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.
