CHICAGO – Blacks in Green (BIG) celebrates a $100,000 gift from ADT and the donation of a smart security system to be installed at one of BIG’s properties. This gift launched a foundational relationship between Blacks in Green and ADT, and was pivotal to BIG’s purchase of a new property in the West Woodlawn neighborhood of Chicago, IL.
“We’re grateful to receive such a generous gift from ADT,” said Naomi Davis, founder and CEO of Blacks in Green and creator of the Sustainable Square Mile™. “It’s nice to be acknowledged for all the work BIG is doing in the community, and receive vital support to continue to grow our vision of a thriving community with our Sustainable Square Mile pilot here in West Woodlawn. Through this partnership, we hope to advance the spirit of the Black community as a beautiful, prosperous, and comfortable place, by preserving our properties and investing in a whole-system neighborhood transformation.”
ADT’s donation allowed BIG to purchase our latest property on the corner of 65th and Champlain Avenue, the previous site of the Lincoln Memorial Congregation Church, and the future site of BIG’s community center, staffing offices, and our Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center (TCTAC) office which will be accessible by the community for consultation with our staff, right in the heart of our neighborhood. In addition, this space will be a neighborhood energy and resiliency center, which will provide a safe, temperature-controlled space and other resources for our neighbors, especially those most vulnerable, in the present-day climate emergency.
“Both of our organizations are deeply committed to community resiliency in a way that enhances individual well-being and peace of mind through community connectedness. This generous donation allowed us to move quickly and secure a critical historic property that BIG will preserve, restore with best green practices, and utilize for cultural activities, events, and programs to serve the community,” said David Yocca, Director of Green Infrastructure at Blacks in Green.
“Through our Safe Places program, ADT is partnering with Blacks in Green (BIG) to support their innovative community development initiatives in Chicago’s West Woodlawn neighborhood,” said Darienne Page, Senior Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility. “BIG’s holistic approach aligns with our commitment to creating safer, smarter, and more sustainable neighborhoods, and we are proud to work together to make a positive impact in the community.”
ADT Safe Places is ADT’s corporate philanthropic program that works to create a world where everyone feels safe. The program provides focused, impactful giving, volunteerism, and in-kind donations to groups working to create safe, smart, and sustainable improvements to their communities. ADT Safe Places also funds employee-led groups that drive additional volunteer events and donations.
The new property acquisition advances BIG’s Sustainable Square Mile pilot, which implements our 8 Principles of Green-Village-Building – a whole-system solution for the whole-system problem common to Black communities everywhere, and considered the gold standard for Black community economic development, where African American families walk-to-work, walk-to-shop, walk-to-learn, walk-to-play, own the businesses, own the land and live the conservation lifestyle — considered the beautiful life.
About Blacks in Green
Blacks in Green (BIG) is an environmental economic development non-profit that serves as a bridge and catalyst among communities and their stakeholders in the design and development of green, self-sustaining, mixed-income, walkable villages within Black neighborhoods with its Sustainable Square Mile system – designed to ensure that every household can walk-to-work, walk-to-shop, walk-to-learn, walk-to-play, own the businesses and the land, and live the conservation lifestyle. Learn more on our website at www.blacksingreen.org.
