Center on Halsted
Encyclopedia
Center on Halsted is a Lesbian
, Gay
, Bisexual, and Transgender
(LGBT
) community center in Chicago, Illinois. It is the largest LGBT Community Center in the Midwest with more than 1,000 people walking through its doors every day.
The Center is located in the diverse neighborhood of Lakeview, Chicago
on the corner of Halsted and Waveland. It is open every day from 8am to 10pm. Patrons participate in the diverse public programs and social services offered at Center on Halsted - ranging from volleyball and cooking classes to rapid HIV testing and group therapy.
After a $20 million capital campaign involving 2,000 donors, Center on Halsted opened its 175,000 sq. ft.Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
-certified building in 2007 with Whole Foods
as an anchor tenant and two levels of underground parking.
Major funding for the center came through private/corporate donations, with additional funding and support from the City of Chicago. The support of Chicago’s then-Mayor was recognized by the construction of the Richard M. Daley
Rooftop Garden.
Center on Halsted works with city and state governments and an array of local providers to provide comprehensive social services to LGBT and ally community members in need including:
The Center works in collaboration with other Chicago nonprofits. Collaborators in the past have included the Museum of Contemporary Art
, After School Matters, The Chicago Historical Society, The University of Chicago, The Chicago Architecture Foundation
, the School of the Art Institute
, the Garfield Park Conservatory, the Chicago Blackhawks
and the Chicago Cubs
.
Center on Halsted also hosts a number of smaller community organizations in its space as Resident Partners. These include the Association of Latino Men for Action, Athletic Alliance of Chicago, IMPACT Program at Northwestern University
, Lakeside Pride Symphony Orchestra, NAMES Project, Northalsted Business Alliance, Windy City Performing Arts and Windy City Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf.
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, Gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
, Bisexual, and Transgender
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
(LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
) community center in Chicago, Illinois. It is the largest LGBT Community Center in the Midwest with more than 1,000 people walking through its doors every day.
The Center is located in the diverse neighborhood of Lakeview, Chicago
Lakeview, Chicago
Lake View, or Lakeview, is one of the 77 community area of the Chicago, Illinois, located in the city's North Side. It is bordered by West Diversey Parkway on the south, West Irving Park Road on the north, North Ravenswood Avenue on the west, and the shore of Lake Michigan on the east...
on the corner of Halsted and Waveland. It is open every day from 8am to 10pm. Patrons participate in the diverse public programs and social services offered at Center on Halsted - ranging from volleyball and cooking classes to rapid HIV testing and group therapy.
History
In 1973, Gay Horizons was established by a group of volunteers. Over time, the organization evolved and changed its name to Horizons Community Services, becoming a comprehensive LGBT social services agency. In 2003, Horizons Community Services was renamed Center on Halsted. The core programming of Horizons Community Services remained while new services were envisioned and realized.After a $20 million capital campaign involving 2,000 donors, Center on Halsted opened its 175,000 sq. ft.Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design consists of a suite of rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighborhoods....
-certified building in 2007 with Whole Foods
Whole foods
Whole foods are foods that are unprocessed and unrefined, or processed and refined as little as possible, before being consumed. Whole foods typically do not contain added ingredients, such as salt, carbohydrates, or fat. Examples of whole foods include unpolished grains, beans, fruits, vegetables...
as an anchor tenant and two levels of underground parking.
Major funding for the center came through private/corporate donations, with additional funding and support from the City of Chicago. The support of Chicago’s then-Mayor was recognized by the construction of the Richard M. Daley
Richard M. Daley
Richard Michael Daley is a United States politician, member of the national and local Democratic Party, and former Mayor of Chicago, Illinois. He was elected mayor in 1989 and reelected in 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, and 2007. He was the longest serving Chicago mayor, surpassing the tenure of his...
Rooftop Garden.
Programs and Services
Center on Halsted develops and hosts an array of public programs open to the public that provide fun, educational and enlightening opportunities for members of the LGBT community and allies. These include:- Athletic programs: A full gymnasium used by more than 300 community members/week including five recreational leagues and activities including basketball, volleyball, hockey and yoga.
- Art and Cultural programs: Regular art exhibits, film screenings, dance and live performances hosted in our state of the art theater attracting more than 5,000 attendees/year.
- Community Cyber Center: Providing free Internet access and technology training to more than 2,100 patrons/year.
- Affinity Programs: Specific cultural events, workshops, discussions and networking opportunities for various affinity groups within the LGBT Community including bisexuals, transgender people, women and LGBT families.
- Senior programs: Cultural outings, workshops and social space bringing more than 150 LGBT Seniors together each week. More than 8,300 meals provided to seniors annually.
- Culinary Arts: Comprehensive training in culinary arts provided by community chefs for new and continuing education students.
- Community Meeting Space: Convenient, state-of-the art meeting and recreational space available for rent for community members and organizations.
Center on Halsted works with city and state governments and an array of local providers to provide comprehensive social services to LGBT and ally community members in need including:
- Mental Health Services: Individual, group and family counseling for 500 community members/year on a sliding scale, resulting in more than 5,000 clinical hours. Special focus includes healthy LGBT living, coming out, HIV/AIDS and LGBT domestic violence and abuse.
- Support Groups: Group meetings offering support for community members on a variety of topics including coming out, grief and loss, living with HIV and 12-step recovery.
- Sexual Orientation & Gender Institute: Licensed training for local mental health graduate students and practitioners in LGBT and cultural competency and professional development.
- Legal Services: Free legal consultations, workshops and referrals serving more than 500 community members/year.
- Anti-Violence Project: Therapy, social services, court advocacy and incident reporting for more than 200 victims of domestic violence and abuse in the LGBT community every year.
- HIV Testing: Free, confidential, anonymous testing and support serving more than 2,500 community members/year.
- State of Illinois AIDS/HIV & STD Hotline: Free, confidential counseling and referrals serving nearly 14,000 callers/year from across Illinois and the Midwest.
- Youth Services: Leadership training, professional development, crisis intervention, housing assistance, art therapy and case management.
The Center works in collaboration with other Chicago nonprofits. Collaborators in the past have included the Museum of Contemporary Art
Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago is a contemporary art museum near Water Tower Place in downtown Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The museum, which was established in 1967, is one of the world's largest contemporary art venues...
, After School Matters, The Chicago Historical Society, The University of Chicago, The Chicago Architecture Foundation
Chicago Architecture Foundation
The Chicago Architecture Foundation is a nonprofit group in Chicago, Illinois, USA, dedicated to increasing the public's understanding of architecture and design...
, the School of the Art Institute
Art Institute
Art Institute or The Art Institute may refer to:*The Art Institutes, a network of for-profit vocational schools with locations across North America, including:**Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
, the Garfield Park Conservatory, the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
and the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
.
Center on Halsted also hosts a number of smaller community organizations in its space as Resident Partners. These include the Association of Latino Men for Action, Athletic Alliance of Chicago, IMPACT Program at Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
, Lakeside Pride Symphony Orchestra, NAMES Project, Northalsted Business Alliance, Windy City Performing Arts and Windy City Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf.
External links
- Official web site
- "McKeon Honors Center on Halsted Groundbreaking" by Laird Petersen, 6/14/2005, 8:00:00 AM
- "Horizons to Change Name, Identity Morphs into 'Center on Halsted'" by Tracy Baim, Windy City TimesWindy City TimesWindy City Times is Chicago's oldest LGBT newspaper, and the only Chicago gay publication with an independent circulation audit current as of 2008....
, 2003 - "If you build it, will they come?", Time Out Chicago, 2007