FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   

 Contact:
Steven McCullough – Bethel New Life
773-473-7870 ext. 142, smccullough@bethelnewlife.org

                                                                                
Bethel New Life Partners with City Year to Beautify Vacant Parking Garage
Project brings paintings of prominent historical African Americans

CHICAGO (June 16) – Bethel New Life’s main campus is located at 4950 W. Thomas, the former site of St. Anne’s Hospital. Bethel took over the site in 1998 and rehabbed the space by creating 125 independent senior housing units, 85 supportive living units, an adult day care space, and administrative offices. The parking garage is the last piece of the old hospital that remains unused. In order to beautify the space and bring more public art to the neighborhood, Bethel partnered with volunteer service agency City Year to paint colorful murals and African American historical figures along its façade. City Year serves the Austin Community in a variety of capacities, including school-based services, community transformation, and youth leadership. As part of City Year’s “100 Hours of Power” service initiative, approximately 40 youth volunteers came to Bethel on June 11th and painted the murals in one day.

Historical features whose image and quotes are represented include: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Nelson Mandella, Rosa Parks, Sojourner Truth, President Barack Obama, George Washington Carver, and Angela Davis. The response from the community and residents of Bethel’s supportive living facility has been overwhelmingly positive.  Bethel hopes that community residents will come from all over the area to enjoy the artwork and the inspirational quotes often.