(Chicago)…..A longtime champion of urban issues, the Sara Lee Foundation reaffirmed its commitment to improving quality of life in the Chicago region with a $20,000 grant to support the Metropolitan Planning Council’s (MPC) housing program.
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(Chicago)…..A
longtime champion of urban issues, the Sara Lee Foundation reaffirmed its
commitment to improving quality of life in the Chicago region with a $20,000
grant to support the Metropolitan Planning Council’s (MPC) housing program.
The
program consists of three complementary initiatives that focus on expanding the
availability, acceptance and distribution of quality housing options at all
price points that are accessible to jobs and meet a range of families’ needs
throughout the Chicago region: Public Housing in the Public Interest;
Employer-Assisted Housing; and Housing for Sensible Growth. In particular, the
grant will support MPC’s ongoing efforts to provide technical assistance to
communities implementing new housing strategies. The funding also will help
produce a video on housing that MPC is creating in collaboration with the
Metropolitan Mayors Caucus.
Since
1987, when the Sara Lee Foundation began its relationship with MPC, the
Foundation has contributed some $160,000 to further the Council’s efforts. “The
Sara Lee Foundation’s generosity has opened up possibilities to MPC that we
otherwise could not have explored,” says MarySue Barrett, president of MPC.
“We’re proud to partner with another local organization with a historical
commitment to affordable housing in the region.”
For
more than 20 years, the Sara Lee Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Sara Lee
Corporation, has concentrated its support on organizations and causes in its
hometown, Chicago. In
keeping with its roots, the Foundation’s giving priorities have been influenced
by the city’s long tradition of proactively addressing urban concerns that date
back to Jane Addams’ Chicago settlement house in the 19th century.
“Like
Addams, the Foundation believes in improving community life for everyone,
especially underserved communities,” says Judy Schaefer, deputy director of the
Sara Lee Foundation. “That means not only addressing life’s basic necessities
such as food, housing, and employment, but also enriching community spirit by
supporting artistic endeavors and cultural programs.”
Founded
in 1934, MPC is a nonprofit, nonpartisan group of business and civic leaders
committed to serving the public interest through the promotion and
implementation of sensible planning and development policies necessary for a
world-class Chicago region. MPC conducts policy analysis, outreach and advocacy
in partnership with public officials and community leaders to improve equity of
opportunity and quality of life throughout the metropolitan Chicago.
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For
more information, contact Mandy Burrell, MPC’s communications associate, at
312.863.6018 or mburrell@metroplanning.org.