Over 1,000 El Grito 5K Participants This Year!
If you didn't join us for El Grito 5K you missed out on an amazing event! There were over 1,100 participants this year and together we ran/walked, laughed, got rained on, ate tamales, did Zumba, drank Jarritos and had an amazing morning! This is our largest event of the year and we could not have done it without the support of sponsors and volunteers. We look forward to next year and hope to see you there:-)
MORE PICTURES HERE: https://runsignup.com/Race/Photos/IL/Chicago/ElGrito5k
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Riding Horses & Conquering Fears All In a Day's Work of Mentoring
Our volunteer mentors took their mentees horseback riding! Many of our mentees and some mentors had never been on a horse before so they were pretty nervous. Despite their fears, they got on the horses and did a great job! We all rode through some beautiful trails in the Cook County Forest Preserves near Palos Heights. At the end of the day, we all felt like we had conquered some of our fears and learned some new skills along the way!
CrossOver Teaching About God, Family and Basketball
Crossover Little Village Basketball Program is becoming a strong root for the youth in the community. This year, the group bond was stronger, the youth were eager to start the season and the skill level was heightened each week. There is a focus on mind, body, and soul through great workouts, life lessons, and most important - a spiritual awakening. We ended the season strong and many of our participants completed the program successfully. The expectation and commitment level remained high and the young people entering the program achieved their goals.
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LIN (Light in the Night) Program is Bringing "Sunshine" to the Neighborhood
New Life Centers hosts LIN events at local parks to bring safe spaces to the neighborhood during the summer months which tend to be the most violent time of the year in Chicago. It consists of softball, basketball, free food, carnival games and kids activities. We have had the opportunity of praying with the softball and basketball players before each game. Very grateful for the work that God is allowing us to do in Little Village.
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13.1 Mile Run Checked Off The List✓
Running Forward conquered the Rock'n'Roll Half Marathon again! There were many new youth running the 13.1 mile run this year. NLC staff was able to transport their parents to the race so that they could cheer them on throughout the course and to wait to embrace them at the finish line. We are so proud of our runners!
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Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton Comes to La Villita
On July 10th, New Life Centers staff and youth had the opportunity to meet with Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. We shared about our neighborhood, our work, and our young people talked about their experience with the justice system, the challenges they have faced and things that they would like to see change. It was a great morning of laughter, story telling, listening and building bridges. We are so thankful that Juliana made time to come to our community and are looking forward to building together.
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Little League Successfully Completes 7th "Season" Stretch
We just finished our 7th season of Little Village Little League! The players learned how to become better players and had fun while doing it. The games challenged them and created a deeper sense of camaraderie amongst the players. We are excited for next season! Registration for 2020 will start at the end of this year, stay tuned and enjoy the pictures!
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NLC Featured in Obama Foundation's Annual Report - Check It Out!
New Life Centers was recently featured in the Obama Foundation's annual report. Click on the link below to see what Benny and our street outreach team is doing on a regular basis!
https://www.obama.org/annual-report-2018/programs-brothers-keeper-alliance/
Summer Kicks Off with Light in the Night Activities!
Summer is here, and our Light in the Night (LIN) programming is in full swing! During the summer we run program in Little Village neighborhood parks three times a week. These events are free to the community and we offer free food, music, games, family activities, movies and sports leagues! We have activities for community members of all ages. Our goal is to provide a safe and fun space for everyone to come out and enjoy the summer. We have Project Play on Wednesdays and soccer leagues for youth on Thursdays and Fridays at the Gary/Ortiz soccer field. You can also join us on Wednesdays at Piotrowski Park and/or Thursdays at La Villita Park for Softball and more activities!
United in Prayer at the Little Village Arch
Chicagoland United in Prayer initiated a prayer event for the wellness of the city. Local churches throughout Little Village met at midnight by the Little Village arch to pray and commune with one another. The arch was created in 1990 and symbolically represents the entrance to the neighborhood with a message on it saying “Bienvenidos a Little Village.” A year later, the Mexican government donated the bronze clock that was placed on top of the arch. There were about 80 members from different church congregations that prayed for the safety and wellbeing of the neighborhood, for the youth and the newly elected leaders of the community. The New Life Centers Outreach team and several mentors were also present and had a chance to have people pray for them and for the work they do in the community to help reduce the gun violence that historically sees a spike during the summer season. This event was a good way to signal the beginning of summer and also represents the work and role that churches play in the community. All of these churches that participated in this event will be collaborating later on this year during the summer to help provide safe spaces in the community and resources for the youth of Little Village.