Business

PRESS ROOM: Morgan Park Beverly Hills Business Association gets development aid

CHICAGO CRUSADER — The National Main Street Center announced it has selected the Morgan Park Beverly Hills Business Association (MPBHBA) to participate in its Chicago UrbanMain program. The MPBHBA will receive technical assistance and capacity building to foster community-driven economic development in the Beverly/Morgan Park neighborhood on the far South Side of Chicago. This work is made possible by generous support from Groupon.

Published

7 years ago

June 17, 2019

Oakland Post

By The Chicago Crusader

The National Main Street Center announced it has selected the Morgan Park Beverly Hills Business Association (MPBHBA) to participate in its Chicago UrbanMain program. The MPBHBA will receive technical assistance and capacity building to foster community-driven economic development in the Beverly/Morgan Park neighborhood on the far South Side of Chicago. This work is made possible by generous support from Groupon.

UrbanMain, a program of the National Main Street Center, is designed to help restore economic vitality and promote quality of life for residents in under-resourced older and historic neighborhood commercial districts. The program utilizes community-driven economic development tools and services to bring sustainable growth back to these traditional neighborhood centers. UrbanMain offers specialized services, professional development, networking, and advocacy for the field of urban commercial district practitioners. The UrbanMain Chicago team will work with the MPBHBA over an 18-month timeframe to provide comprehensive planning, extensive community engagement, trainings, and targeted market analysis to support corridor leaders, city officials, property owners, and residents in developing and implementing community revitalization strategies.

“The Morgan Park Beverly Hills Business Association is honored and thrilled to work with the National Main Street Center and Groupon as part of its UrbanMain program,” said Caroline Connors, Executive Director of the Morgan Park Beverly Hills Business Association. “With the technical services offered by UrbanMain, we hope to build the capacity of the MPBHBA and create innovative strategies for increased economic growth and development in the community.”

For nearly 40 years, the MPBHBA has worked to support small businesses and strengthen the economic vitality of their commercial corridors. In collaboration with other businesses, community groups, and elected officials, MPBHBA has worked to create a more active local commerce destination for their neighbors in the city and suburbs. However, the decline of brick-and-mortar retail businesses and increased competition from neighboring suburban municipalities have posed challenges for the community’s Western Avenue corridor. The Beverly/Morgan Park UrbanMain program will focus on strengthening the Western Avenue corridor’s role as an economic engine for the community.

“This area is known for the South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade once a year, but they also have a range of activities, diverse architecture, and some great destinations,” said Dionne Baux, Director of Urban Programs at the National Main Street Center. “I want residents to feel like they don’t need to leave the neighborhood to access amenities. I was really impressed by the MPBHBA’s dedicated staff, business owners, residents, community organizations, and political leaders who are willing to work collaboratively to make Beverly/Morgan Park a destination in Chicago, and I’m looking forward to working with them.”

About the National Main Street Center:

The National Main Street Center has been helping revitalize older and historic commercial districts for close to 40 years. Today, its network of more than 1,600 neighborhoods and communities, rural and urban, share both a commitment to place and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development. The organization is a non-profit subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. For more information, visit www.urbanmain.org.

About the Morgan Park Beverly Hills Business Association:

The Morgan Park Beverly Hills Business Association (MPBHBA) represents the interests of more than 400 Beverly/Morgan Park businesses. They are a nonprofit organization that advocates for, promotes, connects, and educates member businesses. One of 75 Neighborhood Business Development Centers in Chicago, the MPBHBA has a solid track record of supporting local businesses for close to 40 years. The MPBHBA serves a square area between 89th and 119th streets, from Vincennes and Sacramento avenues. The district includes two Special Service Areas (SSAs): the Western Avenue SSA 20 and the Walden Parkway SSA 64. These SSA programs fund expanded services and programs through localized property tax levies. Learn more at www.mpbhba.org.

This article originally appeared in the Chicago Crusader.

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Financial Wellness and Mental Health: Managing Money Stress in College 

While everyone’s financial situation is unique, several common sources of stress have the potential to strain your financial health. These include financial and economic uncertainty, existing debts, unexpected expenses, and mental or physical health changes. Financial stress may differ from situation to situation, but understanding the factors contributing to yours may help you begin to craft a plan for your unique circumstances.

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3 weeks ago

March 17, 2026

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Sponsored by JPMorganChase

As a college student, managing financial responsibilities can be stressful.

If you’ve found yourself staying up late thinking about your finances or just feeling anxious overall about your financial future, you’re not alone. In one survey, 78% of college students who reported financial stress had negative impacts on their mental health, and 59% considered dropping out. While finances can impact overall stress, taking steps to manage your finances can support your mental, emotional and physical well-being.

When it comes to money, the sources of stress may look different for each student, but identifying the underlying causes and setting goals accordingly may help you feel more confident about your financial future.

Consider these strategies to help improve your financial wellness and reduce stress.

Understand what causes financial stress

2. Determine your financial priorities

Start by reflecting on your financial priorities. For students this often includes paying for school or paying off student loans, studying abroad, saving for spring break, building an emergency fund, paying down credit card debt or buying a car. Name the milestones that are most important to you, and plan accordingly.

3. Create a plan and stick to it

While setting actionable goals starts you on the journey to better financial health, it’s essential to craft a plan to follow through. Identifying and committing to a savings plan may give you a greater sense of control over your finances, which may help reduce your stress. Creating and sticking to a budget allows you to better track where your money is going so you may spend less and save more.

4. Pay down debt

Many students have some form of debt and want to make progress toward reducing their debt obligations. One option is the debt avalanche method, which focuses on paying off your debt with the highest interest rate first, then moving on to the debt with the next-highest interest rate. Another is the debt snowball method, which builds momentum by paying off your smallest debt balance, and then working your way up to the largest amounts.

5. Build your financial resilience

Some financial stress may be inevitable, but building financial resilience may allow you to overcome obstacles more easily. The more you learn about managing your money, for instance, the more prepared you’ll feel if the unexpected happens. Growing your emergency savings also may increase resilience since you’ll be more financially prepared to cover unexpected expenses or pay your living expenses.

6. Seek help and support

Many colleges have resources to help students experiencing financial stress, like financial literacy courses or funds that provide some assistance for students in need. Talk to your admissions counselor or advisor about your concerns, and they can direct you to sources of support. Your school’s counseling center can also be a great resource for mental health assistance if you’re struggling with financial stress.

The bottom line

Financial stress can affect college students’ health and wellbeing, but it doesn’t have to derail your dreams. Setting smart financial goals and developing simple plans to achieve them may help ease your stress. Revisit and adjust your plan as needed to ensure it continues to work for you, and seek additional support on campus as needed to help keep you on track.

 JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC