Greater Chatham Initiative

09/23/2026

Classes start today! Sign up ASAP to join and learn how to enhance your business.

09/09/2026

Hi Monie, thanks for sharing! Our current list offers Serviceberry (aka Juneberry or Sugar Plum) and Pawpaw trees which both produce fruit. If there are other fruit trees a property owner desires, that can be added to the notes section of the Interest Form. On the site visit the arborist can help the property owner make suggestions for a fruit tree that would be best suited for the space. Fruit trees do require extra care and maintenance and our arborist can answer questions and provide insight.

09/02/2026

The Chicago Front Yard Survey has been extended to September 15th! How does your front yard serve you? Does curb appeal matter to you? Do you consider your neighbors' opinions on your yard?

Complete the survey to be entered into a drawing for $100 gift card and support research regarding residential land use to address stormwater runoff.

Do you live in the City of Chicago and have a front yard? Complete this 20-minute survey by University of Oxford PhD researcher and a Chicago native, Jessica Ryan-Smith, about residential green spaces and flooding. As a thank you, you can enter into a prize draw to win one of two $100 gift cards (your choice of a grocery or "shop local" gift card). Your responses will help inform research on greener, more flood-resilient neighborhoods.

If you would prefer a paper copy of the survey, please send an email to [email protected] and include your mailing address.

Chicago Front Yard Survey:
https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/oxford/chicago-flooding-household-survey

Greater Chatham Initiative is partnering with Jessica Ryan-Smith to conduct field study exploring how residential green spaces can reduce local flood risk and how the adoption of native plants can build flood resiliency. Jessica's research has led her to focus on historically underserved residential areas on Chicago's South Side that experience frequent residential and basement flooding.

Jessica's research aligns with Greater Chatham Initiative's goals to build flood-resilience across our residential communities in Chatham, Greater Grand Crossing, Avalon Park and Auburn Gresham.

This summer we've begun construction of rain gardens at residences as a part of our efforts to disconnect downspouts to keep stormwater runoff out of the sewer system. Reducing stormwater from entering the sewers helps to not overwhelm the system during heavy rain events.

We invite you to complete an anonymous household survey questionnaire designed to capture insights on gardening preferences and flood awareness to inform intervention design approaches.

This project is being delivered by Jessica Ryan-Smith, University of Oxford DPhil (PhD) student as part of their research and has been reviewed by the University of Oxford Social Sciences & Humanities Inter-Divisional Research Ethics Committee.

In Community,
—GCI Team

08/28/2026

Greater Chatham residents are invited to join us on Saturday morning on September 19 for a Community Meeting with news on flood initiatives around the neighborhood.

Ask your questions about downspout disconnection, tell us your preferred methof of flash flood communications access, and hear what's new with stormwater management efforts across the city.

Center for Neighborhood Technology () leads the morning with updates on flood technology created to better understand stormwater solutions in Greater Chatham.

Breakfast and lunch will be served.

🗓️: Sat, Sept 19
🕙: 10:00am-12:30pm
639 E 87th St Chicago, IL 60619
FREE RSVP: bit.ly/3UofRxe or at the link in our bio

08/17/2026

South Side Property Owners: Adopt a Free Tree This Fall!

We’ve opened the interest form to property owners interested in free trees for their private yards. 🏡

Learn more about the Tree Equity program on our website. Those interested in this generational investment can be assured that our team will help you choose the right tree for the right spot for long term benefits for years to come.

08/03/2026

07/27/2026

Do you live in the City of Chicago and have a front yard? Complete this 20-minute survey by University of Oxford PhD researcher and a Chicago native, Jessica Ryan-Smith, about residential green spaces and flooding. As a thank you, you can enter into a prize draw to win one of two $100 gift cards (your choice of a grocery or "shop local" gift card). Your responses will help inform research on greener, more flood-resilient neighborhoods.

If you would prefer a paper copy of the survey, please send an email to [email protected] and include your mailing address.

Chicago Front Yard Survey:
https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/oxford/chicago-flooding-household-survey

Greater Chatham Initiative is partnering with Jessica Ryan-Smith to conduct field study exploring how residential green spaces can reduce local flood risk and how the adoption of native plants can build flood resiliency. Jessica's research has led her to focus on historically underserved residential areas on Chicago's South Side that experience frequent residential and basement flooding.

Jessica's research aligns with Greater Chatham Initiative's goals to build flood-resilience across our residential communities in Chatham, Greater Grand Crossing, Avalon Park and Auburn Gresham.

This summer we've begun construction of rain gardens at residences as a part of our efforts to disconnect downspouts to keep stormwater runoff out of the sewer system. Reducing stormwater from entering the sewers helps to not overwhelm the system during heavy rain events.

We invite you to complete an anonymous household survey questionnaire designed to capture insights on gardening preferences and flood awareness to inform intervention design approaches.

This project is being delivered by Jessica Ryan-Smith, University of Oxford DPhil (PhD) student as part of their research and has been reviewed by the University of Oxford Social Sciences & Humanities Inter-Divisional Research Ethics Committee.

In Community,
—GCI Team

07/17/2026

Plan now to support No Crime Weekend, July 31-Aug. 2, 2026. Churches and organizations throughout the city will be supporting this initiative. "Let's work together to stop the violence in our city" The Mayors Office of Community Safety is supporting this Campaign. Check out the QR Code and more events will be added this week! Get involved. Post on your social media. Support No Crime Weekend!

07/15/2026

Greater Chatham Initiative is hosting a workshop on Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery on Monday, July 20.

Is your business prepared for an unpredictable disaster?
EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS |
INFRASTRUCTURE FAILURE |
ECONOMIC SHOCKS |
KEY PERSONNEL + OWNER INCAPACITATION

Nearly half of small businesses never re-open after a disaster.
Do you have a plan?

Join our free hands-on workshop designed to help you prepare for, respond to, and recover from business disruptions.

A Scenario Planning Workshop for Business Resiliency

When
Jul 20th, 2026, 10:30 am - 12:30 pm (CDT)
Where
Seaway a division of Self-Help Federal Credit Union 639 E 87th Street, Lower Level Chicago, IL 60619

What you'll walk away with:

A customized resiliency plan for your business
Response procedures for fires, floods, power outages, break-ins, and severe weather events
An actionable continuity checklist for you and your staff
Guidance from the GCI team on next steps and available resources

RSVP bit.ly/4GNBMFO

Applicable for Brick & Mortar, Online, and Home-based Businesses

For more information please contact Senior Project Manager, John Handler, [email protected]

04/22/2026

This Earth Day we're celebrating our commitment to educating our community on the benefits of planting trees to prevent flooding. We've kicked off our planting last week at Chatham Park Village Cooperative and will continue planting 100 trees across the Greater Chatham area through early May! 🌳