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Father Bruce Wellems, Boys Town Chicago Executive Director; Sen. Dick Durbin, (D) Illinois; State Rep. Edward Acevedo, (D) Chicago; Arturo Velasquez, Peace and Education Coalition member; State Sen. Tony Munoz, (D) Chicago; Paul Lopez, Boys Town Chicago Board of Trustees Chairman; Mayor Richard M. Daley, Chicago; Alderman George Cardenas, Chicago; Monica and Edgar, Boys Town youth; Alderman Pat Dowell, Chicago (Click the photo to enlarge.) |
Boys Town Chicago's Casa Tepeyac Opens to At-Risk Children
With the help of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, Boys Town Chicago's Assessment and Short-Term Residential Center known as “Casa Tepeyac” was dedicated to Back of the Yards children and families May 4, bringing programs directly to those who need them most.
In a special ceremony, Mayor Daley cut the ribbon along with Father Steve Boes, Boys Town National Executive Director and Back of the Yards leaders including Father Bruce Wellems, Boys Town Chicago Executive Director and the priest known to many as “The Father Flanagan of the Back of the Yards.” Father Wellems has helped dozens of children in the poverty-stricken immigrant area find help, healing and hope. Two youths who Father Wellems helped find success at Boys Town and will graduate Boys Town High School this month took part in the event. Now, hundreds more will find the healing services they need through Boys Town Chicago.
“What I hope Boys Town Chicago does for the children of the Back of the Yards is open up doors of new opportunities,” said Father Wellems, who helped found the Home as a collaborative effort between Boys Town, the Peace and Education Coalition and the Holy Cross/Immaculate Heart of Mary parish.
“We want to help the children of Chicago make healthy choices for themselves, their families and their neighborhood,” said Father Steve Boes, Boys Town National Executive Director. “We are proud to support the mission and these kids desperately trying to escape extreme poverty.”
“This home will provide treatment, counseling and a stable environment… so children can learn how to make good decisions and take responsibility for their own behavior, free from negative influences,” said Mayor Daley.
The Back of the Yards suffers from extreme poverty, with nearly 100 percent of school children qualifying for free and reduced lunch. Gangs, drugs and violence thrive here. For the past few years, 20 to 25 youth were buried, fallen victims of neighborhood violence.
"I think the challenge in a place like the Back of the Yards is the economic poverty, the low-income environment and what it brings with it," said Father Wellems. "We see this house as a place to support families and where kids can find the love and attention they need."
Boys Town Chicago will assist nearly 250 to 300 children through crisis services each year, helping the city's teens stay off the streets, out of gangs and in school, and create a safer neighborhood for everyone.
Rita Cardoso, Boys Town Chicago Program Director, was born and raised in the Back of the Yards. Thirty years after arriving in this southwest Chicago neighborhood, Cardoso hopes to help young teens realize their full potential and find the positive opportunities life has to offer.
"This is home for me. I need to stay and take care of my home, the neighborhood and the kids," said Cardoso.
"When you have adults who dedicate their time to help kids, it inspires people and that's what we're looking for," said Father Wellems. "I hope that Boys Town Chicago provides hope."
