B U I L D INCORPORATED
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Mission Statement
BUILD inspires hope and offers opportunities so youth facing systemic obstacles can achieve positive futures.
About This Cause
Founded in 1969 as a pioneering gang intervention organization in Chicago’s Humboldt Park community, BUILD brings 55 years’ experience helping West Side youth and families facing steep barriers, access the tools and opportunities, and develop the skills they need to recognize and realize their full potential. With a mission to inspire hope and offer opportunities so youth facing systemic obstacles can achieve positive futures, BUILD has been a second family for Chicago’s marginalized youth for more than a half-century, helping thousands of young people facing the steepest challenges—from poverty and involvement in the justice system, to chronic exposure to violence and other sources of trauma—become leaders in safer, stronger communities. BUILD’s model integrates a holistic suite of services, each designed to address a distinct set of youth needs, with individualized support from caring adult mentors who have walked in their shoes – along with care for their families and communities. Our Intervention department helps gang- and justice-involved youth step away from violence through street outreach, crisis response, case management, and positive alternatives to the streets; Prevention creates safe, supportive spaces during and after school, for young people to develop academic and social emotional skills, build relationships, and prepare for high school and beyond; BUILDing Futures helps young people succeed in school and access and persist in post-secondary education, training, and careers. Our Enrichment department helps youth develop their creative potential, positively express themselves, and discover new talents through arts, sports, gardening, and STEM. Our Clinical and Community Wellness teams provide mental health care and case management for youth and families impacted by violence and trauma, taking mental health care directly to those who need it most. Finally, Community Engagement provides outreach, connection to essential resources, and youth leadership programming, and operates our restorative Peace and Justice Center. Over the past eight years, BUILD has grown dramatically to meet the needs of West Side communities, with a current staff of 174 and projected FY24 budget of $17.33M (up from $2.68M in FY16). In February 2023, the organization moved into a state-of-the-art 56,000-square-foot youth and community center on our Austin campus - including a full-size gym and fitness lab, kitchen and café, art and music studios, STEM lab, woodshop, mental health center, and Peace and Justice Center, which has enabled the organization to dramatically expand the programs, services, resources and opportunities available to the youth and families we serve. BUILD now reaches 3,000+ youth, families, and residents annually through a holistic suite of services ranging from street outreach, crisis response, mental health, and case management to college and career readiness, arts, sports, and STEM – delivered by caring adult mentors who have experienced similar challenges, in six West Side Chicago neighborhoods: Austin, East and West Garfield Park, Humboldt Park, Hermosa, and Belmont Cragin.