HISTORIC COMMUNITY CENTER THREATENED WITH EVICTION! NEW OWNER WANTS TO EVICT ORGANIZATIONS THAT SERVE BRIDGEPORT
👉 Sign the petition on OpenPetition.org!
The Orphanage (643 W 31st Street) is home to Midwest Books to Prisoners which sends free books and resources to people in prison and El Comedor Comunitario which serves free weekly meals for migrants and anyone in need. The Orphanage also has a free store, pop-up free clinics, and hosts events and concerts, But this eviction threatens a stop to all these efforts. The new owner, Howard Mui, wants to demolish this historic building and he will destroy a vibrant community space if he does so.
We can’t let The Orphanage be destroyed. If you want The Orphanage to stay open, sign the petition to demand that the eviction case be dropped. Let the community organizations who have been taking care of the building become long-term tenants!
THE ORPHANAGE IS YOURS! THE ORPHANAGE IS OURS! PROTECT IT!
Inquiries: elorfanato at proton dot me
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.
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.
