Chicago Block Clubs

What is a Block Club?

Traditional block clubs are groups of people who have homes and families on any given block in the city and have organized to improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods.  People who form block clubs are concerned and care about their communities and share information, identify concerns and act collectively to address those concerns.

There are many benefits to organizing a block club.  Knowing your neighbors and communicating on a regular basis can help you identify quality of life issues and other trends in your neighborhood and allow you to address those issues.  Taking collective action, sharing information, and raising awareness among your neighbors will also help improve the safety of your block.

-Vertical Block Clubs

In many neighborhoods throughout the city, high-rise or multi-unit apartment buildings or condominiums are the predominant form of housing.  Organizing within your building will help you recognize who may belong in and around your building as well as identify issues that may only be affecting your building.

-Walking Clubs

Walking clubs combine the goals of improving your personal health and the overall health of your neighborhood by taking regular community walks.  While walking, you can identify conditions such as graffiti, abandoned vehicles, abandoned buildings, etc., that can be corrected by the city, identify conditions in the neighborhood that could lead to individuals being victims of crime, such as vehicles with personal property visible or multi-unit buildings that are inadequately secured, and improve the green quality of the neighborhood by picking up trash in parkways and on lawns.

-Garden Clubs

For many communities, organizing a garden club is a great way to keep their block safe.  From planting flowers on the parkway to creating working vegetable gardens on vacant lots that everyone can enjoy and that also help raise funds to implement more programs to help the families on your block, a garden club may be right for you.

How You Can Start a Block Club

A good first step in starting a block club is to recruit two or three people on your block who are interested in helping to organize you neighbors, and then pick a date and time for your first meeting.  Some people prefer to meet on their block, rotating the location among participating neighbors, while some people prefer to find a neutral location, such as a park library, church or police station to hold their meetings.

Once you have picked a date and location for your first meeting, create a simple flyer to and out, and begin to contact your neighbors.  When approaching your neighbors, remember to keep a list of issues that of concern to them in order to get an idea of what types of projects or activities the majority of your neighbors will be interested in undertaking.

-Register Your Block Club with the City

Go to: https://portal.chicagopolice.org/portal/page/portal/BlockClub

Click: Register a New Block Club

Register for an account

-Maintaining Your New Block Club

While many block clubs meet once a month, you and your neighbors should determine how often you want to meet, as well as where.  Some members may not be able to come to meetings for a variety of reasons, but you should still take time to make sure those neighbors are aware of and invited to participate in activities the block club may undertake.

The fundamental goal of a block club is neighbors working together in some way; the best way to sustain this collaboration is to identify activities and projects that are of interest or concern to the majority of your neighbors, and remember: stay connected.

Resources for Your Block Club

* Emergency services (police, fire, medical)                   911

* Non-emergency services, city services and                 311

information on city programs and activities

* Anonymous narcotics hotline                                       1-800-CRACK-44

* Anonymous gun hotline                                               1-877-CPD-GUNS

* Domestic violence helpline                                          1-877-TO-END-DV

* Child abuse hotline                                                      1-800-25-ABUSE

* CAPS Implementation Office                                        1-312-747-9987

-For Children and Young People

* Chicago Public Schools                                               1-773-553-1000

* Chicago Public Library                                                1-312-747-4780

* Department of Children and Youth Services               1-312-743-0300

* Chicago Park District                                                   1-312-742-PLAY

-For Block Parties

*Chicago Police Mounted and Canine Units                   1-312-745-4443

* Chicago Fire Department                                            1-312-745-4047

* Mayor’s Office of Special Events/Jumping Jack           1-312-744-3315

* Chicago Children’s Museum                                        1-312-527-1000