Take any tough inner city neighborhood, throw in peer pressure and a touch of desperation, and the outcome would be similar. This time, the town is Chicago and the young man named William. After developing an affinity for marijuana, William dropped out of high school, joined a gang and started selling drugs. Forced to make a heart-wrenching choice, his family asked him to leave home.

 

Although his life was spiraling out of control, William took a few stabs at getting back on track. He enrolled in a G.E.D. program and tried to quit drugs, but the temptation was too strong. William spent nights in abandoned buildings or with friends, including J.J., a former grade-school classmate.

One day, J.J. invited his friend to attend an evening Bible study run by a ministry called Breakthrough. William reluctantly went "because he'd given me clothes and a place to stay." He didn't know how dramatically his life was about to change.

 

The East Garfield Park section of Chicago tallied 71 drug-related murders and 300 violent crimes in a recent year. Homelessness and drug-related activity are visible to the casual observer. Close to 46 percent of the households are below the poverty line; 49 percent of the residents have not graduated from high school, and more than 70 percent of the families are headed by a single parent.

 

In the middle of this troubled landscape, Breakthrough’s Youth Outreach program reaches out to children facing pressure from gangs, drugs, violence and promiscuity. Many come from broken homes with few role models to follow, so staff and volunteers strive to build a safety net around the kids.

“The crux of it is that we want to connect caring, Christian adults in a network fashion around the kids in our neighborhood and their families,” says youth outreach director Bill Curry. “Everything we do, we do as a vehicle for adults to build relationships with kids.”

 

Breakthrough operates several programs for youth including a basketball league, academic assistance, Bible Study groups, gardening classes, summer camp and more.