By Jennifer Lyng
Special to Inside
When the Ravenswood Community Council (RCC) lost its longtime Executive Director, Dick Hankett, to cancer in April, it was a challenge to find someone capable of carrying on his mission. Carolyn Bull, a friend of Hankett who had worked with him on community programs for years in the past, became the new Executive Director on May 1.
Bull left the City Hall office of Ald. Gene Schulter (47th) to work even more closely with the neighbors and businesses of the Ravenswood Community. Prior to that, she was a Congressional Aide for Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Already active in the neighborhood, she is president of the Common Pantry, which is a food pantry on Damen Ave. In addition, Bull is on the Association Board of the Old Town School of Folk Music and is involved in St. Benedict Parish and other local organizations.
Having already worked on many projects with the RCC, Bull feels it was a good fit for her to come in and coordinate the RCC's ongoing programs and commitments. A resident of the St. Ben's neighborhood for years, she says, "It's important to be dedicated and know hands-on the community you are representing."
Four main initiatives of the RCC include the Housing Resource Center, the CELLphone project, the H-RAIL Program and Retail 47, which works on local business development. The Housing Resource Center helps residents with housing searches as well as landlord/ tenant education and dispute resolution. The CELLphone project refurbishes donated cellular phones and provides free 911-only service to area citizens such as isolated seniors, the disabled, school crossing guards and playground monitors. The H-RAIL program helps low and moderate income seniors with free repairs to assist with accessibility and safety issues in their homes. Through Retail 47, a local business development program, the RCC works with vacant building owners to try to attract positive small businesses to commercial vacancies in to the area.
The RCC also concentrates on safety issues with CAPS, development and zoning issues. They "try to be a voice for the needs of the community," says Bull. They work on senior housing issues and neighborhood beautification as well as tax issues. "Some of our future projects may include programs focusing on youth or the many families in the RCC community and support for those agencies that serve our area's needy," explains Bull. Future projects will focus on the homeless and food pantries.
Bull has been busy coordinating the many summer events in which the RCC participates. These include Ribfest, the Summer Concert Series at Northcenter Town Square, and the Garden View Party (July 18) and gardening competition. Bull, an avid gardener herself, says, "We are always looking for new members who want to get involved in the community." She hopes to find even more ways to get the RCC involved with the community and get new groups to participate. She would especially like to see additional youth programs.
The RCC, with boundaries at Addison Ave., Bryn Mawr Ave., Clark St. and the Chicago River, has offices at 2348 W. Irving Park Rd., Suite 106. Residents, businesses or institutions wanting to get involved should call (773) 583-1600 or visit ravenswoodcommunity.org.
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