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COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT - JUNE / JULY 2009

Saint Anthony Hospital Hosts Community Dialogue To Battle Youth Violence

Youth Violence Conference Group Photo

“Teen violence does not discriminate. It does not care whether you are a Latino, an African American or part of another group,” said Jim Sifuentes, Vice President of Mission and Community Affairs, addressing a group of more than 35 community leaders who participated in a June 17, 2009 Community Dialogue on Youth Violence from a Religious Perspective at Saint Anthony Hospital. The event specifically focused on the North and South Lawndale neighborhoods that border Saint Anthony Hospital’s location at 2875 W. 19th St.

As Chicagoans are painfully aware, youth violence plagues the city. A total of 510 people were murdered in Chicago in 2008, according to research conducted by the University of Chicago. Eighty percent of those victims were killed by gunfire, and nearly half of them were between the ages of 10 and 25. Gang-related violence poses the largest threat; 11 gangs are active in the Chicago’s 10th District, where Saint Anthony Hospital is located, according to the Chicago Police Department.

“As a faith-based community hospital, we are committed to serving as a common meeting place for all who live within the 13 communities we serve,” said Sifuentes, a former youth minister. ”We know that our local religious leaders want to exert more influence in stemming the tide of youth violence, and we want to contribute to making that happen. Obviously, clergy play a powerful role in shaping the opinions and actions of their congregants.”

Equally important, through this gathering, Saint Anthony Hospital successfully brought together members of the clergy from various denominations, especially Baptist Ministers and Roman Catholic priests, who often do not have the opportunity to brainstorm together. “Starting today and moving forward,” said Sifuentes, “when there’s a youth violence crisis, we hope they will be more comfortable in calling each other to talk about shared problems.”

“By meeting in one room, with youth violence as the sole topic of discussion, we acknowledge that all of us are more alike than we are different, and that together, we can fight teen violence,” said Guy A. Medaglia, President and Chief Executive Officer of Saint Anthony Hospital.

In addition to neighborhood clergy, guests and/or speakers included: Scott Ruiz, Commander, 10th District, Chicago Police Department; Michael Shields, Director of Safety and Security, Chicago Public Schools; Alderman George Cardenas, 12th Ward and Alderman Robert Fioretti, 3rd Ward, Chicago City Council; several physicians affiliated with Saint Anthony Hospital; representatives of nonprofit organizations; Peter V. Fazio Jr., Chair, Board of Directors, Saint Anthony Hospital; and Bernard Ford, Board Member, Saint Anthony Hospital.

A growing number of organizations nationwide are putting resources into solving the teen violence epidemic. While not all agree on specific solutions, the core components of success all were discussed at the Saint Anthony Hospital Community Dialogue.

Here are selected highlights:

Rev. Cy Fields, New Landmark Missionary Baptist Church, encouraged fellow preachers to join him in launching a series of sermons on teen empowerment this summer. “Let’s also create a comprehensive list of all of the positive programs and offerings that are available for our youth, including those right here at Saint Anthony Hospital, such as interesting volunteer opportunities.”
Rev. Mike Ivers of Goodcity, a nonprofit organizations that empower leaders and builds community in underserved neighborhoods throughout Chicago, emphasized the importance of mentoring youth to keep them on a positive track. His organization is part of a national mentoring project.
Rev Steve Spiller, Sr., Greater Galilee Missionary Baptist Church, reminded his colleagues that teens and young adults “need someone to meet them where they are. Our youth has to know that people like us care about them and are willing to help.”
Fr. Chuck Dahm, St. Pius X Catholic Church, said his congregation focuses heavily on preventing violence and gang activity. The church runs an after-school program, a parenting program and a youth center to ensure youth are provided with positive and supervised activities. As his fellow clergy members listened closely to each other, nodded their heads and reflected on “lessons learned,” Dahm implored the participants to keep the momentum going, community-wide.
Reanatta Hunt, Executive Director of the nonprofit organization, Illinois One Child One Family, emphasized that, “We can make this work if we build and maintain alliances. It’s great to pull together, but we need funding to ensure that our young people are productively engaged and gaining skills.”

To encourage easier communication, Saint Anthony Hospital will distribute a contact list of all participants to those who attended the meeting. At a follow-up meeting to be held within a few months, Saint Anthony Hospital will ask the religious leaders to share news or updates stimulated by this first meeting.

For more information, please contact Jim Sifuentes at (773) 773-484-4152 or jsifuent@saintanthonyhospital.org.