Family Matters

A Vision of Leadership Development and Community Building

The North of Howard neighborhood, located in Chicago’s East Rogers Park, struggles to find peace and dignity amid the clamor of a restless and discontented community. It is a community filled with potential yet to be tapped, a wealth of gifts yet to be recognized, and powerful visions yearning for a safe space to be shared and nurtured. While its gifts are plentiful, the community faces significant challenges: the economic and social impact of welfare reform; a reduction in affordable housing; limited employment opportunities; low wages; and changes in the ethnic and racial mix of the neighborhood that are compounded by language barriers.

It is in the midst of this struggle that North of Howard residents continue to shape Family Matters into a place where families celebrate their full potential, explore their talents and gifts, and live their most inspired dreams, all with the support of core values that Family Matters calls the Principles of Leadership. Embracing peaceful conflict resolution, owning choices and consequences, and harnessing the power of positive thinking and language are the principles that propel the organization forward and ground its identity.

For fifteen years, since its inception in 1987, Family Matters has modeled and fostered these principles in every aspect of its existence—including its structure, programming, and methodology. The goal has remained constant: to facilitate a vehicle for families to experience their world as a place of possibilities and opportunities. These assets unfold through honest communication and willingness to accept our own power. We recognize that conflict can strengthen our relationships when resolution is based upon mutual respect and trust. We see that weighing consequences and holding ourselves, and others, accountable leads us to make more effective choices. And we understand that focusing on the positive in language and life gives us access to the range of assets before us and encourages us to utilize them in ways that bring joyful change to our lives and the lives of those around us.

For the 150 children and families who participate in our programs, as well as the larger community that partners with Family Matters, the Principles of Leadership can be life-enhancing, even transforming. Parents commit to teaching their children choices and consequences, so that children learn to think and act independently, critically and responsibly. With Family Matters developing a deeper relationship with the local schools, teachers have the opportunity to practice new ways of communicating more equitably with their students, honoring the perspective of the child as well as the experience of the adult. Family Matters staff members agree to gently challenge one another and hold each other accountable in an effort to grow as individuals and an organization. And youth work courageously to deepen their camaraderie by finding meaningful ways to express their concerns, even when those concerns are difficult to share and hear.

Community-building and leadership development are the fruits of Family Matters’ leadership principles. Modeling and living these principles results in a shared understanding and experience that is larger than a single individual. As much as Family Matters is a place for individuals to gather and safely explore their gifts and dreams, it is a place where families rally together to support one another and strengthen their community. It is a place where the community celebrates its communal power, a strength that exceeds even the most ambitious individual voice and vision.