At the Corps rings the sound of hope

By Brandon Ousley

  Inside the dim-lit corridors of the educational building of the Paul Simon Chicago Job Corps Center, silence floats amid the hard slam of doors. It’s 8 a.m. The gigantic front door swings open with students rushing to their classes. The patter of feet, laughter, chatter, and even hip-hop rhythms from cell phones permeate the large hallways, shunning out the still silence that existed moments earlier. It’s a scene that resembles the cluttered hallways of some public high schools.

“All right, let’s get to class, ladies and gents!” Brigitte Saffold shouts in her typical commanding voice, over the escalating voices and giggles that fill the entire hall. Saffold has been the administrative assistant for the deputy director of the center.

That's the sound of a man at work

By Daria Sokolova

Carlos Marcado counts the remaining magazines

Every morning, a man with the deep brown eyes and a stack of magazines in his hands stands on the corner of Adams and Wells Street. His deep, husky voice greets the rushing office-goers and floats above the financial district of Chicago where he sells StreetWise magazine every day. Carlos Marcado is one of 200 active StreetWise vendors predominantly scattered around downtown and North Side of Chicago who sell the magazine daily. Like most of his co-workers, Marcado used to be at risk of homelessness and struggled to make enough money to cover the necessities but found help at StreetWise, a social service organization that provides its vendors with employment, housing stability and financial assistance.

Sounds of life blend at neighborhood L stop: Hustle and bustle and peace and quiet

By Todd M. Freimuth

The metal shutter door of the Granville L Newsstand rattles open and echoes off the walls inside the small train station’s entrance. At 5:30 a.m., Feroz Sundrani’s day begins by organizing newspapers and tidying up the small shop his uncle rents monthly. He slides open the doors to refrigerators and quickly stocks assorted beverages before letting them slowly hiss shut. There are a few still moments before the station comes alive. Shortly, though, the early morning tranquility shatters as the rush hour commute begins around 6 a.m. Soon groggy commuters approach the stand and pick up their papers before they chime through one of the station’s three turnstiles and pack onto the elevated platform.

Reflections - Podcast Intro

Reflections: Todd Freimuth

Reflections: Alesia Wright

Reflections: Meredith Haas