New Life Centers of Chicagoland NFP

New Life Centers is a beautiful organization that is located right in the middle of the Humboldt Park neighborhood. People from blocks around know about the church and the Center and it is valued highly by its neighbors. This is a place where hundreds of children have passed through in order to have fun, learn, feel safe, and be greatly loved. Adults who come in recieve job training and also are offered many different opportunities such as basketball and excersise class. Youth who come have the opportunity to be discipled and challenged and they learn that there is hope, even in their broken community.

The marjority of people who work at NewLife live in the neighborhood which has a huge impact on their ministry in this place. I am incredibly drawn to the work that is being done here and I look forward to continuing to serve at NewLife Centers- Humboldy Park!

New Life Centers is by far one of the most amazing organizations I have ever volunteered for. I did a three week internship there for my university and my views about community development and impacting others changed significantly in a good way. New Life Centers offers a place for the community to grow and connect, offering classes in various fields like job searching and jewelry making, giving kids a place to come to after school and receive tutoring, homework assistance, fun activities, Biblical lessons, and food, offering programs for youth to gather and play sports, and more. Through New Life centers, beautiful relationships are built, hope comes alive in people's hearts, and love is extravagantly given. All who come leave encouraged, smiling, and happy. New Life Centers has amazing staff that not only has a heart for the city but go beyond and above in all they do. They truly care about the people and have established so many relationships in the community. They play a major role in the kids lives as well. What I think of when I think of New Life is the hands and feet of Christ and LOVE. Everything is done in love. When I did my internship there, I felt as though I were part of an organization that is truly making a difference. Every day impacted my life and my view of outreach. It is an amazing organization.

I believe that there is no faith-based non-profit doing more positive work in inner city Chicago than the New Life Centers. The staff not only work in inner city communities like Little Village, Oak Forest, Humboldt Park - they live there too. This gives them the unique perspective to perceptively see genuine needs of their neighbors and create programs to fill them. After school programs? You got 'em. Gang prevention programs? Yep. Teaching business and life skills? Check! Early education for parents with little ones? You bet. Fitness and wellness? Of course.

In 2004-2005 I worked as a teacher in what was then Bethel Lutheran Church and School, alongside Elizabeth Galik. I saw first hand her dedication to the Humboldt Park neighborhood, and desire to serve the families who lived there. She was innovative with ways to reach out to our families, and spearheaded many efforts to be more connected to the neighborhood. She has since directed that drive and passion into making an even greater impact as the General Director of New Life Centers.

I have supported New Life Centers for a couple years now, and I love that I know my donation is helping to directly affect change in the Humboldt Park and Chicagoland area. From basketball programs that provide youth with an alternative to gang activity, to adults being able to use the community resource center to work on resumes and online applications, New Life Centers is providing real help for real problems!