Someone please tell me why the APCC is acting all crazy and drunk (and maybe stealing federal and/or state grant money?)

 Yeah, another one of Fruzs's rants about obscure neighborhood issues.

But seriously, as someone who has lived here for 5ish years with limited knowledge of how state and federal funds work, even I know what I am about to tell you is fucked up. (Note: the center on Kimball and Foster that teaches ESL actually does good work which I have seen first hand and is in no way included in this rant. All those teachers and staff in that building are exempt from my textual wrath as they actually provide a service to the community.)

Back in March I became furious upon learning the APCC moved their main building out of the neighborhood, for presumably cheaper rent and larger office space. But it wasn't just their offices; APCC moved community services too. I never actually used the APCC for anything, but people living in the hood that were in need of its services were always wary of it, which made me pause.  The fact that they were taking money out of the neighborhood -- ie, they got money for providing services in a troubled neighborhood but now they were no longer in a troubled neighborhood --  was what pissed me off. 



I was also skeptical of this "cheaper rent in a bigger space" excuse given the affluence of the surrounding neighborhood the APCC relocated into but I let it slide as it was just an unsubstantiated hunch. Well, according to an anonymous source, the rent is in fact higher. They're having trouble paying rent.

Okay. Weird.

Whatever, Fruzs. Maybe your source is lying, or maybe they just really liked the office space, and since they are now taking more private money and less state and federal grants ....wait.

Wait what did you just say, they let go of Radhika Sharma Gordon? Thee Radhika Sharma Gordon, the face of the APCC? That same woman- no sorry community leader - I photographed receive an award for her service at the 2010(?) District 17 town hall meeting? The only one who bothered answering my questions about the center? Who I spoke with at a CeaseFire event involving a teen that was shot in the leg? Who was generally very well respected among other community leaders? Say it isn't so.

It is; Radhika now works for Northeastern Illinois, has for some time now.

And CeaseFire? Who used to be located in the building on Kimball and Lawrence?  They relocated with the APCC, who closed down that CeaseFire center. They moved into a different neighborhood that does not meet troubled neighborhood guidelines. There is currently no CeaseFire in Albany Park even though this neighborhood received funding for one.

What kind of funding?

PRIVATE, FEDERAL AND STATE FUNDING!!!!!

Meanwhile, CeaseFire's Albany Park interrupter in his spare time after normal hours at the APCC, commutes back to this neighborhood to meet with parents concerned about their teens getting involved with gangs at the Ecuadorean center on Ainslie and Lawrence.