For thousands of teens and adolescents on Chicago’s South and West Sides, growing up is an ordeal. Faced with underfunded schools, rampant crime, and a lack of decent paying jobs, just making it through school and graduating presents a serious challenge for far too many of our city’s youth.
That is why Zakat Foundation is hosting an end-of-the-year block party for schoolchildren in the South Shore neighborhood, a community gathering to celebrate their academic success and perseverance.”Chicago is struggling to find solutions to deal with issues that plague the youth,” said Zakat Foundation of America US Programs Coordinator, Marcus Knight.
“We aim to change not only how youth interact with their community, but also how the community interacts with the youth.” The event will be an occasion to introduce local residents to Zakat Foundation of America’s new South Side Community Center, which will host a variety of programs for youth engagement and enrichment.