Remember the day you moved out of your parents home and into a space of your own? You know that liberating feeling of being able of living life independently, having the choice of what you want to do and when? We sometimes take our daily lives for granted. We hop on the train, we go to work, we hang out with friends, we do all the wonderful things life has for us. But for people with disabilities, the fastest growing minority in the country, doing some of these daily tasks require a little more support.
Meet Patrick and Elise, two participants at the Center For Independent Futures, and witness their transformations over the years. Their inspiring stories are just proof that with the right supports in place, and a strong, inclusive community, everybody can achieve the skills needed to live an independent life! Watch on.
A year ago, I had the great privilege of working alongside Rebecca Parrish, doing location sound recording for Jen Gilomen, one of the filmmakers behind Working Films documentary Deep Down when they brought their film’s protagonist Beverly May to Chicago. They were here for an ITVS Community Cinema Screening, but first stopped by Little Village to meet the members of the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO) to learn about their fight against several toxic industries, including two huge coal power plants that were poisoning the air and the people in those neighborhoods.
LVEJO member Ian took us on a walking tour of his neighborhood, where we got to stand right outside the towering gates of the Fisk plant in Pilsen. The change in the quality of air I was breathing was immediately noticeable. There was no running away from the foul smell of chemicals in the air. As I crinkled my nose and started to fear the effect breathing the air would have on my brain that day, I wondered how the City of Chicago could allow such a toxic-emitting plant to carry on running right where people’s homes are. A 2010 study showed that pollution from the Fisk and Crawford plants alone leads to 42 premature deaths, 66 heart attacks and 720 asthma attacks each year!
Fast forward to today, I found myself back in Pilsen, where the smoke stack of the Fisk plant towered over me once again. A large crowd had gathered in the park across the street carrying signs and chanting continuously. This time, the looks on the faces of Pilsen residents were ones of sheer joy and celebration. Just yesterday, news broke that both coal plants in Chicago will soon shut down.
That’s when Greenpeace, one of the organizations that’s been fighting for this for years, called me to help document this historic victory.
Visit their blog to read their recap of the day and watch a clip of Lelia Mendez, a member of the Pilsen Environmental Rights and Reform Organization (PERRO), giving an emotionally-charged speech.
(Thank you Mitch, for passing this opportunity along. It was so great to come full circle.)
Meet Tyler. Bright student. Strong role model. Aspiring journalist. One of the 15,000 lives that has been touched by Evanston non-profit organization Y.O.U. (Youth Organizations Umbrella, Inc.) over the last 40 years. She’s also one of the talented young men and women I had the privilege of meeting while on my journey to document the impact that Y.O.U. makes in our community.
With comprehensive after-school programming, assistance with homework, enriching summer activities and leadership development opportunities, Y.O.U. enables every youth the opportunity to realize their full potential, regardless of their economic backgrounds. I’d also like to highlight, especially, the organization’s one-on-one mentoring program. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of having a good mentor in life and am so glad the kids get paired with their own mentors through the program.
To learn more about Y.O.U., visit their official website at www.youevanston.org
About the video Produced/Directed/Sound Recorded by Shuling Yong Cinematography by Jeff Perlman
A community is only as strong as its foundation, and for over 40 years, CNE has been providing the building blocks necessary to ensure that children in Evanston and its surrounding communities have access to quality early education programs. Research has shown that without this quality care during the early childhood years – birth to five – a child’s chance for future educational, professional and personal success is greatly compromised, thus having a great impact on the stability and overall health of a community.
Details Oct 2011
Duration: 7min 9secs
Shot on the Panasonic GH2
Edited on Final Cut Pro
Produced/Directed by Shuling Yong
Cinematography by Jeff Perlman
Location Sound Recording by Jonathan Vogel and Morgan Johnson
Edited by Philipp Batta
Shuling Yong 