Austin By The Hand Outreach
Turning youth ideas into a fresh food market on Chicago's West Side
Within a half-mile of By The Hand Club For Kids' Austin campus, residents had seventeen liquor stores and only two grocery stores, leaving families to pay high prices for limited fresh food or travel far to find it. Building on its work leading the award-winning Austin Quality of Life Plan, Teska partnered with By The Hand to tackle the problem with the people most invested in the neighborhood's future: local teens.
Teska facilitated a series of youth listening sessions that moved the conversation from big ideas to real plans, supported by outreach exhibits, market research, and a summary report. Just eight weeks later, a neighborhood liquor store was purchased and torn down, and Austin Harvest, a youth-run fresh food market, opened in its place. A permanent building carries elements of the pop-up forward.
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Eight weeks from listening sessions to market opening
Youth-led process and youth-run market
Liquor store replaced with fresh food access
Market research and outreach exhibits
Summary report and implementation assistance
Permanent building inspired by the pop-up
“That opportunity that By The Hand Club For Kids gave us, still gives me chills... It's been a beautiful sight to see these kids take ownership... they saved the day, they had the floor. This community [Austin] is super special to me. These are the small steps, the right steps. We need to continue to fight the good fight.“
- Jason Heyward, Former Chicago Cubs Right Fielder
SERVICES
Engagement
Strategic Implementation
CLIENT
Austin By The Hand Club for Kids
RELATED WORK
Austin Quality of Life Plan