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[Page S1143]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
150TH ANNIVERSARY OF ERIE HOUSE
Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, Florence Hayden Towne dedicated her
book, ``Neighbor: Stories of Neighborhood House Work in a Great City,''
to the Erie Neighborhood House. She wrote, it ``brought new hope and
courage and a new way of life these whom we call `neighbors.' ''
Throughout its 150-year history, the Erie House has consistently
improved the lives of low-income, immigrant families in Chicago. Though
the people, challenges, and times may have changed, the Erie House's
mission has remained firm. Immigrant families have always found Erie
House to be a place that empowers them and helps creates a more engaged
community. Today, we celebrate the great work of Erie House and
congratulate its staff and supporters on the 150th anniversary.
Erie Neighborhood House began as Holland Presbyterian Church on the
corner of North Noble Street and West Erie Street in 1870. The
congregation offered several programs, including kindergarten and
Sunday school, to the new families arriving from Dutch, Scandinavian,
and German countries to the West Chicago neighborhood. The congregation
moved to 1347 West Erie Street and changed its name to Erie Chapel in
1886. In 1893, Erie Kindergarten became one of the 20 flagship programs
in Chicago's Free Kindergarten Association initiative and expanded
youth programs to include choirs for children and adults and industrial
classes.
As the neighborhood immigrant population changed to include Catholic
countries like Poland and Italy, Erie Chapel renamed itself the Erie
Chapel Institute and continued to serve the community and advance the
settlement house tradition. In 1936, the staff rechristened the 1347
building with a new name, the Erie Neighborhood House.
Erie Neighborhood House continued to meet the challenges of the time.
In 1942, with the Second World War raging, Erie House began providing
daycare services since many men were deployed overseas and many women
had entered the workforce. In February 1945, Reverend Douglas Cedarleaf
marched with members of Erie House to protest the treatment of the
Strongs, a Black family that had recently moved into a White community
and faced violence from their neighbors.
In 1957, volunteer physicians at Northwestern Memorial and Erie
Neighborhood House founded the Erie Family Health Center to provide a
variety of primary care, case management, and dental services to low-
income, underinsured, and uninsured Chicagoans. Now, every year, nearly
38,000 patients receive high-quality healthcare at the center,
regardless of their ability to pay.
With the crisis in housing growing in the late 1960s, Erie House
founded the Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation to create affordable
housing opportunities for members of the community. Since its founding,
Bickerdike has developed more than 2,000 affordable homes for families.
Today, the West Town and Little Village neighborhoods are primarily
Latino, and Erie Neighborhood House is helping people with the tools
they need to build a foundation for greater well-being. Erie House has
hosted me several times and has been an important ally in working
toward comprehensive immigration reform and supporting Dreamers,
providing legal consultation and representing people in immigration and
asylum cases.
The blueprint created 150 years ago has evolved, but that mission has
remained constant. Today, Erie House helps 18,000 people all across the
city of Chicago annually. Young people and adults attend mentoring
programs and learn about career opportunities. Families experiencing
violence can find counseling. Erie House remains an essential ally as
we work toward a just, inclusive society where we accept our new
neighbors and help them achieve their potential.
Congratulations to Erie Neighborhood House on 150 years of good work,
giving people hope and courage.
(At the request of Mr. Schumer, the following statement was ordered
to be printed in the Record.)
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