About Flood’s Hall
Flood’s Hall is an independent, volunteer-run nonprofit in Hyde Park dedicated to supporting civic-minded groups, artists and organizers on the South Side. Flood’s Hall offers free meeting space and operational support to expand the resources and networks available to groups and individuals working toward the public good.
Our amazing tenant organizations include: Brave Space Alliance, Kola Nut Collaborative, South Side Workers’ Center, Greater Chicago IWW, and Care2Prevent.
We’re still developing and experimenting, but our hope is that Flood’s Hall will be a safe and inclusive space that contributes to Chicago’s cooperative economy landscape.
Together with Southside residents, Flood’s Hall will:
Provide multi-disciplinary programming
Offer operational support to community groups to help bring their ideas to life
House shared books, technology and supplies
Support local businesses, cooperatives, small enterprises and community groups
Support public interest groups that advocate for workers’ rights
Foster an intentionally intergenerational, anti-sexist, and anti-racist community
"Our goal is collaboration, mutual support, and the creation of networks that dismantle debilitating forms of separation, isolation and loneliness."
Emergency Loan Program
Please note: The emergency loan program is now closed. We are no longer accepting applications or donations.
The COVID-19 pandemic caught us all by surprise, and the reality is that most Americans have trouble covering an unexpected expense of $400. Government money can be slow-moving and involve complicated red tape—our community needs to fund itself now.
Flood’s Hall is organizing a community-sourced emergency fund for Chicago neighbors in need.
We provide short-term, interest-free loans to address immediate need and protect our neighbors from predatory lenders.
“I was told to stop driving because I have a compromised immune system. I no longer have any supplemental income.”
“ I am a single parent and also take care of my mother, who has been battling some health issues... [It] is very stressful and we have been struggling to stay current with bills. I just need the money temporarily to help. ”
“All projects have been postponed...many others have canceled completely.
I have filed for unemployment, but I’m unsure how long it will take. ”
Get Involved
Do you have ideas for specific classes, workshops, gatherings, skill shares, actions, working groups, talks, etc. you'd like to see in your neighborhood?
If there’s a specific project you’d like to spearhead, shoot us an email at info@floodshall.org.
Flood's Hall is built with and for its community, so you play a critical role in making sure a wide variety of interests and skills are represented in our space.
Some projects that have already been held in our space:
Tenants United Hyde Park-Woodlawn bi-weekly neighborhood assemblies
Emergency warming shelter during the polar vortex
6-week artist residency & group show
Pick Up the Torch Open Mics
Flood’s Hall Takeover Series workshops led by community members
WRIT·U·AL Writing Cyphers
Chicago Footwork Movement Classes
University of Chicago Labor Council meetings
Building the Commune reading series events
Care2Prevent LGBTQ Youth Drop-In Centers
Brave Space Alliance support groups and food pantry
Kola Nut Collaborative Time Salons
South Side Workers Center Drop-In Hours
UChicago Mutual Aid food pantry storage
We are eager to grow our team, create partnerships, and support other projects, so if you're excited by the prospect of this kind of hub, get in touch! We'll find a way for you to create your own role within our project.
Our Space
Image from University of Chicago Special Collections, via the Hyde Park Herald.
We take our name from the 1874 building Flood’s Hall, part of Flood’s Block, which existed across the street from our space on the southwest corner of 53rd Street and Lake Park.
This early Flood’s Hall was one of the first spaces in the neighborhood where community groups could meet for free, and where a public reading room was maintained.
The “new” Flood’s Hall will occupy the third floor.
Our short-term goal is simply to gradually transform nearly 6,000 square feet of underused space with community input in a way that benefits our neighborhood and those surrounding it.
Ultimately, we aim to carve out a hub for socially-minded groups that otherwise might have to work doubly hard to find space, materials, resources, and networks. Together we will build networks of reciprocity and create opportunities for meaningful social activity and organization.
Contact
Natalie is a caregiver, writer and educator in the neighborhood. She believes in marshaling humanistic skills toward civic engagement, and in getting to know one's neighbors. She holds a B.A. from the University of Chicago, an M.A. in English Education from UIC, and is currently an M.F.A. Writing candidate at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Natalie Wright
Founder and Director
info@floodshall.org