Alderman Sam Cunningham stopped by Beacon Place on a busy summer day to chat with volunteers and Beacon Place leaders and share his appreciation for the work they’re doing. A native of this same Waukegan community, Cunningham knows well the challenges that Waukegan children face.

Alderman Cunningham with Beacon Place board members.

In the 1980s, when he was growing up in the Beacon Place neighborhood, children were routinely exposed to violence and crime. The house that is home to Beacon Place holds negative historical significance for the people in the neighborhood. Once known as “Castle Grayskull,” the house was a target for drug addicts and prostitutes.

Since 1999, Alderman Cunningham has been diligently working to restore the Waukegan community with partner organizations like Beacon Place.

“The only way for young men and women to rid themselves of ghetto is to be educated,” Cunningham said. “And that’s what I love about Beacon Place. It’s an outlet – a safe haven – for education and the protection of the people in the community.”

Today, Beacon Place has not only transformed the house, but the neighboring park and the mindsets of its neighbors.

“The neighborhood is alive with positive energy,” said Alderman Cunningham. “Partners like Beacon Place are transforming the mindsets of parents and kids, and as a result, the whole community. The only way to change the community is to change the attitudes of the people living there. We’re going to protect Beacon Place as they are protecting us.”

Thank you, Alderman Cunningham, for your ongoing support of Beacon Place.