Healthy Communities Foundation

04/23/2026

Our partner, Arab American Family Services (AAFS), is hosting a one-day Arab American/MENA Mental Health Conference for clinicians, healthcare leaders, educators, administrators, researchers, innovators, and community advocates to explore culturally responsive and trauma-informed approaches to mental health and wellness within Arab American/MENA communities.

📅 Friday, May 15, 2026
📍 Moraine Valley Community College

Reserve your spot today: https://aafsil.networkforgood.com/events/97512-tawazun-aafs-arab-american-mental-health-conference

04/22/2026

Today, we celebrate ! 🌎 Earth Day serves as an annual reminder that our planet thrives on healthy communities, and it is our duty to safeguard it.

Join our partner, BUILD Chicago, to celebrate Earth Day and enjoy the beautiful Austin neighborhood! Learn more ⤵️

04/20/2026

This month, we recognize Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) on its 25th anniversary. For 25 years, SAAM has united survivors, advocates, and communities in the shared commitment to end sexual assault, abuse, and harassment—we are proud to stand with them.

This month, our partner, Mujeres Latinas en Accion, is hosting several events to recognize SAAM. You can join them this Friday, April 24th, for Take Back the Night: a community space for survivors of sexual violence and allies to share their stories, raise awareness, and participate in a collective healing process.

Learn more ⤵️

04/09/2026

This year marks the 9th Annual Black Maternal Health Week, starting on April 11th.

Each year, this week celebrates the leadership and expertise of Black community-based organizations as the foundation for advancing equity and ensuring transformative, sustainable improvements in Black Maternal Health.

On Saturday, April 11th, join community partners, including HCF partner Equal Hope, at the Black Maternal Health Week Community Shower for pregnant people, postpartum parents, and West Side families. See more info ⤵️

If you’re pregnant or postpartum, this free Black Maternal Health Week Community Shower is honestly worth stopping by. Even though the event is sold out, our partners are still welcoming walk‑ins, so you can absolutely come through.

There’ll be baby supplies, health resources, and community organizations ready to support families on the West Side.

If this could be helpful for you or someone you know, feel free to share it. 🍼

04/07/2026

Every year on April 7th, the world pauses to reflect on the state of global health for World Health Day. This year, we are thinking about the communities in our region and the systems that have shaped their health outcomes for generations. 
 
The communities on the west and southwest sides of Chicago carry some of the heaviest health burdens in our region. It is not because of individual health choices, but because of structural decisions made over generations, like disinvestment and discriminatory housing policy.
 
That is why we have oriented our work to invest in the community-led solutions that are best positioned to change those conditions, not just their symptoms.
 
On , we recommit to that belief. Health is not a privilege but a right, and building it requires all of us.

03/31/2026

Today, we celebrate Trans Day of Visibility because right now, visibility is more important than ever.
 
Healthy Communities Foundation is proud to support community-based, Trans-led organizations who are dedicated to helping the Trans community thrive in our service region and across the greater Chicagoland area. We are grateful for their leadership and guidance in making our communities safer and more equitable for all. ❤️🏳️‍⚧️

03/04/2026

Where we live shapes nearly every aspect of our health—the food we can access, the schools our children attend, the stability we carry into daily life.
 
That’s why homelessness is not simply a housing crisis. It is a health crisis, rooted in decades of policy decisions that have left certain communities with fewer resources and greater burdens than others.
 
Through our grantmaking, we support partners addressing the root causes of housing instability in ways that go beyond the standard continuum of care—by building housing, expanding who gets counted, and creating pathways to stability for people in non-traditional ways—because long-term change requires changing the conditions, not just responding to the crisis.
 
Read about the partners leading this work in our latest blog ➡️  
 

02/27/2026

Earlier this month, we joined our partner at their annual Health Champions Breakfast.
 
We were proud to see some familiar faces, including HCF partners Karina Ayala-Bermejo from and Jennie Hull from , and Dr. Ezike, HCF Board member, and listen in on an important discussion on the impacts of Medicaid cuts, innovative strategies to strengthen community health, and more.

02/23/2026

TOMORROW! Join our partner, Erie Neighborhood House, at their special Public Benefits Program event for help with IDHS applications and ACE assistance. ⤵️

02/20/2026

Today is National Caregivers Day, a time to recognize and honor caregivers and their critical contributions to our families, our communities, and the broader healthcare system. Caregivers can be professional help, such as home health aides, nurses, and therapists, as well as informal family caregivers who provide support to loved ones.

In 2023, we had the privilege of sitting down with our partners, Arab American Family Services (AAFS) and Latino Alzheimer's Alliance (LAMDA), and their community members to learn more about the caregiver role when caring for someone experiencing Alzheimer's and Dementia.

Learn more about how AAFS and LAMDA are supporting both patients and caregivers in our spotlight, "Fostering Connection, Empathy and Equity for Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care," here: https://hcfdn.org/blog/fostering-connection-empathy-and-equity-for-alzheimers-and-dementia-care/

02/20/2026

: HCF was featured in Grantmakers In Health 's latest Grantmaker Focus profile!

The profile shares more on the history of our Foundation, our grantmaking strategy and focus areas, and our partnership with Grantmakers In Health. Thank you to Grantmakers In Health for this feature!

Read it here:

“We are deepening our trust-based grantmaking, further aligning our strategy with the learnings and relationships built over years of partnership with community and grantees. Our approach reflects a growing focus on multi-year funding that helps to provide organizations with stability and flexibil...