sported (such as theaters, sit-down restaurants, and alfresco hang-outs)…in fact, it’s not very 20-something friendly…BUT it is quite a nice little alcove in the city. Tucked between Lou Malnati’s and the Metra BNSF tracks, I make my new home.

I had my reservations. After all, I grew up in this neighborhood, and have lived in Lincoln Park for the last 6 years. North Lawndale was not in my geographical forecast. But when Mike explained the reason for the Residence, I signed on. The chance to own a home and get some solid footing in my transition to adulthood is a great opportunity. I’ve been blessed with a good education and solid mentors, both in part due to my 13 year involvement with YMEN. So it’s my time to give back and throw my cards in. Welcome back, Xavier. This is home once again.

Photos care of Ollie Photography.

On Friday, November 6, 2009, YMEN held its 8th annual charity auction to celebrate the work of preparing young men in North Lawndale for Christian leadership.  We began the evening with an ambitious goal:  to collectively raise $50,000 (10% of YMEN’s budget).  We are thrilled to share that we not only reached our goal, but exceeded the goal by raising over $52,000.  Some of the exciting highlights included: the personal testimonies of Xavier and Dakota, the silent auction which brought in over $3,000 for the EVE project, the choice auction that raised $3,000 to help Dakota go to Africa in March, the bidders who “bought” 14 seats for our YMEN bus, the beautiful dual-harpists, outstanding food in a beautiful location, and the most generous and kind supporters in the world!  We are filled with gratitude for the way in which God has brought together a community that is seeking to make a difference in North Lawndale.  Thank you for being a special part of this wonderful journey.

To see more auction photos, click here. Please be patient — it takes about 20 seconds to load. Special thanks to Percy Ollie of Ollie Photography for the fabulous shots!

What do you get when you mix our YMEN guys, brand-new, boxed bikes, and some no-nonsense know-how? A whole lot of fun! Last Wednesday, some of our guys got together with Alex Wilson of West Town Bikes and Frank Whiting, one of our esteemed board members and built 15 brand new Schwins. The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC-Chicago) generously provided the dollars and we worked with Pacific Cycle to get a great price on the bikes.

These bikes will provide the opportunity for our guys to experience the city in a whole new way. We can learn about basic bike maintenance, traffic safety, and get fit — all while having fun. We already have some experienced “fixers” in our midst, but having these wonderful bikes will enable us to ride down Lake Shore Drive together in style. We have trips to some of the local suburban trails in the works and may even sneak a trip in to Lake Shore Drive before the Chicago hawk begins blowing its unbearable breezes.

Thanks to Keri Blackwell of LISC Chicago, Frank Whiting of our board and Alex Wilson of West Town Bikes for helping us make this possible.

Frank & Alex with the guys

Curtis works on the front tire

Darvel & Jordan with a finished bike

And here are a couple of our staff members having a little fun:

Part of that challenge came through obstacle courses and climbing walls (see pictures in our photo gallery), but part of that challenge was simply in encouraging one another and in being on time for meetings and meals. As you will be able to tell from the climbing and smiles — overcoming obstacles can build a greater confidence, especially when you know that the person belaying you has (literally) got your back.

For the second summer in a row, YMEN has the privilege of working with After School Matters, a Chicago-based non-profit coordinating summer apprenticeships for youth all over the city. We will be hosting 15 of those apprenticeships this summer!

Last summer we produced a beautiful mosaic (pictured above) which is now displayed on the south-facing wall of our building. This summer our theme is “Pictures of Hope” — an opportunity to reflect on Obama’s election and upon the signs of hope in North Lawndale and in our world.

If you are a young person (between 14-19) interested in applying for one of our openings, be sure to fill out the online application. And return later this summer for photos of our projects as the summer continues!