The Rogers Park Builders Group consists of property owners, developers and other real estate professionals in the East Rogers Park area of Chicago, whose mission is to promote responsible property management, ownership and development in our community. Since 1992, we have worked with community partners with the goal of improving our community.

 

Starting three years ago, our organization took on a special interest in our local schools, and we have engaged in a multiyear plan to offer financial support in the area of arts, sports and capital improvements.

As a result, we have taken on many projects: from converting a classroom into a ‘life skills classroom’ for Low Incidence children (autism, down syndrome); purchasing shoulder pads for the high school football team, buying Chromebooks for other high school students, funding theater programs, including an opera for local fifth graders, upgrading musical instruments and even paying for private music instruction for a dozen budding high school students for two years.

I am often asked what motivates our members to contribute so generously to the school. Sure, in part, we feel that strong schools help preserve or increase property values. Also, we realize that giving back to the community shows folks that there is a group of engaged property owners who truly do care.

 

The main reason is that we are truly excited to help the students, and see that they have rewarding school experiences. We know of the immense sacrifice and dedication of teacher and staff, and that our efforts helps sustain and energize them.

 

We enthusiastically support Loyola University Chicago’s effort to launch the RogersEdge Full Service Community Schools grant project. The Rogers Park and Edgewater communities have vibrant communities that recognize the importance of our schools – and there is particularly strong support for initiatives that support underserviced and refugee/immigrant communities. (Sullivan High School, for instance, enrolls students from 50 countries, speaking 40 languages.)

 

We feel that students ought to have meaningful, enriching experiences at their schools – and well-funded extracurricular activities can make such a huge difference for so many.

 

We urge you to support the RogersEdge project, as the additional resources will serve to strengthen these valuable community partnerships.