Metropolitan Family Services

Established in 1857, Metropolitan Family Services (MFS) seeks to provide and mobilize the services necessary to strengthen families and communities. MFS serves families and individuals throughout Chicago, DuPage County, Evanston, Skokie, and the southwest suburbs with a range of services that include education, economic stability, emotional wellness, and empowerment. The Partnership for Safe and Peaceful Communities (PSPC) is a coalition of funders committed to reducing gun violence and increasing police legitimacy in Chicago by coordinating its grant making around a set of strategies with a goal of achieving greater impact. Since the inception of PSPC, MFS has implemented its key gun violence prevention strategies via its Metropolitan Peace Initiatives division and the Communities Partnering for Peace program. This award provides support for direct community violence intervention services that are implemented by MFS’ Metropolitan Peace Initiatives.

Metropolitan Family Services (MFS) works to provide and mobilize services to strengthen families and communities. As Chicago’s first comprehensive human services agency, MFS has helped Chicago families meet the hardships of poverty, community and domestic violence, epidemics, and economic downturns since 1857. This gift provides support for general operations.

The mission of Metropolitan Family Services is to provide and mobilize the services needed to strengthen families and communities. Through its seven community centers, Metropolitan Family Services serves 72,000 individuals and families throughout the state of Illinois. Metropolitan Family Services programs and services span four key areas: 1) education, 2) economic stability, 3) emotional wellness, and 4) empowerment. Metropolitan Family Services works with eight other community-based organizations to deliver street intervention and outreach services in nine south- and west- side Chicago communities, predominately serving black and Latino men. This award provides travel assistance to enable Metropolitan Family Services staff to attend the MBK Rising! convening in Oakland, California which will bring national practitioners who serve boys and men of color together to share best practices and examine solutions to the complex challenges of serving this population.

To capitalize the Family Loan Program.