Brighton Park Neighborhood Council (BPNC)

— A community-based, grassroots organization on Chicago's southwest side, a predominantly latinx and immigrant community.

Our Mission

Brighton Park Neighborhood Council is an intergenerational community-based organization dedicated to equity and racial justice. Our mission is to improve the quality of life for the working-class and immigrant populations of Chicago’s southwest side through grassroots organizing and providing free and accessible social services and quality programs for youth and adults.

Our Vision

Our vision at BPNC is to create a community where everyone has access to the resources and opportunities they need to thrive. We envision a future where institutions and leaders collaborate and coordinate their efforts to ensure that all individuals have access to quality education, healthcare, and housing, regardless of their background or socioeconomic status.

Our Approach

We believe that social change requires a multi-faceted approach. Thats why we have developed a social justice model that weaves together three crucial threads:
Develop and train community residents as grassroots leaders to lead campaigns for neighborhood improvement and development.
Develop the social service infrastructure to address the needs of the community.
Build community by bringing together leaders and institutions from throughout the neighborhood.
Our social justice model engages working class and immigrant Latino community members who are personally impacted by economic and racial injustice, and trains them as grassroots leaders in strategy development and organizational decision-making.

We utilize this model to address the following five issue areas

1. Education Justice
BPNC leverages existing community partnerships to promote academic success among Brighton Park students. Recognizing that youth’s academic achievement is integrally connected to their psychosocial needs, our work is grounded in a community school model that positions public schools as hubs where students, families, and the community at large can access a range of resources that promote their holistic well-being.
2. Healthcare Justice
Spearheaded by the efforts of our promotoras de salud (health promoters) and local healthcare providers, BPNC promotes the physical and emotional wellness of Brighton Park residents. Recognizing that community members face barriers to accessing health promoting resources due to factors including immigration status and lack of insurance coverage, BPNC aims to address these barriers to ensure that medical and mental health services are affordable and accessible to individuals and families in our neighborhood.
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Community members gathered at a table.
3. Comprehensive Immigration Reform
BPNC is dedicated to advocating for immigrant rights and promoting immigration justice. Through our campaigns, initiatives, and services we work to ensure that all members of our community have access to the resources and support they need, regardless of their immigration status.

We provide legal services, education and advocacy to empower and protect immigrant families. Our goal is to create a welcoming and inclusive community where everyone can thrive and succeed regardless of your immigration status.
4. Community Safety + Violence Prevention
BPNC focuses on facilitating access to social and emotional support services among Brighton Park youth and families to prevent family and community violence incidents. When supportive services are unavailable to individuals who have witnessed or directly experienced violent acts, untreated trauma may perpetuate ongoing cycles of violence. Our coalition thus aims to interrupt cycles of violence by promoting opportunities for individual, familial, and collective healing. With the bold goal of decreasing violence and abuse in our families and neighborhood by 60%
5. Economic Justice
BPNC focuses on connecting Brighton Park residents with the resources necessary to enhance their economic well-being. Recognizing that our community is disproportionately impacted by economic hardship, we aim to facilitate access to financial support and life-sustaining employment opportunities that will allow community members to build the assets that they need to thrive. We also work to address systemic issues of economic inequality through advocacy and policy change.

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