Chicago Cares CEO strives to rewrite a 'tale of two cities'

Chicago Cares Chief Executive Officer Jenné Myers is driven by the thought of just one Chicago.

“If we connect people of differences, we hope that we’re increasing empathy and decreasing bias,” Myers told West Loop News of the more than quarter-century old nonprofit's mission of mobilizing residents across the city in hopes of building a stronger and more unified home front. “The more we’re able to do that, the more we become a more equitable Chicago.”

Headquartered in the heart of downtown Chicago, the volunteer group ventures out, particularly on the city’s South and West sides, to build partnerships with communities working to build a better way of life. Chicago Cares makes direct investments in neighborhoods such as Englewood, Belmont Cragin, Bronzeville and Auburn Gresham in hopes of bringing positive changes.    

Chicago Cares CEO Jenné Myers | Twitter

“In a lot of ways, we have a tale of two cities,” Myers said. “The inequities in those differences stand out on the South and West sides. We’re focusing on neighborhoods to see how we can leverage resources in those communities and make true investments.”

Myers says the group’s approach often delves deeper than what people might expect from most volunteer groups.

“When you think about traditional volunteering, there’s usually a lot of hands-on effort,” she said. “We do all of that, but we also come from a community-approach angle where we work to figure out what the needs of the community are and what are the assets we have that can help. Everything we do is based on where the community is. We find an anchor program in the community to work with and from there it’s the residents that say what the priorities are. We actually hire a local resident at Chicago Cares to make sure the voice of the residents and community is being heard. So much of what we need to be doing as an agency and partner is listening.”

The goal is to bring about immediate change while setting a pathway for long-term growth, no matter what the cost, Myers says.

“If we can’t start thinking about system change, the needle is never going to move,” Myers said. “Equity also means that sometimes other people have to give.”

For Myers, who worked under both Chicago Mayors Richard M. Daly and Rahm Emanuel in the area of social services, the act of giving has become natural.

“My whole career has been about helping others,” Myers said. “I’ve been CEO at Chicago Cares for six years now and it just kind of seems like a natural continuation of my career. We’re really about connecting people, getting them to see the need behind this kind of work and why it’s so necessary.”