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Our Mission
The mission of the Peace and Education Coalition (PEC) is to foster relationships between local community stakeholders. The Coalition members work to create a united vision to help neighborhood children, especially those trapped in a cycle of poverty and violence. The Coalition serves at-risk and high-risk youth by promoting peace and education in the Back of the Yards, New City community. We strive to guide our children with hope, a future and opportunities to reach their potential.
History
The Back of the Yards/New City is a neighborhood primed with history. Upton Sinclair?s, The Jungle, depicts the rich history of this neighborhood. The paramount challenge this neighborhood faces is the overwhelming poverty and peripheral issues of poverty within the community. As a gateway community, many of the constituents have ?pending? documentation issues. Without appropriate documentation, access to food subsidy, adequate housing, healthcare and gainful employment is difficult at best. Gangs, drugs, and violence thrive in this type of environment. Finally, continuing an education while acquiring a second language presents additional challenges.
The Back of the Yards/New City is a ten by ten block area that is home to more than 5,000 elementary age students. Nearly 100% of the school age population qualify for Free and Reduced Lunch indicating a high poverty index. Almost 70% of the population is under the age of eighteen. In November of 1997, six principals representing the neighborhood schools, leaders of faith-based neighborhood institutions, neighborhood community-based organizations (CBO?s), law enforcement officials, community businesses, elected officials, and other interested parties met for the first time around the issue of violence in the community. For the past few years, twenty to twenty-five youth were buried, fallen victims of neighborhood violence.
This is the issue that united the efforts of the group later to become the not-for-profit group known as the Peace and Education Coalition of the Back of the Yards, New City. This group and other interested parties have met monthly since November, 1997 to address issues surrounding the youth and their families most-in-need and develop strategies to address those needs to provide a healthier and safer neighborhood. This Coalition has progressed in their efforts and attained a not-for-profit status in 2004. The leadership is committed through their deep passion for the Back of the Yards and the families within. The Board of Directors are all founding members and do not receive compensation for their efforts. |
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