Chicago’s A Safe Haven Wins Daily Herald Business Ledger’s Diversity In Business Award
For Immediate Release:
Media Contact
Neli Vazquez Rowland
Media@ASafeHaven.org
(Chicago, Illinois) August 12, 2021—A Safe Haven, (ASH), an internationally acclaimed top Chicago-based 501©3 nonprofit dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness, is one of 18 companies, nonprofits, and business organizations that will receive the Daily Herald Business Ledger’s Diversity in Business Award. A virtual ceremony presenting the honorees was held on Thursday, Aug. 12.
The publications will honor businesses who have shown exceptional commitment to promoting practices that advance diversity and inclusion in the workplace, in business leadership, and who bolster equality across all areas of diversity; including age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, race, and religion.
Located in Chicago, ASH has been a pioneering architect and an anchor organization serving and meeting the needs of Chicago’s homeless since 1994. Neli Vazquez Rowland and Brian Rowland serve as the nonprofit’s co-founders. ASH’s integrated network of behavioral healthcare, education, job training, social enterprises, and phased housing programs is headquartered in one of Chicago’s most poverty-stricken communities known as the North Lawndale community. ASH houses and feeds three healthy nutritious meals to over 5,000 homeless people including adults, youth, families with children, and military veterans, annually.
As a Latina entrepreneur, Vazquez Rowland, who is also ASH’s president, is humbled and honored that the publication recognized her nonprofit’s efforts to stem the tide of homelessness by providing meaningful and permanent solutions to the many minority residents and clients its serves.
“For over 26 years, A Safe Haven has been a leader in not only providing housing, treatment, job training, employment opportunities to our most vulnerable populations but also in hiring, training, promoting people from the community,” said Vazquez Rowland. “As a Latina, who grew up in an ‘at risk’ community, I understand firsthand the challenges people face in gaining access to the type of services and resources they need especially from people who may have been there too to realize their fullest potential. ASH has also been a pioneer in hiring and investing in people with barriers to employment and reentry populations including former clients to help elevate them into becoming an integral part of our staff and leadership teams.”
She added: “Today, A Safe Haven’s world-class team provides top-quality services, and it is a true reflection of the communities we serve in almost every sense of the word. This recognition and award is humbling to me as it truly serves as validation to us and the rest of the world that it behooves all of us to see that talent comes from every block in our city, state, and country, even if people were once homeless, addicted and incarcerated.”