Strides For Peace - 2018 Race Against Gun Violence Fundraiser

Our vision is a Chicago where all can thrive and live free of the fear of gun violence. Our mission is to increase the collective impact of community organizations working to END gun violence, save lives and build a stronger Chicago.

To do this, we seek to address investment and proximity gaps in efforts to end gun violence, by funding and seeding growth for a diverse collaborative of organizations throughout the city. Strides for Peace intentionally engages different sized organizations with a spectrum of interventions and responses – gun violence is too complex to be solved by only one or two approaches: we must work together.

Our partners, who are trusted and respected in communities most impacted by violence, inform all our work. We listen to and learn from them and they listen to and learn from each other. Together, we build individual and collective capacity so we all grow more effective in addressing the impacts of, and ultimately ending, gun violence.

A Project for Us from Strides For Peace on Vimeo.

Catholic Charities is fundraising for The Peace Corner Youth Center, which is located in the Austin neighborhood on Chicago's Westside. Originally established to provide the neighborhood youth a safe haven from gang violence and drug dealing, The Peace Corner has grown into a community center that provides employment services, GED class referrals, basic skill development, recreational programing, legal counseling, mentoring, tutoring, and hope for all that are willing to take a step in a positive direction. Through the Peace Corner, Catholic Charities offers a wide variety of services to the youth and families of Austin, and hopes to expand their capacity to work with the people there to continue to make it a safer place to live and grow.

After School Matters is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission to provide Chicago public high school teens with opportunities to explore and develop their talents, while gaining critical skills for work, college and beyond. In 2019, After School Matters provided nearly 19,000 teens with high-quality after-school and summer programs in arts, communications & leadership, sports, and STEM.

Through intensive mentoring and teaching the restoration of classic cars, the Automotive Mentoring Group (AMG) equips young people who are involved in, or at risk of involvement in neighborhood violence, with life skills, social and emotional coping strategies, and trade skills that create positive opportunities for them.

Back on My Feet combats homelessness through the power of running, community support, and essential employment and housing resources. Our unique running-based model demonstrates that if you first restore confidence, strength and self-esteem, individuals are better equipped to tackle the road ahead and move toward jobs, homes and new lives. For all in need, we aim to provide: practical training and employment resources for achieving independence; an environment that promotes accountability; and a community that offers compassion and hope.  For all with the capacity to serve—volunteers, donors, community and corporate partners—we seek to engage you in the profound experience of empowering individuals to achieve what once seemed impossible through the seemingly simple act of putting one foot in front of the other.

Our mission is to empower residents to share in the responsibility of building community through resource development and collaborative partnerships. We will accomplish our mission by developing innovative performance-based practices and programs to address the need for Violence Prevention, Community Engagement, Economic Development, Education, Healthy Children/Youth and Families.

BUILD’s mission is to engage at-risk youth in the schools and on the streets so they can realize their educational and career potential and contribute to the stability, safety and well-being of our communities. Since 1969, BUILD has been a second family for Chicago’s marginalized youth, helping thousands of young people facing the steepest challenges—like poverty, involvement in the justice system, and chronic exposure to violence and other sources of trauma—escape gang violence and become leaders in safer, stronger communities. BUILD now reaches 6,500 youth and families annually in six challenged Chicago neighborhoods—Austin, Garfield Park, Humboldt Park, Hermosa, Belmont Cragin, and Fuller Park.

The Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation envisions a community free from all forms of sexual exploitation and sexual violence, including sexual assault and the commercial sex trade. CAASE addresses the culture, institutions, and individuals that perpetrate, profit from, or support sexual exploitation. CAASE is excited to be demonstrating our commitment to holistic violence prevention throughout Chicago by participating in this year's Race Against Gun Violence.

The Chicago Police Memorial Foundation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to honoring the lives of fallen Chicago Police heroes. The Foundation provides support and financial assistance to the families of Chicago Police Officers who were killed or catastrophically injured in the line of duty. 

Chicago Run is a nonprofit organization that provides children and youth from pre-K through high school with fun and engaging physical activity programs regardless of age, neighborhood, or athletic ability level. We serve over 18,000 children and youth with high-quality enriching physical fitness programs. Our goal is to improve the physical fitness and social/emotional well-being of all our participants by following a Sports Based Youth Development model and using Trauma Sensitive coaches.

Chicago Survivors is a non-profit organization that provides a range of services for surviving family members of Chicago homicide victims. Chicago Survivors staff members work to ensure families receive early crisis intervention, supportive counseling, advocacy, and referral services from the moment of the death notification for a period of at least six months. Chicago Survivors also supports an ongoing Community of Survivors as a means of peer support and as an avenue for constructive engagement in anti-violence efforts.

Collaboraction Theatre Company is a 21 year-old Chicago non-profit arts organization that is committed to the power of theatre and art to cultivate empathy, knowledge, dialogue and action for the betterment of society. Collaboraction’s annual programming consists of Mainstage shows, the annual PEACEBOOK Festival and our Youth Programming.

My name is Greg Zanis. I am a carpenter by trade. Since 1997, I've constructed and placed over 20,000 white wooden crosses and other memorials for the public and the families of crime victims as well as accident victims.

Cure Violence stops the spread of violence by using the methods and strategies associated with disease control – detecting and interrupting conflicts, identifying and treating the highest risk individuals, and changing social norms – resulting reductions in violence of up to 70%.

The Example Setters is a community of leaders, youth, and adults who have been on the frontlines in the Chicago peace movement for 7 years. Block by block in the parks, churches, and schools. Through spoken word poetry, CPS leadership/mentoring programs, and health/wellness workshops, we have seen first hand the pain and power poverty has over this city's most underserved communities. Despite the staggering statistics, and against all odds The Example Setters found the youth of Chicago are an invaluable asset to breaking the cycle of poverty and they are key to a peaceful Chicago. We are seeking an investment in Chicago's future.

Through our members in the Everytown Survivor Network, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America gives a voice to survivors and victims of gun violence. The Survivor Network works to build communities of support around the country, and many of our survivors live in the Chicago area and lead our work with community partners to stem gun violence.

Friends of Kenwood Academy, aka FOKA, is a 501(c)(3) charitable membership organization of the community, school parents, family, and friends who support education and community excellence at Kenwood Academic Center and Kenwood Academy High School.

Gary Comer Youth Center was established in Chicago’s Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood in May 2006. Our mission is to ensure students graduate from high school prepared for college and careers. We provide a safe and supportive environment for youth after school, on weekends and during school hours. We are committed to developing the full potential, talent and skill of young people from 5th grade through college graduation. We offer programming in three primary categories: academics, enrichment and college success.

Green Era Educational NFP is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to provide environmental education and green job training to support urban agriculture and local food production within economically challenged communities.

Guitars Over Guns aims to empower youth from Miami and Chicago's most vulnerable communities through a powerful combination of music education, public performance opportunities, and mentoring relationships. Our mentors are all local, professional musicians who are trained in Social Emotional Learning best practices designed to help youth overcome hardship, find their voice, and reach their potential as leaders. During the 2019-20 school year, our team of 55 mentors served nearly 1,000 students across 20 school- and community-based sites in Chicago and Miami. 

We relentlessly engage men who are most highly impacted by gun violence, and connect them to paid transitional jobs, cognitive behavioral therapy, and support services.

The mission of I Grow Chicago is to grow Englewood from surviving to thriving through community connection, skill building, and opportunity. 

Once abandoned and up for demolition, I Grow Chicago's Peace House now serves as a community center with events, after-school tutoring, summer camp, community yoga classes, Peace Garden, and a food and donation pantry. Nearly 15 different programs assist every generation of West Englewood with every aspect of their lives, from learning to take a deep breath before reacting to learning how to use computers. Since the Peace House opened, what was previously one of the most dangerous blocks in West Englewood has become a symbol of hope and transformation.

The Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence (ICHV) is the oldest and largest statewide organization in the U.S. working to prevent the devastation caused by firearms. Founded in 1975 by four suburban Chicago women concerned about the tragic consequences of handgun proliferation and availability, ICHV works on a variety of fronts to educate, raise public awareness, and build coalitions to enact change in laws and behavior.

Through the teachings of Dr. King, Nonviolence Chicago infuses high doses of nonviolence through community members and role models to change the prevalence and status quo of violence.  Using a collaborative community-based approach founded on the theories and practices of nonviolence and relationship building, Nonviolence Chicago works with the highest risk ("in-risk") individuals and the communities in which they live.

JSF was founded in April 2017 by Jeremy's mom, Tracey Scullark, after he lost his life to senseless gun violence in Chicago on the Chinatown feeder ramp April 19th at 5:12pm.  Jeremy was an amazing young man who could change your mindset by being around him. See Better to Be Better is the way Jeremy lived his life and so can so many other kids.  Jeremy Scullark Foundation is a peer-lead to change the mindset of our youth, because behavior is influenced by interactions with others!  We take a proactive approach to the problem of violence as a way to encourage change, by exposing diversity, and social identity to future leaders.  JSF can accept tax deductible donations via its 501(c)(3) fiscal agent, EIN 27-4414607.

Kids Off the Block (KOB) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2003 by Diane Latiker who opened her home to youth in her community to help them steer away from the negative influences they saw daily.  KOB works with youth, teens, and young adults ages 12-24 years old, offering homework help, mentoring, activities and a “safe place."

Our primary mission is to build stronger communities through a focus on:

• Violence Prevention
• Food Insecurity
• Housing

Additionally, MASK partners to ensure that community members have access to necessary city services, opportunities for education & professional skills growth, and economic development.

The mission of M.A.S.S. is to ensure our children are able to go to school, play outside their homes, and return safely without fear of being a victim of gun violence.

The National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) serves as the conscience of law enforcement by being committed to justice by action. NOBLE has nearly 60 chapters and represents over 3,000 members worldwide that represent law enforcement officials of all ranks from federal, state, county, municipal law enforcement agencies, criminal justice practitioners and concerned citizens.  The Chicago Chapter focuses on promoting positive interactions with the community in the greater Chicagoland area, providing educational, recreational and social outlets, especially for youth and the elderly.  From skating parties; athletic events; senior brunches; father-daughter dances; poetry slams; plays and golf outings to training sessions for those hoping to become police officers and our Law in the Community program; NOBLE CHICAGO is there to fill the need where we find it while offering guidance and support to our members who seek advancement in their careers.

NeighborScapes is a non-profit organization with a mission to strengthen the physical and social fabric of neighborhoods, and to create a covenant of care, enrichment and development for young people. 

New Community Outreach is a community based, non-profit organization committed to the healing, reconciliation, and building up of Chicago’s greater Bronzeville youth and community through restorative justice. We work collaboratively with residents and organizations of the South Side of Chicago to mitigate the impact and reduce the causes of physical and emotional trauma and raise the opportunities for community equity and individual flourishing. Our work prioritizes partnerships with organizations and schools, such as Jackie Robinson Elementary, Dyett High School, the Bronzeville Community Action Council, Chicago Center for Youth Violence Prevention, and other local and city-wide organizations. Building on the relationships of our leadership and board of directors as well as the ministry of New Community Covenant Church, we lead restorative justice programing for high school students, maintain a community garden in order to provide fresh produce to our neighbors through distributions, and host a community-wide back-to-school fair annually among other neighborhood initiatives! We remain present at the intersection of trauma and hope, working collaboratively with our community, to achieve a more just society.

The Greater Bethesda Missionary Baptist Church's "Paving The Way Project” serves as a voice for the Washington Park community, as an outreach program for violence prevention, and as a bridge between public service personnel and the public in hopes of building a safer and stronger community. 

Project FIRE (Fearless Initiative for Recovery and Empowerment) is an artist development employment program that provides healing through glassblowing, mentorship and trauma psychoeducation for youth injured by violence in Chicago. All Project FIRE participants are clients of Healing Hurt People Chicago, a hospital based violence intervention program. Project FIRE is a partnership between glass artist Pearl Dick, Healing Hurt People-Chicago and ArtReach Chicago. 

Public Allies is a national movement committed to advancing social justice and equity by engaging and activating the leadership capacities of our young people. Since 1992, we have helped thousands of underrepresented young leaders serve our country, get on successful pathways to higher education and careers, and bring communities together to work for the common good. We operate our signature AmeriCorps program in 25 communities nationwide. We believe that communities already have the leadership they need to create lasting social change. Public Allies seeks to find and cultivate those leaders and connect them to the issues and causes that ignite their passion.

Strengthening Chicago's Youth (SCY) is Chicago's largest violence prevention collaborative and a catalyst for innovation convened by Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. Our mission is to connect and mobilize our community around a public health approach to violence prevention. We encourage partnerships that strengthen existing efforts so our youth can reach their full potential.

Teamwork was formed in 2003 as part of the New Communities Program, sponsored by Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and the MacArthur Foundation. Its goal is to unite the many organizations serving Englewood residents and work toward the common goal of building a stronger community. We are a capacity builder and a catalyst for positive community change, focused on safety, services to special needs populations and the promotion of healthy lifestyles for all residents. 

At The Community Builders we are committed to achieving positive outcomes for our developments and the people who live in them. We believe that building and sustaining strong communities helps everyone.  Together with valued partners, our work includes award-winning neighborhood transformations and pioneering commercial projects that anchor communities with grocery stores, medical centers and recreational facilities. We build, rehabilitate and sustain developments that more than 4,000 families of all incomes call home in vibrant cities, formerly distressed public housing sites and sought-after neighborhoods across the Midwest.

The Kindness Campaign creates local leaders, involved community members, engaged businesses and at-promise young adults through leadership of impact initiatives.

The mission of Timothy Community Corporation (TCC) is to strengthen the community by Connecting, Sharing and Serving; providing the individual opportunities to grow physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Timothy Community Corporation will be an incubator for resources. This incubator will serve as a warm, inviting environment that drives individuals to impact the community. Those touched by TCC will be strengthened through a process of learning, healing, and serving.

Rooted in growing food, we cultivate nourishing environments that support health, economic development, healing and creativity through urban agriculture. Urban Growers Collective tackles food insecurity through a variety of programming. Our portfolio of programs includes: the Fresh Moves Mobile Market; Farmers for Chicago, our job readiness program which trains over 300 teens annually, 30 formerly incarcerated adults through an 18-month job-readiness program, as well as our Incubator Farmer program which provides land and technical assistance for new Chicago farmers; our head-start preschool farm which serves over 150 preschoolers and their families; and finally, we provide education to a larger audience through a series of agriculture, small business development, and equality building workshops.

West Town Bikes aims to promote bicycling in the City of Chicago, to educate youth with a focus on under-served populations, and to foster and serve Chicago’s growing bicycling community. Year-round bike based youth programs offering instruction in bike building and mechanics, bike safety and nutrition and active lifestyle choices. The program also teaches science concepts, environmental awareness, personal responsibility and citizenship.

At Youth Guidance, we believe that no matter what challenges a young person faces, they are more likely to succeed when they have many caring adults in their lives. Our highly trained staff works directly with schools, parents and families to meet kids where they are—physically within schools, socially and emotionally—and help them break cycles of violence, overcome life and academic obstacles, make positive choices, and remain on the right path towards life success.