Chicago Survivors began in 2010 after founder Joy McCormack lost a son to gun violence in 2009. The organization aims to provide immediate and long term support for families after they have been affected by a homicide. Immediate supports include helping families navigate hospitals and police stations. Long term supports include providing counseling and support groups for affected family members, sharing coping mechanisms to get through holidays, and organizing anti-violence events and opportunities to be used by victims’ family and the community-at-large.
What started in 2003 as a single-person effort to keep teens safe has evolved into a community-wide organization aimed at providing alternatives to gangs and violence. Kids Off The Block recognizes the danger and temptations teens face on Chicago’s Roseland community and aims to provide them with positive opportunities. Teens benefit from many services, including career guidance, recreation, and academic support. Youth are strongly encouraged to take charge in much of the organization’s programming, and are encouraged to become active members of their communities.
Find videos about the organization’s history and hear from volunteers here.
Hear founder Diane Latiker discuss her work on BayArea’s Chicago Warriors program here.
Founded after the 2007 murder of 27 year old Kleo Yolaughn Barrett, The Kleo Center provides support for South Side neighborhood youth who may deal with issues of poverty or various types of violence. The Center provides youth with afterschool supports, extracurricular activities, and summer enrichment. Numerous times, The Center has been directly responsibly for executing anti-violence campaigns, including the “Put The Guns Down” campaign of 2016.
Watch founder Torrey Barret talk about the Center here.
Urban Warriors is a Chicago-based initiative that aims to mentor youth from some of the city’s most violent neighborhoods. The youth meet with other “warriors,” such as veterans from the Iraq war, who have also had to deal with trauma and violence. Together, the youth and older “warriors” share experiences and try to find ways to cope with their trauma.
Watch members and leaders discuss the program’s importance here.
Find the Urban Warrior’s story album here.