Of the many things rooted in the intersection of Church and Dodge in Evanston -- including Evanston Township High school, ranked in the top 2% of the nation -- it is time for violence and poverty to go. There is an immediate opportunity to reinvigorate the space at 1823 Church Street -- currently Boocoo Cultural Center. People who love and celebrate Evanston's heritage. Most of all, we need people
who want to reach out to help others be their best. Questions Answered:
Q: Who Are You? A: We're Evanston neighbors hoping to make a difference. We're parents and Evanston residents. Q: Are you trying to take over the building? On Christmas Eve of 2013, The Illinois Department of Revenue seized the bank account/funds of Boocoo Cultural Center. Boocoo announced it would close on Monday, 12/30/13. Our goal is to raise funds to purchase the building and establish a completely new entity with input from the community. Q: How did this movement start? A: Upon learning the doors of Boocoo Cultural Center might close, a concerned Evanston parent created a Facebook group (called BE EVANSTON) to initiate a search for support throughout the community. Specifically, BE Evanston reached out to neighbors in search of those willing to to share their skills and commitment to bring peace and growth to our community -- beginning at the corner of Church and Dodge. Q: What is your goal? Why are you doing this? What do you hope to achieve? A: We want to strengthen our community by listening to the community's needs and identifying solutions. Community building takes time and BE EVANSTON was our starting point: it helped us to build a core team of dedicated individuals, united in making a difference. We now aim to increase our base of support. Q: Why was the BE EVANSTON group "private"? A: Simply to manage inquiries and attract serious individuals (rather than curiosity-seekers). We have no secrets.
