The Little Village Neighborhood
The Little Village (La Villita) community, located in Chicago’s South Lawndale neighborhood, is home to more than 90,000 residents and represents the largest 
concentration of Mexican and Mexican Americans in the city of Chicago.   
 
Little Village has a population that is primarily working-class, Hispanic, first or second-generation in the U.S., Spanish-speaking, young, and male.  The median income  for Little Village families is 32% lower than the Chicago median of $38,625, with over one-fourth of our families living in extreme poverty (with incomes below $15,000). 
 
Little Village has one of the youngest populations in the city, with nearly 70% of the population under the age of 35.  The rising number of youth in the community creates a demand for more and better schools, parks, social services, and youth programs.  Especially in a neighborhood with the least amount of green space per capita in Chicago, access to recreational facilities and open space is limited, forcing youth to play in streets and alleys. More than 2,000 neighborhood young people are gang members; the ensuing violence hinders community development efforts.  

Gangs is a huge issue and is often declared the number one problem in the neighborhood.  Youth have to constantly be aware of what side of the neighborhood they are on and the gangs have taken more than 15 lives in 2008 alone.  There are very few agencies doing anything about the problem.  New Life Centers of Chicagoland seeks to create a gang intervention program that makes a true difference in the community.  As we partner with the Cook County Juvenile Court and other community agencies we can make a difference in our neighborhood.  

The Urban Life Skills Program History
For the last two and a half years, New Life Centers of Chicagoland (NLCC) has been partnering with the Juvenile Court in a variety of different ways to improve our community.  Through this partnership we are providing youth in our community additional opportunities to succeed.  Probation Officer Hector Escalera approached us in September 2007 and expressed an interest to partner together to reach out to at risk youth specifically those gang involved and on probation.  This partnership was most welcomed since juvenile justice and New Life both shared similar concerns about youth. 

In November 2007 we started a 10 week trial period to see what this partnership would look like.  Since then, we have seen some great successes and we are excited for the future.  There are continual improvements happening within the program and we are learning from the experience of the court, of the mentors, and of other community based agencies. 

We are committed to this program, our partnerships, and the many possibilities that will impact the success of these youth in our Little Village community.  NLCC is also actively participating in the Latino Task Force through the Juvenile Court.

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