576 signatures
Petition is addressed to: Howard Mui, building owner
For over 20 years, the Orphanage served the Bridgeport community as a hub for artistic, political, and spiritual collaboration. The Orphanage is home to community organizers, mutual aid workers, activists and anyone looking for shelter from an unkind world. The community center was previously owned by First Trinity Lutheran Church. In 2023, the church voted 10-11 to close but it was an unpopular decision with the community. During the closure and sale of the church, people decided to continue programming and community services. Currently two groups are still operating in the building, Midwest Books to Prisoners, which provides free books and literature to incarcerated community members all over the country, and Comedor Comunitario, which serves weekly meals to recent migrants.
The new owner wants to evict us and tear down this historic building. We want to stay and continue our work. If you have any love, memories or connection to the orphanage, show your support by signing our petition. We demand the eviction case dropped, and we want to be offered long-term tenancy or the opportunity to buy the building. This petition will be delivered to the owner to persuade him to drop the eviction.
Reason
If we lose The Orphanage, we not only lose our one of kind space, we also lose a piece of Chicago organizing history. We also lose part of our future. We want to continue to be a free space where radical projects can meet and hold workshops, events, fundraisers. We believe that we benefit the community around us and we want to continue to serve meals to the hungry and send books to those in prison.
Petition details
Petition started:
03/11/2025
Collection ends:
09/11/2025
Region:
South Chicago
Topic:
Habitation
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Why people sign
A place that fosters community in a world full of hellish division and isolation especially to the marginalized deserves to stay afloat.
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This building is a historical landmark for the neighborhood. We can’t allow it to be demolished for another cookie cutter contemporary building. Let the current tenants continue to serve the neighborhood in this icon!