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“Phalanx,” which means “a body of people unified by a common goal,” is the story of Tina and Gladstone Sanders and the “family” of dedicated employees and programs whom they fostered over the years. While Tina and Gladstone met and married in the 1980s, and the genesis of Phalanx began later in the early 1990s within the Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago, where they were both employed as headquarter executives. Tina Sanders provided leadership to the Boys & Girls Clubs’ small network of Office of Employment Services, a pilot program for the parents of club members and other community adults.
Phalanx Beginning
Beginning with a core of 18 staff members, 7 of whom transitioned from Boys & Girls Clubs, Phalanx was incorporated and began operations as an independent 501(c)3 organization on July 1, 2003, at 3333 West Arthington in the historic Sears Administration Building in North Lawndale. Phalanx serves hundreds of Illinois Department of Human Services job seekers every month in its initial workforce programs.
To accommodate the organization’s exponential growth and meet the myriad needs of the community, Phalanx expanded operations south and west, moving the office 5 times in 15 years, ultimately situating it in its current location of 837 West 119th Street in West Pullman. Among many significant moments in the organization’s history, the COVID response in 2020 and beyond has been pivotal in Phalanx’s growth.
Phalanx particularly set itself apart through its robust response to the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to
support the community through the global challenge. The organization pivoted and continued to provide as
wide a range of services as possible in the virtual realm including case management, job readiness, and job
placement services. Early in the pandemic, in the Summer of 2020, Phalanx conducted free community outdoor
events with food, clothing, and PPE giveaways.
Point of Pride
A particular point of pride is its involvement with the Healthy Chicago Equity Zone (HCEZ) and LISC Quality
of Life Plan. In collaboration with the Far South Chicago Coalition, Phalanx Family Services is the lead organization for the Far South region. Onsite and through its network of community partners, 2,245 individuals have been vaccinated and 750 individuals have been tested for COVID since March 2021.
Phalanx Family Services has also distributed over $112,250 in vaccination incentives and over $75,000 in direct cash payments to community and essential workers during the height of the pandemic. All of these efforts and more have led to the organization being designated a City of Chicago Public Health Provider.
Staff & Events
Since 2003, Phalanx has grown from 18 employees facilitating 5 programs to nearly 70 full and part-time employees. Additionally, Phalanx facilitates 23 programs for youth, adults, senior citizens, reentry citizens, veterans, and the disabled in 2022. Phalanx has impacted thousands more through its numerous free community programs, services, and events including:
- Emergency Funds and Reconnection Hub.
- Annual Juneteenth.
- Back-to-School.
- Thanksgiving Food Basket Giveaway.
- Holiday Coat & Tree Giveaway.
- Winter Wonderland.
- Spring Break J.A.M.
- And Youth Explosion events.
- Along with numerous CityKey, Job Fair, and Re-entry Resource Events.
Phalanx Family Services is proud to say that through the work of its tireless staff, community stakeholders, and philanthropic partners, over 25,000 individuals have obtained basic education, vocational training, employment, food, clothing, housing stability, direction, a new start in life, and the ability to persevere and overcome a global pandemic.
Images Courtesy of Phalanx Family Services – Used with Permission
