Awards | Quad Communities

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2009 Chicago Neighborhood Development Award

In February 2009, our parent organization, The Cara Program, was selected as the recipient of the prestigious Chicago Neighborhood Development Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement in community building and especially the achievements of community-based organizations working to build healthier neighborhoods in the Chicago metropolitan area. The Cara Program was specifically recognized for its capacity in building a multi-layered service in the Mid-South Side, through the Career Pathways Resource Center, the Quad Communities Center for Working Families, The Cara Program, and The Cara Program’s social enterprise, Cleanslate. Please click here for a brief video on our programs that earned this award.

2009 Chicago Association of Minority Recruiters' Institution of the Year Award

In September 2009, The Quad Communities Center for Working Families' parent organization, The Cara Program, was named the 2009 Institution of the Year by the Chicago Association of Minority Recruiters (CAMR). The Cara Program received this honor in recognition of its impact on the field of human resources and efforts to help men and women to secure permanent, quality employment with Chicago’s businesses. Founded in 1986, CAMR is a Chicago-area non-profit “designed to create a network of minority professionals interested in development and community outreach.”

2009 Bank of America Neighborhood Builder Award

The Cara Program was extremely honored to have been named a 2009 Neighborhood Builder by the Bank of America Charitable Foundation in November 2009. Awarded to leading charitable and non-profit organizations, Neighborhood Builders are recognized for their distinguished community engagement. The Cara Program was selected as a 2009 recipient in recognition of its commitment to community development, post-employment support, and student career advancement.

2008 South East Chicago Commission Don Michael Randel Community Service Award

Dedicated to neighborhood partners who have helped to revitalize South East Chicago, this award recognizes key community leaders for their celebration of community. The Cara Program's social enterprise Cleanslate – a leading neighborhood beautification business with a dual mission of also empowering individuals facing high employment barriers to secure and sustain quality employment – was honored in the spring of 2008 for its contributions to community safety, neighborhood cleanliness, and block-by-block pride throughout South East Chicago.

2008 New Communities Program Community Heroes Award

In recognition of the neighborhood beautification services Cleanslate provides along the Cottage Grove corridor, and the personal outcomes individuals through this program have achieved, the New Communities Program recognized Cleanslate in the spring of 2008 as being among the Community Heroes who have helped to breathe new life within the Quad Communities, and who have directly contributed to this community’s Quality of Life plan.