COMMUNITY ACTIVISM IN OAK PARK: COMPETING AGENDAS ...

poverty. They and their comrades work to organize lower-income residents and educate
them about laws they perceive to not be in the interest of the poor.
In addition to community groups, non-profit organizations are also prevalent in
the neighborhood. Many of the non-profit organizations in the neighborhood have been
present for many years and the services they provide have been utilized in different
capacities over time, in tune with a changing economy. They regularly provide services
and resources to the poor, and unlike many community groups, they are largely invisible
to the residents who do not use them. While driving near these organizations, a person
sees long lines of people waiting to receive food or clothing. And unlike the community
group workers, participating in public forms of activism, non-profit workers participate in
an institutional form of activism. Large cities often have many non-profits and social
service organizations that provide a quality of life to the unequal social and economic
stratification that’s present in largely populated cities. In Oak Park, many non-profits are
present to provide services to the large amount of poor people in the area. As the
community becomes further gentrified, non-profit organizations are becoming more of a
social “crutch” to the poor, allowing them to keep their residency in the neighborhood.
Non-profits serve a similar role as community groups in Oak Park, in that they help
relieve the effects of inequality.
Community Groups and Non-profit Organizations
Community groups and non-profit organizations can be found in many
communities, especially lower-income and downtown regions of cities. Marwell
(2004:286) states, “Non-profit community-based organizations are key players in an
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