It's New Life Centers' 20th birthday and you're invited to celebrate with us!
We're incredibly grateful for the enthusiastic support of New Life Centers’ 20-Year Celebration!
To keep the momentum going, here are three exciting ways you can get involved and be part of the celebration.
- Party: newlifecenters.org/20thanniversary
- Run: newlifecenters.org/elGrito5k
- Give: newlifecenters.org/sponsors
About the Events
Journey Together: 20 Years and Beyond Celebration
For 20 years, New Life Centers has been rooted in community— building relationships, and creating the beloved community. This milestone isn’t just about an organization; it’s about the people we serve and people who have made it possible.
Journey Together: Celebrating 20 Years and Beyond is an opportunity to come together, share stories, and honor the relationships that have shaped these past two decades. If you’ve been part of this journey—whether through partnership, volunteering, or simply believing in the mission—this night is for you.
But this isn’t just about looking back—it’s about looking forward. This night marks the beginning of what’s next: a renewed commitment to building, growing, and walking this journey together. The next 20 years start now, and we invite you to be part of shaping them.
El Grito 5K/ Family Fun Run/Walk
El Grito 5K runs along 26th street in the culturally rich Mexican neighborhood of Little Village. The race will precede the Mexican Independence Day Parade.
We invite runners of all fitness levels to participate in this event!
Proceeds for this race will go to support New Life Centers in their relentless commitment to young people and their families at the intersection of youth leadership, life-on-life relationships, and restorative justice.
Register now at: newlifecenters.org/elGrito5k
Exchange between NIU students and New Life Centers Staff
New Life Centers staff from Nicaragua had the opportunity to visit Northern Illinois University to present about our work and their personal testimonies.
Lenin Altamirano is currently our Marketing Specialist and Ada Soza is Program Resource Manager of New Vecinos. This couple shared the life-threatening reasons behind leaving Nicaragua and gave details about their journey to the U.S.
For Dr. Nancy Domínguez, Director of the Department of Language and Cultures and professor in the Spanish Department at NIU, this session represents a valuable opportunity to share impactful stories students can apply to their academic and professional careers.
These cultural exchanges with students help transform the negative ideas of immigration and help address the problem from a more human approach to advocate for these vulnerable groups.
At New Life Centers, we are committed to supporting people in shelters and connecting them with additional resources in the city, as they transition to a new life in this country.
Father Greg Boyle Visits New Life Centers
We were honored to have hosted Father Greg Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries, this week. This organization is based in Los Angeles and is the world's largest gang intervention, rehabilitation, and reintegration program for youth in gangs. Father Greg shared many stories of resilience, gave advice, and broke bread with our staff and other partners.
Father Greg's work has had a positive impact on thousands of young people and demonstrates that love and compassion contribute to a better world. “Since God thought of the creation of the world, he always had in mind the love of neighbor and good harmony among human beings, and that is what we are betting on with our work,” said Father Greg.
Father Greg emphasized that among his priorities is to prioritize the healing of individuals to then turn them into beings who love peace.
We were able to learn even more during a Q&A panel discussion. Matt DeMatteo, CEO of New Life Centers facilitated a panel featuring incredible leaders: Dominique McCord from Metropolitan Peace Initiatives, Benny Estrada from New Life Centers, Jalon Arthur from Chicago CRED, Esther Franco-Payne from the Partnership for Safe and Peaceful Communities, and Father Greg Boyle from Homeboy Industries. Together, they shared valuable lessons and strategies to make our communities safer and more peaceful.
The focus of this panel was Community Violence Intervention (CVI), exploring the challenges and opportunities we face in achieving a peace-loving and harmonious city. Each panelist had the opportunity to share life lessons and key strategies to make our communities safer and more peaceful.
Saving lives is a demanding but necessary task. Everyone can help make a difference. Marginalized people can also perform extraordinary acts of kindness and compassion.
