The best part of the holiday season is memories made with friends, family and neighbors. Nowhere was this more evident than last weekend at Related Midwest’s South Shore Apartments in the Jackson Park Highlands Neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side, where hundreds of residents gathered in the community center to celebrate the season with neighbors and loved ones—and Santa!
Related Midwest spearheads the annual tradition to host a holiday party at a Related Affordable property in December. At this year’s festive event, residents enjoyed hot chocolate, sweet treats and family portraits with Santa.
To make residents’ holiday wishes come true, Related Affordable Foundation partnered with CHIGivesBack to support a gift giveaway—with each child who attended the event receiving a present. This year’s gifts included Bluetooth speakers, footballs, basketballs and LED vanity mirrors for teens; Play-Doh kits, art kits, Barbie dolls and trucks for children ages 6-12; and sensory balls, doctor sets and light-up animals for children ages 0-6. The spirit of giving was extended to the community’s seniors, who were gifted cozy winter staples, including hats, gloves, blankets and scarves.
This festive event was a testament to Related Midwest’s commitment to affordable housing and community investment. At the historic South Shore Apartments community, Related preserved 446 affordable homes that span 12 city blocks in 21 garden-style walk-up buildings. Related invested $49 million in rehabbing every unit in the complex. This renovation project, completed by LR Contracting, also included an additional $5 million in energy efficiency work. Related also added a dedicated Resident Services Coordinator to foster community building at the property.
By investing in both the physical structure at South Shore and in social events like this one, Related continues to assist residents in building a sense of community long after holiday decorations come down.
