CHICAGO — The Community Builders (TCB) has opened the Sankofa Village Wellness Center (SVWC), a new community health and wellness hub addressing health inequality in Chicago’s West Garfield Park. According to TCB, recent studies have shown that life expectancy is 20 years lower in West Garfield Park compared with Chicago’s more affluent downtown communities. Reasons include insufficient access to quality healthcare, economic opportunity and quality foods.
The vision for SVWC began in 2019 when faith leaders, Rush University, community organizations and TCB formed the Garfield Park Rite to Wellness Collaborative (GPRWC). In 2022, SWVC was a co-recipient of the Pritzker Traubert Foundation’s “Chicago Prize” award. Ultimately, the Collaborative, TCB and community partner the MAAFA Redemption Project secured over $44 million in funding.
The three-story, 60,000-square-foot community hub brings healthcare, prevention and wellness services under one roof. SVWC will serve roughly 6,000 patients annually and will also offer community spaces, including drop-in childcare, an indoor gymnasium and walking track, a fitness center and space for screenings, primary medical care and reproductive, behavioral, dental health services and a credit union. Tenants include Erie Family Health Centers, Equal Hope, Rush University Medical Center, West Side United, the YMCA and GPRWC.