No Kids Die in the Chi

Our urgent need

Chicago’s violent crime problems are well documented, with 75% of the violent crime occurring in just a fraction of the neighborhoods. This includes the Humboldt Park neighborhood, which saw 21 people murdered, over 1300 violent crime victimizations, and nearly 1400 ShotSpotter alerts in 2023. Summer is a time where the neighborhood experiences a large uptick in violence, and youth oriented organizations in the neighborhood are not open after 3pm and on weekends.

At the House of Hope Foundation, we see the urgent need for kids in the western blocks of Humboldt Park to have a safe place to go – now.

Right now, we’re raising funds to create an evening and weekend safe space through a holistic work opportunity for our youth. House of Hope provides low barrier work opportunities and empowering mentorship, providing a nurturing environment where kids can put their positive mindset into practice and stay engaged and off the streets.

After over 5 years of work, House of Hope has built relationships with young people that benefit dramatically from caring investment in their lives. We decided to create a summer program this year because we see that there’s a gap in our youth being able to access all of the opportunities that Chicago has to offer. Opportunities save lives and we’re trying to make sure no kids die in the Chi.

This program compliments other youth employment programs like One Summer Chicago in that it serves kids most in need: those that face significant barriers to obtaining regular jobs. The House of Hope program gives kids a low barrier to entry means to earn meaningful income while also making a difference in their community.

Your donation will cover the cost of this summer employment program: Operation Clean Youth. Clean here has a double meaning – clean, as in keeping kids clean, off the streets, and clean as in cleaning up the communities. The plan for the program is to pay kids stipends for supervised community cleaning work that they perform for several hours each week during the summer after school gets out.

Your donation will go to:

• Transportation: Both the work program and some of the Safe Haven programming will require access to transportation. Thus we include costs for youth CTA monthly passes.
• Work Program Participant Stipends: we will pay kids for each week they show up, the equivalent of minimum wage, in the form of stipends for each session completed. We anticipate 30-40 kids, paid 100 dollars for ~6 hours of work each week.
• Work Program Supplies: Our work program provides valuable vocational training and summer employment to youth, while also cleaning up the community. To implement the program, we require essential supplies such as latex gloves, trash bags, and reflective vests, as well as a few shovels and trash grippers.
• Healthy Meals: We will provide one main meal per day for ~15-20 kids, as well as additional lunch and snacks, available a la cart. We aim to promote positive dietary habits and contribute to the physical and emotional health of our youth.
• Extra-curricular Activities: Young people grow & develop when they’re able to experience new things! At the House of Hope, we intend to bring our young people on engaging outings that help them explore Chicago and experience the fun of being a kid.

Thank you so much for your investment into the lives of our youth. Each donation, from $5 to $5000, helps make sure that no kids dies in the Chi!

House of Hope Foundation is a certified 501c3 nonprofit, and is open to partnerships and working with everyone dedicated to helping Chicago’s youth thrive.