Avondale

      Prayer Points

• Praise God for the diversity found in Avondale. Pray for ongoing unity between groups of people as the neighborhood continues to change.

 

• The community as a whole is under-churched, and many of those who are involved in the church are more connected culturally than spiritually. Pray for an increased presence of the body of Christ in this neighborhood.

 

• Unemployment and underemployment are very real struggles in this community. Many households have parents working two or three jobs just to make ends meet. Pray for the physical, social, and emotional needs of these families.

 

• The schools in this neighborhood attempt to educate the students, but face overcrowding and language barriers. Pray that despite these hurdles, resources would be allocated and the needs of the students would be met.

 

• Pray for new businesses to focus on this area as there is still a need for economic improvement in the community.

Neighborhood Background

Avondale grew along Milwaukee Avenue and paralleling railroad lines, developing as a working-class community. Rapid growth began in 1889 following Avondale’s annexation to Chicago.

 

Transportation improved with the extension of street railway lines and the construction of the “L”, providing means for commuting to the city for jobs. The rail lines and the river attracted industry to Avondale. The river banks once contained boatyards, brick factories, and an amusement park.

 

Today, the industrial belt along the river is being replaced with luxury townhouses, condominiums, and shopping malls, leading to the loss of many industrial jobs that supported the working class for decades.