Joan Each Rowan
Everything’s Relative, 10548 S. Western
“I support BAPA because BAPA and the neighborhood support me. BAPA keeps the community informed and encourages the residents and businesses to come together at all levels. BAPA provides owners with resources and information and spotlights businesses to help them thrive. I have been a business owner for 24 years, and I know that the people of Beverly/Morgan Park are very loyal to good businesses. BAPA helps us be good businesses. Why am I a BAPA business member? I can’t imagine why a business wouldn’t support BAPA!”
Bonita and Robbie Jefferson
Bevelry Hills MarketPlace, 1809 W. 95th St.
“We wholeheartedly embrace BAPA’s mission to support the commercial community,” Bonita said. “We believe BAPA is the pulse of the neighborhood. For new businesses, it serves as a hub of information, a connect-the-dots vehicle for what’s happening and how to get involved.”
The sisters rely heavily on The Villager to stay in the loop of neighborhood activities. “The Villager has been our go-to guide for Neighborhood Notes, Arts & Entertainment and a link to valuable business workshops,” Bonita said. “We became actively involved with the 22nd District CAPS Business Partners for Safer Neighborhoods as a result of information in The Villager. We see our shop as a Safe Haven to assist children, seniors and other members of the community who feel threatened by a person or situation.”
Bonita believes supporting BAPA is essential to keep the community vibrant and safe. “BAPA continues to demonstrate the power of ‘We’ through follow-up action — with results. They are not only encouraging shopping local 365 days of the year with your BAPA Card, they are fostering a climate of ‘neighborship’: homeowners and business owners getting to know each other,” she said.
Kathy Ruopp
Soon after moving to Beverly/Morgan Park from the North Side in the late 1970s, I found myself involved with the Vanderpoel Improvement Association (VIA), the civic association for my area of the neighborhood, and through VIA, with BAPA, the group linking all of the 13 civic associations. It was a time of change in the neighborhood, and both VIA and BAPA focused on the importance of knowing our neighbors, which promoted a sense of community and belonging. Over the years, BAPA has been a resource for VIA for resolving housing issues, monitoring problem houses, connecting residents to available resources and supporting neighborhood projects. BAPA acts to ensure that residents are aware of safety issues and what can be done to improve security for individuals and homes. BAPA’s support of our schools has been very important to the neighborhood. BAPA’s Villager, in print and online, has been an effective means of communication and BAPA has supported printing VIA’s local newsletters. VIA and BAPA have been essential in creating the reality of belonging to a community that is interested in and committed to the well-being of each resident.
