History

South Side Help Center (SSHC) was established in 1987 as a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit organization by community residents who were motivated by the need to provide education and information, on a variety of health topics, to the residents of the Roseland community in Chicago, Illinois. SSHC is dedicated to identifying and addressing the health and social support needs of African American families who are at risk for negative health and life outcomes.

 

Mission

In keeping with our mission, “Providing people with positive and healthy alternatives,” we continue to be guided by the values of health and education of family, protection and support of children, community building, and resource development. Providing services to our local, regional and national constituency is dependent upon interaction between and among children/youth, adults, community based organizations, the faith-based community, schools, city, state and federal government, law enforcement and the private sector.

 

Program Structure

Our agency’s program structure is founded on health service areas of need by the African American community. Service programs include:

  • Comprehensive HIV/AIDS services which include:
    • prevention and education
    • counseling/testing and referrals
    • specialized support services for women, such as the Kujipenda Program
    • services for intravenous drug users (IDUs)
    • case management, mental health counseling services and housing for people living with HIV/AIDS and their families

  • Youth Self-Enhancement Programs (Y.S.E.P.) which includes the male/female mentorship program, and C.R.E.A.T.E, an interactive arts program for youth;

  • Substance Abuse and Violence Prevention Program;

  • The Parenting Project;

  • Coalition development as exemplified with two projects led and administrated by South Side Help Center: Ujima Coalition, a local network of service-providers working collectively to reduce the incidence of HIV, STDs, TB, and substance abuse among African Americans in the greater Roseland community and MOCHA (Men of Color Collaborative for Health Care Alternatives), a Chicago initiative comprised of eight community based organizations (CBOs) working for the improvement of health care delivery to African American and Latino men who have sex with other men (and their partners) and who are at risk for HIV infection; and

  • Statewide Capacity Building Project .South Side Help Center’s Statewide Capacity Building program is a collaborative project with the Chicago Department of Public Health and the Office of Lesbian and Gay Health, established to improve HIV prevention services targeting African American men who have sex with other men.