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This is the story of the family that provided one key to our future.
Growing up in a two-flat at 2124 West Warren Boulevard in the 1970s, Etta Johnson was the oldest of six children. Her grandmother owned the building, renting rooms on the first floor.
“There were two big families that lived on the block – the Spencers and the Germans,” said Johnson, who was part of the German family. “We all kind of grew up together, and we had so much fun. The whole block, we all took care of each other.”
When Johnson’s grandmother passed away in 1992, Johnson’s father Willie German took ownership of the building. He didn’t look far for his first-floor tenants.
My dad loved and had the utmost respect for Saint Leonard’s because you give back to the community,” Johnson said.
Mr. German, as he was known to all, was a retired Cook County sheriff’s deputy who rented rooms to three Saint Leonard’s alumni at a time. The two-flat, just steps from the Michael Barlow Center, served as the first independent-living venture for many people who have walked through our doors.
And our community did what we always do: We paid it back and forward.
Saint Leonard’s alumni and residents helped Mr. German with bringing in his groceries, shoveling snow and work on the building.
“Basically anything that he needed,” Johnson said.
When Mr. German passed away in 2023, the family prepared to sell the house. The property value had certainly grown over the decades.
But Johnson only had one buyer in mind when her lawyer asked about putting the building for sale on the open market.
“I told my attorney ‘No. We are selling it to Saint Leonard’s. She said ‘Are you sure?’ I said ‘YES.’”
With the building now part of our campus, we have spent the past year remodeling the two-flat that we now call the 2124 Building. It will provide temporary housing as we renovate Saint Leonard’s House and Grace House, modernizing those buildings for more dignified living conditions for this community.
When all campus construction projects are complete, we will determine if the 2124 Building will serve as transitional housing, permanent housing or family housing.
And we are so thankful that Mr. German’s family chose us to be the new owner.
“It’s simply amazing,” Johnson said.
Re-entry work is so important, Johnson said, “because it’s needed. People forget what it takes to bring people’s morale back up. People are damaged. You can’t just keep throwing them away. You gotta give them something else to look forward to. You can’t expect them to do it on their own. They need that help. I got people in my family that need help. And it’s nowhere to be found, especially with mental health.”
“So I just love the work that Saint Leonard’s does. It’s amazing. You bring morale up; you bring self-esteem up.”
Talking about the Saint Leonard’s mission, Johnson was reminded of her father’s words when she was young.
“You’re gonna get respect, you’re gonna get yourself together – but you gotta do it. Reach out to the resources out there. And don’t make excuses. Never say what you can’t do.”
“Try.”
On behalf of Saint Leonard’s Ministries, I want to thank Etta Johnson and her family for joining our community.
We miss Mr. German.
And his legacy will live on – in the success stories that grow from the two-flat at 2124 West Warren Boulevard.
