March 27, 2023, the Department of Equity and Engagement’s Community Safety, & Justice Division held its monthly Blueprint Partner meeting at the Illinois Terminal. The goal of this meeting was to convene with Blueprint Partners and discuss their organization’s program initiatives with fellow attendees. This meeting also allowed organizations to raise awareness of new and existing forms of support available to the community.
Kristie Kirk and Antonio Lenow Jr. presented information about their organization, the National Youth Advocate Program. Their Restore, Reinvest, Renew program aims to assist youth ages 13-26 who are at risk of entering the Juvenile Justice System. They also work with young adults with active street involvement and youth who have been victimized by community violence. They offer both monthly community outreach meetings and twice weekly peer group meetings. Marlon Mitchell presented information about his initiatives and goals for the First Followers Organization. First Followers will be launching a new re-entry service, Families of Resilience. This service is designed to supporting families of people who have been recently released from prison.