Bears invest in a Healthy Lifestyle Hub on Chicago’s South Side

Yesterday the Chicago Bears and Bears Care, which is the team’s charitable organization, announced that they have invested $611,000 to build a training center and teaching kitchen in the new Healthy Lifestyle Hub that is currently under development by the Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation (GAGDC) on Chicago’s South Side.

In addition to this state-of-the-art training/teaching facility, the GAGDC will be turning the vacant building on at 839 W. 79th St. into a Federally Qualified Health Center, pharmacy, bank, restaurants and so much more.

“Carlos Nelson and the Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation team have done such an incredible job of gathering input from the community to understand their needs and vision for the area’s future, so investing in the Healthy Lifestyle Hub was an easy decision for us,” said Bears President and CEO Ted Phillips via the team’s website. “We are excited to play a small role in this project and help bring a renewed sense of hope to the Auburn Gresham neighborhood.”

Carlos Nelson was recently in the news when he was given the honor of announcing the Bears first pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. The Bears nominated him for the once in a lifetime opportunity due to all the fantastic work he’s done with the GAGDC.

Nelson calls it a “dream come true” with the Bears, and so many others, investing in the new South Side facility. “We are so grateful for the support we’ve received from everyone involved,” Nelson said, “and look forward to the Healthy Lifestyle Hub opening next spring.”

This latest investment from the Bears and Bears Care brings their total provided close to $2 million for COVID-19 relief and recovery efforts.

This critical project will increase access to health- and wealth-building opportunities for residents of the South Side neighborhood.

COVID-19’s disproportionate impact on Black Chicagoans was felt deeply in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood, which saw Illinois’ first COVID-related death and has long been without access to quality health care facilities and other essential resources.

You can find more about this latest endeavor from the Bears here, you can learn more about Bears Care here, you can donate to the Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corporation here, and you can learn more about Kindness Wins Day here.