CEO Update: Community impact and the work ahead
CEO Update: Community Impact and the Work Ahead
On October 20, New Life Centers CEO Matt DeMateo met with donors and community members via Zoom to share organizational updates, highlight recent impact, and discuss priorities for the months ahead. He highlighted summer programming, described our response to the challenges facing local families, and outlined plans to sustain and strengthen our programs.
Over the summer, our programs reached more than 6,800 people through Light in the Night, Little League, soccer, softball, basketball, community celebrations, summer camps, and family events. These activities gave young people opportunities to learn, play, and build relationships while bringing neighbors together across Chicago. That community spirit was also evident at El Grito 5K, where more than 1,600 runners took to 26th Street in Little Village.
Matt shared updates on our community violence intervention program, citing a 65% decline in shootings and homicides in Little Village from 2024 to 2025. Building trust, preventing harm, and walking alongside neighbors remain central to this work.
Access to food and essential supplies has also become a pressing concern for many families. Matt described our Community Care response to Operation Midway Blitz and subsequent ICE raids. As part of this response, New Life Centers has distributed more than 3 million items, including food and essential supplies, to over 34,000 people across seven counties.
Through Pan de Vida in Little Village and Midway, along with Community Meal in Humboldt Park, we also help feed more than 10,000 people each month.
These efforts reflect the three core pillars guiding New Life Centers: Youth Empowerment, Restorative Justice, and Community Care. Matt explained how this framework helps us set priorities and adapt our programs as community needs change.
Looking ahead, Matt introduced Hope Heals, our year-end campaign to raise $500,000 to sustain current programs and extend support to more Chicago families through the Hope Hub resource center. We invite donors and community members to help us reach this goal and continue caring for our neighbors.
Watch the full CEO Update video below to learn more about the organization’s recent impact and goals for the future.
New Life Centers Celebrates Hispanic Heritage at the El Grito 5K Family Run/Walk
Held just before the Mexican Independence Day Parade, the El Grito 5K is one of New Life Cen
“El Grito is more than a race—it’s a celebration of the rich cultural heritage of Chicago’s Hispanic communities,” said Matt DeMateo, Chief Executive Officer of New Life Centers. “Our goal is always to create a welcoming space for people to connect and share in the traditions that make Little Village so special.” The morning began with a Zumba warm-up, live mariachi music and a drumline performance.
Thousands of spectators cheered participants along the route, encouraging them every step of the way. At the finish line, runners and walkers were welcomed with hugs, high-fives, medals and fresh tamales.
Beyond celebrating culture and community, the El Grito 5K supports New Life Centers’ year-round work. Every mile helps keep mentoring, education, youth sports, outreach and community care available to young people and families across Chicago’s South and West Sides.
Take a look at our 2025 Impact Report
In 2025, this work was there in the places people move through every day across Chicago.
- A young person met with a mentor and kept coming back. It didn’t shift right away. Then it started to. Today, 96% of
Arise and GEMS mentees say their mentor helps them believe they can succeed. - After school, students walked in and someone was already there. A chair pulled up. A quick check-in. Time to catch up and keep going. Over the year, that added up to 1,286 hours of academic support.
- 1,379 young people showed up across gyms, fields, and long runs. They kept their schedules, stayed connected, and had a place that expected them back.
- In Little Village, when tensions rose, outreach teams stepped in and stayed. Conversations didn’t end in one night. More than 250 participants worked things out alongside people who kept showing up, part of what has led to a 65% drop in shootings and homicides.
- At Pan de Vida, families came in and left with what they needed. Groceries packed. Questions answered. 120,123 neighbors received food and care.
You can explore the full 2025 Impact Report to see how this work came together across Chicago.
Read the full report here: newlifecenters.org/impact2025
Community-Led Efforts Are Driving Down Gun Violence in Little Village, Chicago
COMMUNITY-LED EFFORTS ARE DRIVING DOWN GUN VIOLENCE IN LITTLE VILLAGE, CHICAGO
Hope is rising as communities come together to build peace
Gun violence has reached historic lows in several Chicago neighborhoods—bringing with it a renewed sense of hope across the city.
Earlier this July, city officials, community leaders, and philanthropic partners gathered at Farragut High School in Little Village to mark a milestone years in the making: the measurable impact of Community Violence Intervention (CVI) programs, driven by long-term commitment, collaboration, and community leadership.
Through the SC2 strategy—Scaling Community Violence Intervention for a Safer Chicago—the city has significantly expanded support for individuals at the highest risk of being involved in violence. Each participant is surrounded by a comprehensive wraparound team that includes an outreach worker, care navigator, mental health therapist, education specialist, and workforce development coach.
🔻 80% drop in shootings and homicides in Little Village
🔻 Nearly 40% decrease citywide
These outcomes reflect more than data—they represent lives transformed, streets made safer, and communities on a path toward healing.
For more than two decades, our outreach team has walked alongside residents, building trust and creating safer spaces—one relationship at a time.
This moment proves what’s possible when communities lead with care, courage, and consistency. The work is far from over, but peace is growing—one life at a time.
Thank you to everyone helping make this progress possible. Together, we are building a safer Chicago.
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.
