City and state community leaders gathered Oct. 1 to hear State Senate Minority Leader Emil Jones announce a $5-million grant from the Illinois First program to Center on Halsted. The Center on Halsted will soon be the largest multipurpose community center devoted to LGBT populations in Chicago and the Midwest.
The Center also received a $350,000 grant from the city, which Ald. Bernie Hansen (44th Ward) presented to the Center as part of aldermanic discretionary funds available for capital improvements in the ward. Center on Halsted also received a $250,000 grant from the Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust, recently announced by Co-Trustee James Alexander. The Trust aims to help build and support the community while promoting tolerance, and this grant will support the Center’s outreach, public relations, and fundraising activities.