Located on Chicago’s South Side, the Grand Boulevard community is home to several historic institutions. The area is also known to many for its Bronzeville neighborhood.
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The Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church is among the historical institutions. It’s a Chicago landmark that has been in the neighborhood for nearly 120 years.
Many influential people have passed through the church, especially during the civil rights movement like Martin Luther King Jr. This church is also known as the birthplace of gospel music.
Now, the church is hoping to receive a $900,000 grant through a city program to help with repairs and renovations.
“It’s going to go to the roof, tuck pointing HVACs, things that we have to repair or restore. It’s a beautiful edifice, and it’s a treasure for Chicago, and we want to have this space available for the next generation of Chicagoans to continue doing the work of ministry in our community,“ said the Rev. Darryl Person.
The Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church is a historical institution and landmark that has been in the neighborhood for nearly 120 years. (WTTW News)
A few blocks from the church is Cook County’s Provident Hospital, which is where the nation’s first open-heart surgery took place in 1893.
Dr. Claudia Fegan, chief medical officer at Cook County Health, she said they are feeling the impact of the surge in COVID-19 cases in the city. She also mentioned the concern surrounding the holidays and COVID-19.
“We are seeing patients with COVID increasing, and we also have been seeing people who haven’t got care. They’ve had delayed care because they were hesitant to come in and so the census for hospitals is very high,” Fegan said.
With Christmas around the corner and concerns over the omicron variant, physicians and officials are asking people not to let their guards down.
Cook County’s Provident Hospital is where the nation’s first open-heart surgery took place in 1893. (WTTW News)
The area’s Ald. Pat Dowell said the Grand Boulevard community has one of the lowest vaccination rates.
“The ZIP code 60653, which is the Grand Boulevard community, the number is below 77%, closer to 67% so we have ways to go. I think it’s a lot of the millennials who have misconceptions about the vaccine and probably some of our seniors who have the same misconception,” said Dowell.
Many businesses in Grand Boulevard have felt the economic impact of the pandemic, but the owner …….
Source: https://news.wttw.com/2021/12/16/chicago-tonight-your-neighborhood-grand-boulevard
