Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:00 Today we are continuing our conversation with three stewards in Maywood, Illinois. Randy McFarland from the best of Proviso Township, Chris Chambliss from the Nehemiah Community Project, Lena Hatchet from Loyola University and Proviso Partners for Health. In this episode, we are exploring how their friendships have led to unconventional possibilities around collaboration between their large local hospital, Loyola Medicine and Maywood residents. And so I wanna turn to the last topic, and it, and it, and it connects to the thread you, you talked about around, um, you know, institutions, people that have left and abandoned Maywood. You said there was a canning company, there was Canada Dry and, and, and also the white flight. And I think, you know, one institution that you know, can't easily leave, you know, most communities is, is the local hospital or the university. Some, some people call 'em anchor institutions because they're sort of, capital is anchored in such a way that it's not easy for them to move to where there's cheaper labor or to another country or, or whatnot.
Speaker 0 00:01:06 And so, I, I think a lot of our listeners across the country, there's a dynamic between sort of the local hospital and the university and the surrounding community. That's, that's oftentimes, you know, quite adversarial or there's not a lot of collaboration happening between the two. And our, our listeners, I think a lot of them are thinking about the possibility and the potential for partnerships between our universities and hospitals, and then also community nonprofits and community leaders like yourself. Lena, you do happen to also wear that hat as a faculty member of Loyola, you know, what have you seen as some of the, the benefits and, and kind of possibilities between, you know, a Loyola and Maywood and the surrounding community
Speaker 1 00:01:46 Growing up in the community? Um, we knew that if we had an ailment needed a, uh, needed medical attention, we knew to go to the hospital. Um, that, that we feel as though that there was, um, a possibility of having more of a two-way street with those local institutions. And not just the hospitals, but even with the local colleges. I would say no, since I've known Lena is more of a, um, communication, more of a visibility. Last year I got a, a inbox message on Facebook from a student from Loyola. Um, I think he's, he's a medical student, but he, he wanted to help. I know that was directly from Lena. That's a beautiful thing because that means that when you go on a war and you go on a battle and there's things need to be done, you got a huge ally in your backyard.
Speaker 1 00:02:38 I'm excited about hospitals like Lola. And I'm gonna tell you something else. I realized too, over the holidays, Layla Hospital has a wing for the Ronald McDonald's house, and they have a wing, uh, specifically for children in our village. There was a lot of toy drives and toy giveaways. And I started thinking about the kids and the patients who are in the hospital. Over the holiday season, we came up with an idea that we wanna do a parade for the children. We normally take homeless, homeless kids and families to Brookfield Zoo to see the holiday lights. Well, this year we couldn't do it because of Covid. So we decided we were going to dress our cars up in lights, um, decorate our cars, and then when they get dark drive by the windows of the children and the adult patients at the hospital. When we explained what we wanted to do to the administration and the head of security at the, uh, Layla Hospital, I love, I love when I don't get pushed back with a crazy idea.
Speaker 1 00:03:33 They were on board from the immediate beginning. I told them the only reason why I was really comfortable reaching out to him is because Elena, uh, and they said, well, yeah, we know Elna, we know Elena. And I shared it with him and they embraced it. And the head of security, really, I thought he was gonna cry after we did it cuz it was about 60 cars. We had the local multiple villages sent. They policed cars and, uh, ambulances and paramedics and fire engines. The security hit of security, I thought he was about to crop. He said, man, he said, we really need this. He said, man, he said, we've been hurting Harry. He said, he said, uh, I got 20 of my men alone who tested positive covid last year. He said, we see in death every day. He said, the morale is really, really at a very low and very low.
Speaker 1 00:04:17 So when he, when he said, I said, you know what I said? I said, maybe I realized on how we can help our local hospitals also, you know, to boost the morale. I said, maybe, you know, in the future we do this once a month, you know, especially for the children. Maybe we do this once a month for the children in the hospital who have birthdays that month, um, the, the, the adults and bring food to the staff that's central employees. I said, so, you know, we gonna make sure that that, uh, this going, the presence of our hospital, uh, we'll never forget that they're in our backyard. You know, and I, and I know Lena had the help with bringing that to our, our attention. And now I'm not only thinking on how they can help us, I'm thinking on how we can be a better partner to them also.
Speaker 2 00:05:00 Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, when you have, um, a representative and you know, you're hearing us say Lena, uh, not just because she's with us, but it's, it's what she represents. And so being that, um, that leader, that agent for change, right? And, uh, being with the local hospital, you know, hopefully there will be others that will see that very thing. Those other hospitals that, and institutions that Randy spoke of, that they would say, Hey, you know, I think we have a one in ours that we would love to be a part and then begin this, this partnership, as Randy said, both ways. Because with anything there's, there, there always has to be a, a duality to it. And, and I think that's, that's the, uh, the key to success. So again, we're back at the basics. We're back at the top of the program relationships, right? And so how do we kind of keep that going and how do we kind of keep moving to just strengthen and fortify these, these, uh, these opportunities that we have ahead of us?
Speaker 3 00:06:00 Thanks, uh, Randy and Chris, uh, it, it so speaks to my soul to hear that. And what I wanna share with other hospitals and universities who are anchor institutions in their neighborhoods is that I'm Lena Loyola, but you have Alina at your organization and you need to find that person who's a change agent, who's a bridge to the community who already is doing the work. Uh, years before we had any funding, we were doing the work out of pocket. As Randy said, Loretta and I were running a farmer's market. We were two people alone thinking we could do this. And soon we had a third person. The time we turned around, we had 15 people and organizations and institutions. I'm not the CEO and I, when I started this work, I didn't have the title of community, um, or director of community and university partnerships.
Speaker 3 00:06:56 I was doing it from the heart. And institutions have those people and if you really wanna make transformation in the community in terms of relationship, find that person and work with them, learn what they already know. I learn from Loretta and Randy and Chris and a host of other community members because although I'm a teacher to be impactful, I had to unlearn what I thought I knew and really listen to what the community needed for me. Sometimes I organize and plan an initiative, but many times people are telling me what to do and how I can be useful cuz I'm not gonna know on my own Right. Tell me where to be. It might be support, it might be networking, and it might be listening. And so our role as institutions isn't always with the big money bags and leading and setting up things. Sometimes we are most helpful when we're following what the community is already building.
Speaker 3 00:07:57 And that's definitely where I sit. And um, and I've been able to make an impact as a supporter and a change agent. Uh, leveraging trust. All institutions can do better, right? Um, and we've been on a journey and we've been successful, but we still have a long way to go as an institution in proviso. Uh, thankfully, thankfully I have my brothers with me. Um, and the rest of proviso. And I loved what Randy said about now the institution needs the community more than ever and they're there for us and we truly appreciate, um, what the community is doing to support the institution. So thank you both.
Speaker 0 00:08:42 The one thing I'm hearing is that you obviously have played such an important role as, as almost like a bridge between, between the institution from what I'm hearing, the way Chris and and Randy talk about it. Um, and, and I think for my observations, oftentimes when it's kind of a lone bridge, it's it's actually very, it can be very difficult to hold that kind of bridge by yourself. And I'm just curious, like, have you been able to find kind of others to build kind of a wider bridge?
Speaker 3 00:09:12 I might be the name that people knows, but, uh, I don't take one step without, um, a large team. So, uh, that means how do I teach my students medical students and graduate students in bioethics so that they can be change agents in their neighborhood? We have the students who volunteer and not just as, as a service to the community, but to know that that is gonna make them a better physician in the future. Um, supporting, um, faculty, um, in research or service. So I think our bridge is thick and wide. When we received large funding, we needed the, I uh, needed the support of a large institution to help manage the structure of that. I'm, I'm good with relationships and people and my backgrounds in psychology, but I needed a finance person and an accountant person, a budget manager person. And so leveraging, looking at what it is that you need is, it's not a one woman show.
Speaker 3 00:10:12 Um, one hospital administrator that I was working with, uh, he was very uneasy with our work on economic development. This, it's in the rules and I don't know if we should be doing this and why are we doing this? And I took the patients and the time to just stay with it. And, uh, after he retired, he came back and was working with Proviso partners for health as a volunteer. Cuz you don't switch mindsets and strategy overnight or just because somebody told you, you have to understand why. So these, uh, uh, I would tell hospitals and institutions understand that you need the community, um, and, uh, you are in relationship with that community and it needs to grow so you can thrive and so that the community can
Speaker 0 00:11:03 Thrive. So now I think we talked about, uh, you know, the possibilities and benefits and, and yeah, I'd love to hear from you all, maybe particularly Randy and Chris, you know, what, what, where do you see there's room to grow?
Speaker 1 00:11:15 One thing that I would love to see in the village of Maywood is that, uh, take Loyola for instance, Loyola have doctors, um, staff there who, who have residency there and more likely they need a place to stay. They need a house, they need apartment. I would like to see more of the staff. They're probably feeling comfortable enough to live in the village of Maywood. Um, the legendary scientist, Percy Julian lived in Maywood. He lived in, it was a street called eWAY. If you ever come to Maywood, it's on 15th and Oak. It's a historical landmark. His houses a historical landmark. The street is named after him. Hopefully, you know, in the future that the staff that work daily at local facilities like Loyola Hospital will feel comfortable enough to live in the village of Maywood and then shop, spend money and help the economy.
Speaker 1 00:12:13 There's restaurants right across the street from Lala Hospital. Hopefully the, the entire staff, Hey, you get hungry. They, they're superheroes. We know that, you know, but they do have to eat. So hopefully the staff, you know, are comfortable enough to go into the village of Maywood and, and spend funds to help keep the economy going in the village of Maywood. I know what my personal goal is, is to work daily to make Maywood so desirable that those individuals who live in the far west affluent suburbs, that when they drive they cars to the city of Chicago, cuz they gotta drive right past the village of Maywood before they go downtown, paid a $700 parking. You know, that they decided that, you know what, let me stop off in the village of Maywood and get a bite to eat. Let me hear some of this incredible jazz music I've been hearing about at the local t j and J's. And, or maybe let me go over here and visit the, the chairman Fred Hampton Museum. You know, uh, his, his house is a museum now, you know, let me go visit Percy Julian house where he, where he used to live at. You know, let me stop off at Layola Hospital and, and jump off some food to the essential staff there.
Speaker 3 00:13:27 I'm right there with you, Randy. I, uh, dream about the transformation and I think, uh, the, I've been patient and been working with the hospital and the university on knowing that change takes time. But with the crisis, the pandemic and the um, uh, the structural racism that has just been uncovered, we have to, we don't have time to wait for transformation. We can't move slowly. And I think the, the institutions needs to take more risk and trust the community in, in partnering in this, uh, collaboration cuz the time is now and be on equal partner and not have that distance, um, from community. Um, and we're part of, uh, the army that's asking for that change and designing that change in relationship. So we're, I'm really glad for this opportunity to share, um, how hospitals and universities and other low income black and brown communities need to partner.
Speaker 1 00:14:44 Here's a, a challenge to us all. Uh, it'll be great to partner with Loyola Hospital, um, best providers township, Nehemiah Project, um, Loyola Hospital and any other institutional community based organization. If we all rallied together, purchase all the abandoned homes in our, in our, these vacant homes in in the Villa j Maywood, I'm, I'm willing to show up daily the volunteer to drywall sand floors or whatever, paint the rooms. Um, the house that, that Percy Julian lived in wouldn't have been great. A doctor that, that that's currently working at LA Hospital live in that same house carrying on that legacy. So I mean that, you know, it's possible. That's very possible. It,
Speaker 3 00:15:28 It truly is possible because many of the things we've already accomplished, people would've said to us 10 years ago, that's not possible. So I'm, I'm right. Uh, standing right by your side, uh, Randy with, uh, moving these big ideas forward. Our challenges are big, so our solutions need to be bigger.
Speaker 0 00:15:48 Well, thank you so much, um, for, for your time. Even just what you just, what you all just talked about. I, I just feel so honored to be part of this dynamic of just hearing about how your relationship is generating the next idea. And your mind's already thinking about like, well, we gotta go after this. Um, it's been really beautiful just sharing this time with you all. Hopefully after this, this pandemic and, and, and I can get on a flight or something, you know, one day we'll be kind of hanging out one of those restaurants, oh,
Speaker 1 00:16:15 My
Speaker 0 00:16:15 Cafe and, and may listen to some jazz in Maywood and, and catch up. I I would very much love to do that. And, um, I've just learned so much from each of the three of you. And I wish, and I hope every, every community honestly has, has the vanguards like, like Randy and a Chris and Alina, and I know you are doing so much great work, um, that goes unnoticed.
Speaker 1 00:16:36 Anything that document the history about Maywood, I don't take you lightly. And I feel like this discussion that we had, we talked about so much history at the age of 13, I, living on 13th of Madison, um, uh, living in a single parent home, um, uh, struggling with food and stuff like that. I, I didn't think I would be on the, the end of providing food and resources for families who need it. But I realized that everything that I went through, everything that Lena, what you went through and Chris and eWAY, everything that we endured and survived and our youth has brought us to this point. That's how we ab we know that we know the needs because we lived
Speaker 2 00:17:19 It. I'm just honored to, to have been a part of this conversation. And, and quite frankly, you know, if there's an opportunity, I would love to do it again. These are my partners. These are my
Speaker 0 00:17:29 Partners. Thank you all so much for this time. Um, I've learned a lot and let's do it again.
Speaker 1 00:17:36 I enjoyed it. Thank you. Thanks for having
Speaker 2 00:17:37 Us. Absolutely. Thank you. Let's do it again.
Speaker 0 00:17:40 Randy, Chris and Lena are three stewards in Maywood, Illinois, and you can find out more about their important work building community resilience in the, the links in the description. This podcast would not be possible without the talents of Bobby Millstein, Jane Erickson, Brad Gerard, and Jessica Estelle Huggins, I'm your host ua. So from Rethink Health, a Ripple Foundation initiative, and you're listening to unsung Stewards.
