Zahara Bassett fell on the floor of her best friend’s house exhausted from a long day of making $9 an hour and barely getting by. She was working as a housing monitor for TransLife Care at Chicago House, a transitional housing program for transgender people who have nowhere to stay or are reentering society. All […]
Category: City Life
Posted inCity Life
Chicago Reader’s Nonprofit Guide for 2023
Around this time of the year you’ll begin to hear the phrase “the giving season.” It’s the moment when donation-dependent organizations ramp up their campaigns in the hopes of being included in the gifting air that comes in on a wind of mailers, calls, and fundraisers. For the Nonprofit Issue, we thought it would be […]
Posted inFeature
The Reader’s 2023 Holiday Gift Guide
1 Chicago stepping lessons from award-winning south sider Shaun Ballentine of Effortless Stepping. —Salem Collo-Julin Open group lessons Wednesdays at 7 PM, Effortless Stepping Studio, 1850 E. 79th. $20 per person, 21+ only. For private lesson rates or information about having Ballentine do a stepping class at your event, message through Instagram or Facebook. 2 […]
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Visit Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art this holiday season and beyond
Established in 1967, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago is one of the world’s premier institutions celebrating the work of leading contemporary artists. Located just off Michigan Avenue near the historic Chicago Water Tower and the John Hancock Building, the 220,000-square-foot venue was designed by Berlin architect Josef Paul Klienhues and features three stories of […]
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Chicago area AFS-USA host families and students make the world more just and peaceful through intercultural exchange
It takes just one person to open your eyes to a new perspective and change your life forever. AFS-USA fosters those sorts of experiences by matching high school exchange students with host families around the world. It all started in 1915 with the founding of the American Ambulance Field Service, a volunteer ambulance corps that […]
Posted inCity Life
How Print & Object makes art collecting more accessible
A pair of denim jeans enhanced by acrylic paint, aerosol spray paint, permanent marker, and elbow grease. A lamp made out of tile, acrylic, and glass. A linen chore coat with flocked vinyl designs. Departing from the confines of traditional gallery settings, Anna Cerniglia and Kate Pollasch have united their decades-long curatorial and art programming […]
Posted inThe To-Do
The Jewish Deli, FORTS!, and more
Chicago has always been a midwestern hub for reflection and innovation aimed at making the world a more just, hospitable place. Perhaps it’s both my personal and institutional stake in the idea that a better world is possible, but the need for change feels especially pressing right now. As I continue witnessing the economic, social, […]
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Support Illinois Veterans with your purchase of the Winter Riches Instant Ticket from the Illinois Lottery
In 2006, the Illinois Lottery launched the first Instant Lottery ticket in the country that designated 100 percent of its profits toward organizations that support Veterans in Illinois. Working with the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs (IDVA), the Illinois Lottery has raised over $21 million to fund the Veterans’ Cash program, which has awarded grants […]
Posted inThe To-Do
Mixtape Trilogy, queer spaces, Brazilian Film Festival, and more
Mostra XIV: Brazilian Film Festival opening nightSat 11/4: reception and silent auction begin at 5 PM with music by Dil Costa and refreshments, followed by remarks at 6 PM. Paloma screening begins at 6:15 PM, followed by a Q&A with producer Ernesto Souto. Instituto Cervantes, 31 W. Ohio, $55.85, tickets through Eventbrite. Full festival schedule […]
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Pumpkins, Sanctum, and lowriders
It’s scary how much fun stuff is happening right now! Spooky season never misses. It Takes a Village (ITAV) Pumpkin PatchSat 10/21, includes a petting zoo, a bounce house, face painting, food, games, and a train, 4020 W. Division, free to attend, all-ages. Reservations required events.eventnoire.com/e/itav-pumpkin-patch-2023 For a classic autumn adventure appropriate for the whole […]
Posted inCity Life
Surviving rat poisoning, as a rat
When a beloved family pet finds poison intended for rodent invaders, a handful of local exotic animal hospitals can help save them.
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The Chicago Public Library Foundation invites you to make the future now
Join Colson Whitehead, Rebecca Makkai, Richard Hunt, and Bob Wislow on November 1 to celebrate the power of public libraries. This November, the Chicago Public Library Foundation Awards returns for its 23rd year, in celebration of the Chicago Public Library’s 150-year legacy of serving Chicagoans through community-building and access to information while highlighting the crucial […]
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Carolyn Adams Ticket for the Cure saves lives in Illinois
Senator Mattie Hunter shares the backstory of the first Illinois Lottery specialty ticket dedicated to breast cancer support The Carolyn Adams Ticket for the Cure (TFTC) is an Illinois Lottery specialty ticket where 100 percent of profits go towards breast cancer research and support services in Illinois. Initiated by Senator Mattie Hunter and Senate President […]
Posted inCity Life
Chris Hayes, off screen
Chris Hayes reaches a larger audience with his MSNBC show All In With Chris Hayes than he did when he first wrote for the Reader in 2001, but his sense of curiosity and sensitivity to the complexities of politics has stayed the same. 2023 has been a year of anniversaries for Hayes at the network. […]
Posted inThe To-Do
Boptober, Rocktober, Frocktober?
Uhhh . . . how is it October already? I swear it was just July. Starting the month with 80-degree days has me thinking, “Wow, what can’t this month do.” Viva Acid10/5-10/9, workshops and events at Q Studios, 2328 N. Milwaukee, third floor. Performances include in-store DJ sets by Geto Mark and D. Strange at […]