Addison, IL: Multicultural Partnerships

Addison lies 20 miles west of Chicago in DuPage County. The village has a thriving business community and is home to the fourth largest industrial park in the state, which houses 20% of all manufacturing operations in the county. Twenty-seven percent of employment in Addison is in the retail and manufacturing industry, and the city is engaged in a robust workforce development program, working with community colleges to train workers for local manufacturers hungry for skilled labor. In recent years the community demographics have shifted: about one-third of residents are foreign born, more than one-half speak a language other than English at home, and 42.2% of the population identifies as Hispanic or Latino. Because of the growing Latino population and the community’s keen eye towards workforce development and small businesses, Latino business owners are choosing Addison to start and grow their businesses.

Uniquely, the Addison Public Library has become a community hub, where residents of all ages gather for recreation and relaxation, as well as to take advantage of services ranging from language classes, business classes, immigrant services, free meals, homework help, afterschool teen activities and much more. Learn more about Worcester’s story and the rest of the 2020-2021 RWJF Culture of Health Prize winners at www.rwjf.org/prize.