Photo Caption: Mike Rohrbeck, Voice Executive Director, presents award to 2023 Honorees, the dynamic couple of affordable housing, Jackie Taylor Holsten and Peter Holsten.
Voice of the People in Uptown, as a community-based and tenant-led organization, begins its 56th year in 2024 — celebrating our history, recognizing impactful leaders of the present and past, and detailing our “leap forward” at a blues-themed annual fundraiser “Sweet Home Uptown”: Thursday April 18thth, 2024. (To sponsor the event or buy tickets visit our registration page bit.ly/SHU24.)
This 4th annual celebration and fundraiser will feature delicious “Taste of Uptown” dining, amazing music of the Chicago Blues scene and recognition of community development and legacy leaders.
Honorees include Peter Levavi of Brinshore Development, who has had a stunning career of community development accomplishments and innovation in public housing. Also being honored, Voice staff alum Ed Jacob, who built on his experience with Voice to become one of Chicago’s most respected mavens of social, economic and community development services. And Sweet Home Uptown introduces to Chicago a born and raised Voice tenant, Angela Clay, a self-proclaimed “poster child” and role model for residents of affordable housing, now Alderwoman of the 46th Ward.
Over the past four years over 700 Voice of the People stakeholders, residents, funders, and community members attended events virtually and in-person. Over 4000 others have viewed the Sweet Home Uptown events and spotlight videos focusing on our history, activist leadership and staff on the Voice YouTube Channel (bit.ly/VoiceVideos).
The Chicago blues hit “Gotta Move Out to the Suburbs” by the Cash Box Kings has provided a fun and thematic inspiration to Sweet Home supporters committed to preventing displacement and preserving a place for people of all races, incomes and needs in Uptown and on Chicago’s north lakefront.
As we move into a year of transformation with significant growth, our 2024 goal is to raise $90,000 at Sweet Home Uptown. At the event, you’ll learn about the groundbreaking community land trust named after our legacy leader, Dovie Thurman. You’ll hear about advance work being done by finance and resident services staff for a 5-building, 103-unit preservation project — the Heart of Uptown Apartments. We’ll unveil networking projects and new partnerships intended to increase the capacity of affordable housing owners to viably sustain our community’s racial, economic and needs diversity.
The Sweet Home All Star Band is an amazing group this year. The seven-piece band features legendary guitarists and mainstays of the local music scene, including Chicago natives, kids of the blues and Uptown residents. They include headliners of Chicago’s most prominent blues venues, where they show off great vocals and contributions of violin, bass and sax. The Sweet Home All Stars will provide soulful background for reception/dining, and in post-program jam, honor the traditions of Chicago Blues with European and Left Coast influences, including crowd-pleasing danceable favorites.
Sponsorships are still available for corporations, foundations, host-donors, and local non-profit and business allies. Sponsors, hosts, ticket buyers and donors can register today at our Event Page. If you would like to support an affordable housing resident to attend Sweet Home Uptown 2024, base price tickets cost $150.00 and tables are $750.00 !
