Learn About Sustainability with Revamped Ravenswood Organization

An organization with the purpose of improving Ravenswood is hosting an Open House on Thursday. 

Snacks and information will be offered to residents wanting to learn more about the Ravenswood Community Council, an nonprofit that's recently refocused its attention on bettering the Ravenswood corridor.

The group has two main initiatives for 2013. One, called the Greening of Ravenswood, is a project to improve parks and promote sustainability for the area. The second—Pathways to Opportunity—is a program for students to find jobs with local businesses. 

The initiatives motivated the council to have an open house Thursday, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Dolce Casa Cafe, 4947 N. Damen Ave. Residents can also meet the organization's new director, Charles Daas, who took over in 2012. Along with a new director, the RCC has a new board of directors. One of those directors is Ross Outten, the owner of Dolce Casa. 

Originally founded to combat crime in the neighborhood in 1958, the organization lost partial city funding after reportedly mismanaging city contracts. 

But with new blood at the helm, the council hopes to return focus on improving the neighborhood. 

The council operates a Special Service Area, a tax district that focuses on beautifying and branding a certain area. The SSA covers the Ravenswood corridor and stretches of Lawrence, Clark, Montrose, Damen avenues. Improvements are funded through a localized property tax levy and controlled by local nonprofits.