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U.S. Bank Presents $3,500 Grant at MAAC Holiday Party


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The Matteson Area Chamber of Commerce held it’s annual Holiday Party at US Bank in Park Forest. (Photo: Wendy Heise)

Park Forest, IL—(ENEWSPF)— Deborah Sedberry, President of the U.S. Bank in Park Forest, presented a check for $3,500 to Eula Burge, Executive Director of Proactive Community Services at the Matteson Area Chamber of Commerce’s Holiday Party. The party was held at the bank.

"You’ll be hearing a lot about this lady, I can assure you," Sedberry told guests.

Burge expressed her gratitude, "I don’t know what to say. I’m just really excited about this."

PCS will celebrate 3 years this coming February, according to Burge. “We connect people to care, whether it is related to social or health disparities.  We really try to do a lot of informational, educational type things.  For example, we do a breast cancer information presentation, or prostate cancer.  We talk about heart disease, hypertension. We work with youth.  We have a program called YIELD, that’s Youth Inspired and Empowered in Leadership Development.”  Burge said the purpose of yield is to empower youth to become agents of change in their community.

Literature provided by PCS states that the organization, which operates out of Olympia Fields, “recognizes the many facets of chronic disease among people of color throughout the United States and in Illinois’ south suburbs and beyond.”  The organization seeks to empower individuals and communities to combat the devastating impact chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension, heart disease, asthma, HIV/AIDS and various cancers have on minority populations in south suburban communities.

The organization offers a comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevention and education service, a chronic disease prevention program, a program called, "One Church One Addict," which seeks to prevent substance abuse relapse.  PSC also participates in the Syphilis Elimination Effort, a national initiative that brings together healthcare providers, policy makers, community leaders and state and local public health agencies, to reduce syphilis rates in the United States.

PSC also operates a Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Youth program which supports the health and wellness of LGBTQ youth.  The program works to increase acceptance, visibility, and understanding of LGBTQ youth issues to promote a safe and secure environment for service delivery to these youth.

Pictures from the event are available in the eNews Park Forest Photo Gallery.


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