This July attendees at the ICOC International Campus Ministry Conference (ICMC) will join with HOPE worldwide in a Day of Service in the 16th Ward, located in the Greater Englewood community. Englewood has 2,000 vacant lots littered with trash and debris.

All participants must register and submit a waiver to participate: CLICK HERE to REGISTER and DOWNLOAD WAIVER

In addition to property clean-up, a lead testing program is also proposed at the site. Chicago leads the nation in the number of children identified with lead poisoning. Childhood lead poisoning is linked to learning disabilities, hyperactivity, speech and behavioral disorders, reduced intelligence and can lead to long-term health and socialization problems.

Englewood and West Englewood rank first and third, respectively, in the Chicago area. Forty two percent of the community’s housing units are considered a high risk for lead paint hazards. The numbers may be even greater since statistics are based on less than half of the total population of children being tested in these communities, despite the fact that state law mandates testing for all children under the age of six.