IN THIS MONTH'S FAMILY MATTERS ...

"It's been the consistency and the trusted voice I so appreciate. I'm so grateful for continued services now, because we need them but we've grown so much, and it's so exciting. It's exciting because there's hope."

- Amanda, Metropolitan DuPage client

Transform lives with us at the 22nd Annual DuPage Gala!

Join us in support of our DuPage neighbors in person for the first time in three years!

Benefiting Metropolitan Family Services DuPage, this special event will feature the impact of our wrap-around approach and recognize our Roger K. Johnson Leadership Award honorees from our virtual events in 2020, 2021 and 2022 respectively – Mary Ann and Paul Travers, Mike Skarr and Paul Pyrcik.

Register Here

Thank you to all who joined us for the Metropolitan Peace Academy Graduation!

Communities Partnering 4 Peace (CP4P) celebrated the graduation of its latest cohorts of street outreach workers and case managers! Outreach Worker Cohorts 10 & 11 (C10 & C11) and Case Manager Cohort 4 (CM4) were honored.

The Metropolitan Peace Academy is a multi-disciplinary training platform designed to train and develop leadership among practitioners to enhance their ability to implement best practices in violence reduction.

Metropolitan celebrates Black History Month

February was Black History Month, and our staff and communities throughout Metropolitan heartily participated in many wonderful programs where we paused, reflected and celebrated the significant history and accomplishments of Black Americans.

	Calumet We held an author discussion and book signing for Ernest Crim III, author of "Black History Saved My Life: How My Viral Hate Crime Led to an Awakening."
North We held an author discussion and book signing for Rev. Wheeler Parker, Jr. cousin and last living eyewitness of the kidnapping of Emmett Till. His book is "A Few Days Full of Trouble: Revelations on the Journey to Justice for My Cousin and Best Friend, Emmett Till."
	Southeast Chicago Elaine Mokwunye provided a presentation about her cross-cultural journey going to West Africa with her husband and living there for more than 50 years. She also displayed headwraps and showed staff how to make their own.
DuPage Nicole Jordan gave a presentation to staff about oppression. Nicole's mother, Gloria Williams, shared her life experiences and testimony of resilience.
	Southwest Lynn Allen (right), an African American historian from Chicago's South Side, joined Southwest Executive Director Pam Terrell (left) and the Southwest team to share about Black cultural history in a presentation featuring instruments, artifacts, clothing and much more!

 Our Mural at The Salt Shed!

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We're pleased to welcome Midway's new Executive Director,
Bryan Johnson!

Bryan joined Metropolitan in 2011 as an intern working with our Evaluation and Outcomes Department and became a staff member in 2012. Since then, he has held several leadership positions including Program Manager with MFS' Legal Aid Society as well as Senior Director of Strategy and Innovation, and Senior Director of Evaluation and Outcomes with MFS. He has been instrumental in developing and implementing our agency’s organizational efforts for racial equity and inclusion.

Bryan has built a reputation through listening, empathy, and understanding. With a commitment to an organization-wide culture of learning, Bryan strives to ensure MFS continues to provide high-quality services in the Midway center community on Chicago's South Side.

 

METROPOLITAN IN THE MEDIA * Q&A: Ric Estrada, CEO of Metropolitan Family Services, on the Importance of Deep Understanding in a People-First Profession Better Media * Seven Trailblazers Addressing Community Violence Intervention Across the U.S. U.S. Department of Justice, The Office of Justice Programs

 

Spotlight on: YouthBuild Chicago After breaking ground this summer, the Altgeld Gardens Lending Libraries are complete! Youth in our Calumet Center's Youth Build program constructed two libraries at Altgeld Gardens. The libraries are stocked with donations from Our Children's Bookshelf. We are excited to encourage reading, promote literacy, and foster the love of reading for Altgeld's earliest readers to its high schoolers. Staff can hardly keep the library stocked!

JOIN THE METROPOLITAN FAMILY! Featured Career Opportunities * Social Worker II - Adult Mental Health Palos Hills * Care Coordinator  Merrionette Park * Case Manager 2 Southeast Chicago * View all our job listings at www.metrofamily.org/careers Keep up with all things careers at Metropolitan with @MetroFamCareers, our new social media pages! Follow on Facebook and Instagram.