HUMBOLDT PARK — A Humboldt Park community organization took a stand days after a 23-year-old man was killed in front of the Richard M. Daley Library, 733 N. Kedzie Ave.
Latasha Melton, founder of Forever Inspired, said that while it’s important to acknowledge violence in the community, one of the best ways to fight it is to promote positivity in the neighborhood and provide kids with a foundation of communal mentorship.
Her annual "Hope Filled Breakfast," which had been scheduled for Saturday long before Monday's shooting, aimed to do exactly that.
It’s a concept she herself is a product of: the Humboldt Park native single-handedly launched Forever Inspired, which hosts regular events, including "Compassion Parades" and her annual breakfasts for children in need during the holiday season.
The third annual breakfast kicked off Saturday at the Richard M. Daley Library in Humboldt Park, the same place 23-year-old Torrance Bell was killed on Dec. 12. The breakfast aimed to provided food, confidence and hope to children in Humboldt Park and Garfield Park, Melton said.
The program is one of several safety net projects held at the library, designed to provide food and security to the neighborhood's most at-risk populations.
“This breakfast is to be a help during the time where hope is sought out most," Melton wrote in an application proposal designed to encourage Chicago Public Schools children to attend. "Believe it or not there are many children that suffer from thoughts of depression and hopelessness during this time of year.”
The applications were spread via CPS social workers and resulted in 10 children signing up. Melton would have preferred more, she said, but she’s happy for what she has.
“I advocate for the community,” she said Friday. “This is the community that I currently reside in and I want to give back to my community."
"I know the guy that was killed there on Monday. There are people who are concerned about people in the community. There are people who come back to community to speak," she said.
"I just want the community to be seen in a positive light."
The goal of Saturday’s lunch was to reach out to young Humboldt Park boys and girls who may be going through a harder time this Holiday season than most, she added — “it’s making sure they have somebody that reaches out to them. To know they are cared for.”
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