Who We Are
Eternal Light Community Services (ELCS), based in the Village of Maywood, was founded by Reverend Regi Ratliff in 1997. Its mission is to empower the residents of Maywood,Proviso Township, and its surrounding communities, to become prosperous individuals (academically, economically, and most of all, spiritually) through workshops, partnerships, and networking. These components create a solid foundation for a prosperous community.
Since its inception, ELCS has provided tutoring and mentoring services to hundreds of youth and young adults in the Proviso Township area. It has provided financial literacy workshops throughout the Chicagoland area. ELCS has also formed partnerships with agencies such as Proviso-Leyden Council for Community Action (PLCCA), Vision of Restoration, the Maywood Recreation Park District, Toastmasters International, The Destiny Group, NFP and Chicago Commons.
Selected from 100 applicants, ELCS was nominated as one of ten semi-finalists for Shore Bank’s Community Impact Awards for 2006. The organization was able to penetrate this tier even as a grassroots organization amongst much larger and more financially-equipped organizations. This is a testament to the hard work of the group.
