CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- JPMorgan Chase announced Thursday that Chicago is one of five winning cities in its inaugural AdvancingCities Challenge, part of a $500 million, five-year initiative to drive inclusive growth and create greater economic opportunity in cities.
Chicago's winning initiative, West Side United, was selected "because the proposal successfully outlined local coalitions of elected, business and nonprofit leaders working together to address major social and economic challenges such as employment barriers, financial insecurity, and neighborhood disinvestment," JPMorgan Chase said in a statement.
West Side United will receive a $3-million investment from JP Morgan Chase over the next three years. The initiative helps connect low-paid health care workers with better jobs; and it brings community, public and non-profit sectors together.
Peter Scher, an official with JP Morgan Chase,"we make it a habit of not trying to throw good money after bad, and we want to see where people are working together."Senior Program Director Ayesha Jaco said West Side United’s not just about better jobs, but better lives. She is hoping the health care partnership, which began at Rush University Medical Center, will help extend the life expectancy for people on the West Side.
"We are committed to using our collective impact to decrease the life expectancy gap between the Loop and 10 West Side communities," Jaco said.
Life expectancy on the West Side is, reportedly, 16 years shorter than in the Loop.
Audrey Tankson’s in the program and calls it a blessing. She said when people have jobs, they have more money and they can eat.
"In order to help build up a community, you have to first start building up the people," Tankson said.
She hopes to work in the oncology unit at Rush Medical Center.
West Side United brings together Amita Health, Cook County Health, Lurie Children's Hospital, Rush University Medical Center, Sinai Urban Health Systems, UI Health, the Chicagoland Workforce Funders Alliance, Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership, Skills for Chicagoland’s Future and Accion Chicago to maximize the impact of this investment on the residents of Chicago’s West Side.
“The grant announced today for West Side United is a testament to what can happen when community institutions work together toward a common goal,” U.S. Senator Dick Durbin said, in a statement. “I applaud West Site United for establishing partnerships that will address significant challenges for local residents. As with efforts under the Chicago HEAL Initiative and West Side United, we must continue to invest in making our communities healthier and safer while also promoting economic growth.”
TheAdvancingCities Challenge awarded $3 million to five U.S. cities, totaling $15 million. The four other winning cities are Louisville, Kentucky, Miami, Florida, San Diego, California, and Syracuse, New York.