Urban Life Skills Updates!

by Matt DeMateo 23. March 2011 09:40

Things are going well for Urban Life Skills!  As the warm weather starts up, we begin our busy season!  Thanks for your continued support and prayers.  We couldn't do this work without you!  Here are some things that God has been doing among us.

  • Friday Night Group - We have changed our Friday night group layout and the youth are more engaged and the discussions are going deeper!  
  • New Curriculum - We are in the process of compiling and putting into print our new curriculum.  As we teach it, we are laying out lesson plans so we can have others teach each lesson!
  • CPS - Culture of Calm grant is going strong as we continue to mentor 40 youth in Farragut high school!
  • Chicago Adventure Therapy - We have just planned out a variety of events for the spring/summer including a camping trip, rock climbing, biking, kayaking, and more!
  • Substance Abuse Training - Art and Epi are currently in California being trained on a new substance abuse curriculum (http://www.matrixinstitute.org/training/training.html) - going to take our group to the next level!
  • New Reentry Grant and New Staff! Today we began a new program through the governor's office working with juvenile offenders on parole.  We have hired Amy Williams as the program coordinator, Jay Estrada as our full time outreach worker, and Wes Kennedy as our Part Time outreach worker.
  • New Theater System - This weekend we are installing a state of the art theater system in the youth room with a 9 foot screen, HD projector, and surround sound.  We will use this for Friday groups, movie nights, and more!
  • Friday Night Football League - We will be beginning a Friday night flag football league in April.  There will be 8 teams and the league will be from 10 PM to 2 AM at the YMCA at 26th and Western.
  • Arcadia 2011 - On April 16th we will be having our 3rd Arcadia videogame tournament.  This will kickoff the spring season.  We will have 200+ youth out for a day of games, pizza, and outreach!
  • Gym Project - In two weeks we are going to be launching our fund-raising efforts for our new multi-purpose gym space.  The goal is to have a fully functional gym by September 1!  This will include basketball hoops, volleyball net, and more...possibly even a climbing wall!

There's a lot going on!  Thanks for your hard work and continued support.  Remember that God is moving and we must continue to pray for our youth and their families.  There were 4 shootings in the neighborhood last week alone...keep on going and keep on praying. 

Matt DeMateo

Midwest Chapter of U.S. Olympians & Paralympians mentions New Life Centers!

by Matt DeMateo 15. March 2011 17:45
The Midwest Chapter of U.S. Olympians & Paralympians mentioned New Life Centers and Steve Alley in their current newsletter and had great words to share.
 
Here is the piece:
 

World Sport Chicago hosts many events this spring and summer. Former Northwestern University wide receiver Rasheed Ward(rward@worldsportchicago.orgleads the World Sport Chicago Athlete Ambassador Program on behalf of Bob Berland (judo, 1984, 1988) and WSC President (wrestling, 1988) Bill Scherr, which seeks Olympians, Paralympians, elite athletes and coaches to visit schools several times a year or to participate in programs.   

steven alley

Former NHL and WHA player Steve Alley(hockey, 1976) www.alleycompanyllc.com is paving the way for athlete involvement at New Life Centers of Chicagoland at www.nlcenters.orgin the Little Village neighborhood.

     "What I love about New Life Centers is that they are passionate about the positive inroads sports programming can have on reducing gang violence," Alley said.  "Simply put, expending youthful energy on the athletic field has proven to reduce violence on the streets, while building self-esteem and teamwork among these youths."

     Alley supported a softball league and attended the All-Star game in 2010, and will make an Olympian appearance this spring.  New Life Centers of Chicagoland guides "youth, singles and families to abundant life through health, education and employment." Alley and WSC Executive Director Scott Myers are providing counseling advice for the conversion of a large sanctuary into a gymnasium to create a needed sport facility.

For the entire newsletter, CLICK HERE

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ULS Goes Down Under!

by Matt DeMateo 26. February 2010 07:49
Over the last 6 months we have had over 50 shootings and 15 murders in Little Village. Things are rough, but the work goes on! On March 1st, we will be taking the Urban Life Skills Program to Sydney Australia! We have a great friend there who is getting married. A group of 4 of us (Matt and Sarah DeMateo, Art Guerrero, and Vince Torres) will be going to Sydney for 2 weeks. However, the wedding is only the grand finale of our trip. We are going to speak at a variety of different churches, missions groups, and also meeting with high end donors who may be interested in supporting the ULS work in Chicago. This trip is to push the vision and mission of ULS to many donors who have already given thousands of dollars to ULS! By meeting with them in person we are hoping to expand our relationship and see a strong prayer and financial support team built! We need YOU to help get us there. We have had over $4000 donated to make this trip happen. We need to raise $2000 to get the whole team there. We will all be sharing testimonies, pictures, and casting the vision for what God is doing in Chicago. We are asking for 80 people to give $25 to help us get there...would you join us? By signing up as an attender, you are saying you are willing to donate $25. We will send you the link on how to donate the money. For more info on the program go to www.urbanlifeskills.org

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