Members of the House Ways and Means Committee visited Project HOOD, a nonprofit organization focused on providing mentorship, training, and community to residents of Chicago’s South Side.
“The fact that they’re coming to see our work and learn about what we do speaks volumes,” said Project HOOD (Helping Others Take Their Destiny In Their Own Hands). The Reverend Corey Brooks, founder and CEO of Help), told FOX News. “This shows that we are on the right path. It means that the work we are doing is being recognized. This is a huge achievement and further recognition I think this is a big step forward.”
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The House Ways and Means Committee met with Rev. Brooks on Chicago’s South Side on Monday. (Project HOOD)
Brooks said the committee contacted his organization to set up a meeting and tour the facility while the congressman was in Chicago for a series of hearings this week.
“They contacted us. They heard about the work we were doing,” Brooks said. “They were really interested in how we put our human services workers to work, so they wanted to make sure they were shown around our locations.”
Since its founding in 2012, Project HOOD has continued to expand and transform the lives of people living in one of Chicago’s most underserved neighborhoods. In October, the organization broke ground on a $35 million Center for Leadership and Economic Opportunity, scheduled for completion by 2025.
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The Rev. Corey Brooks said he hopes the Ways and Means Committee will see Project HOOD as a blueprint for improving struggling communities. (Project HOOD)
The new community center will provide financial literacy programs, workforce development programs, help and wellness programs, violence prevention programs, and construction programs to people on the South Side.
“I think this is the linchpin of what we’re trying to accomplish to transform this region,” Brooks told Fox News.
Committee members visited the South Side Monday night to tour the facility and meet with Brooks. The pastor is eager to introduce the 90,000-square-foot project to the committee, and the visit will give lawmakers a blueprint for successful community revitalization programs that will help others across the country. He said he hopes to expand to major cities.
Pastor Corey Brooks said he is eager to show lawmakers all the work he has done to improve the community. (Project HOOD)
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“Washington needs to know that there are organizations doing great work to change lives in one of the toughest areas in the country,” Brooks said. “And we think this model can be used to transform lives across the country, especially in urban centers that have similar problems.”
“I really think we can be a model of what works,” he added. “And if they can come together and support organizations like ours, that would be a huge help to this country.”
