Join us on Facebook
Making Community
Making Community No matter what time of year, the love and support of family or good friends is immeasurable. Breakthrough Urban......More >
Prayer & Praise with AFRIZO
Don’t Miss This Thursday’s Gathering! This Thursday, October 6, the Breakthrough family will gather to pray and praise God. “Everyone is......More >
Teaming Up for Fitness
Teaming Up for Fitness Breakthrough is excited to announce that a new youth fitness center will be opening on Monday, ...More >
Home Court Strong Offense
Home Court Brings Together A Strong Offensive Team Breakthrough, Other Organization Work Together For Change ...More >
Teaming Up Against Hunger
Teaming Up Against Hunger “East Garfield Park, and many other neighborhoods, are a high priority for us because of the great need,” says Bob Dolgan, Communications Director for the Greater Chicago Food Depository (GCFD).......More >
Summer Studies 2011
Summer Studies Brings New Faces, New Books School is almost out, and youth in East Garfield Park are ready for summer fun. For many, that will include time spent at Breakthrough in the Summer Studies program. This summer’s session will run from June 27...More >
Time for Home Court
Home Court 2011 Summer is here, and if you listen very closely, you’ll hear a growing chorus of basketballs thumping away on concrete......More >
Meeting Of The Minds
Meeting Of The Minds Breakthrough Integrates Primary Care With Behavioral Health Services Even before launching an on-site health care program for women at the Breakthrough Joshua Center in 2001, Breakthrough staff was well aware of the need for mental health care as......More >
Meet the Matthews Family
Meet the Matthews Family Corey and Tamica are raising three children in East Garfield Park, where they also grew up. They are active in the community, helping at Breakthrough and working with the police department to keep the streets safe. Corey feels that...More >
Leave A Legacy
You Can Leave A Legacy (Yes, YOU! ) Have you thought about increasing your financial support to Breakthrough, but feel that you don’t have the extra funds to give at this time in your life? Planned giving is a way to commit......More >
Planned Giving at a Glance
Planned Giving At A Glance Broadly, the three types of planned gifts are: Outright gifts that use appreciated assets as a substitute for cash (ex: art, stock, land) Gifts that return income or other financial benefits to the donor in......More >
Matters of the Heart
Matters of the Heart Take These Healthy Tips To Heart…And Encourage Others, Too February is American Heart Month, a good time to take stock of our own health and help others who struggle to maintain a healthy lifestyle. We asked Madelyn Bell,......More >
Community Residents Want To Improve Their Health
Community Residents Want to Improve Their Health According to a health needs assessment administered by three University of Illinois, Chicago students last year, 53% of East Garfield Park residents did not have health insurance. The study came out of a......More >
Get Involved - Jan 2011
Get Involved! — Jan 2011 Christmas Store 2010: Success! On Saturday, December 18th, over 350 families and individuals in the East Garfield Park neighborhood took part in the 9th annual Breakthrough Christmas Store. Every year, the......More >
Hope Restored
Hope Restored Christmastime is bittersweet for Bradley, a guest at the Breakthrough Ministry Center. Still, he feels hope…even after passing through periods of deep despair. “I had a wonderful life,” he says. Bradley met his wife......More >
In All Things, Being Thankful
In All Things, Being Thankful Although she will not spend Thanksgiving with her own family this year, Donna will not be alone. She also has much gratitude to express. “I praise God that I’m not still using drugs,” she says. “I praise God......More >
Good Food & Conversation
Good Food And Conversation… It’s Not Just For Thanksgiving! Myriame, a guest in Breakthrough’s Interim Housing program, has fond memories of family Thanksgivings in South Dakota. “My dad’s side of the family was large, so there were......More >
Why I Attend The Annual Benefit
Why I Attend The Annual Benefit Lauren first attended the Breakthrough’s Annual Benefit last year, when she was invited by a friend from her church......More >
Breakthrough Bots Build For Success
Breakthrough Bots Build For Success Technology comes to life every week for a team of students at Breakthrough Urban......More >
Get Involved - Oct 2010
...More >
Academic Gains
Students Make Big Academic Gains Many on Waiting List for Breakthrough Programs The school year has begun for students......More >
Fertile Ground
Fertile Ground Can Produce Opportunities Reconnecting With God’s Creation (And Others) Through Gardening Summer is gone, but for anyone who is fortunate enough to have access to a farmer’s market – or a small garden of their own – this is prime......More >
Get Involved - Sept 2010
...More >
The Invisible
Get The Invisible Discover what you can do to find and serve the ‘least of these’. Get the newly released paperback, The Invisible, by Arloa Sutter. ...More >
Connections Make Difference
Connections Make The Difference Leo’s success is proof of the power of networking. It also helps that he’s willing to be flexible. “I’ll do general labor, construction…you name it,” says Leo. “Not everyone wants to work for $6 or $7 an......More >
A Legacy of Faith
A Legacy of Faith Even though her two children are grown, Valerie wants to leave a legacy to them which demonstrates the power of......More >
Ending Hunger, Restoring Dignity
Ending Hunger, Restoring Dignity Three Crosses of Calvary Church Breakthrough Fresh Market Nobody understands the shame that can be associated with a “handout” better than some of Breakthrough’s Fresh Market volunteers. “All of the Three......More >
Park Community Church
Park Community Church Manna Ministry Volunteers provide warm and nutritious meals for Breakthrough’s adult guests. But as Benson, a Manna......More >
Call to be Transformed
Following God’s Call To Be Transformed Roz Ellington Street Outreach Roz obeyed when she felt God tug on her heart one day, and......More >
Life Giving Food
Food Program Is Life Giving – For All Ellen Monkemeier Breakthrough Fresh Market Volunteering with Breakthrough’s Fresh Market has forever changed Ellen’s life. Ellen, a senior at Wheaton College, has been a volunteer with the program since its......More >
Life Lessons Through Sports
Life Lessons Through Sports Matt Harris Youth Sports Program Matt is a volunteer coach with Breakthrough’s youth sports leagues. Once a week......More >
Teaching Skills through Robotics
Teaching Skills through Robotics Bob Woodley Youth Program Bob Woodley is a pretty tech-savvy guy. “Believe it or not, I first learned about Breakthrough by following Arloa Sutter on Twitter!” After a bit of dialogue with some of Breakthrough’s......More >
Ryan, Baseball Coach and Mentor
Ryan, Baseball Coach and Mentor This is the third installment of our focus on Breakthrough’s Network Model. Volunteering as a coach for Breakthrough’s ...More >
Lamar's Network
Lamar’s Network Connections for a Lifetime This is the second installment of our focus on Breakthrough’s ...More >
Freeing Sandra
Freeing Sandra Outreach, RV Offer Support For The Long Haul At 40, Sandra continues her lifelong struggle to be on her own – but safe in......More >
Sweet Success For Students
Experience Is Sweet Success For Students Every time people buy snacks or drinks from a vending......More >
Eliminating Isolation
Community Groups Help Eliminate Isolation One major goal for Breakthrough.s guests is to move from transitional housing into permanent housing. In other words, they want to move out of......More >
Volunteer Trades In Blackberry
Volunteer Trades In His Blackberry Finds Hope At Breakthrough Like so many others, Aram has felt the pressure of unemployment. “It felt like a circus of producing resumes, sitting through interviews and waiting…lots of waiting,” says Aram. Finally,......More >
COO Bill Curry Welcomed into LGC
Breakthrough COO Inducted Into Leadership Greater Chicago Bill Curry, Chief Operating Officer of Breakthrough Urban Ministries, was recently accepted into the 2010 Class of Leadership Greater Chicago.......More >
Home Court Brings Community Together
Home Court Brings Community Together Creates Safety For A Local Playground On Friday nights this summer, the play lot at St. Louis and Carroll in East Garfield Park is being transformed. Like......More >
Making Employment Connections Work
Making Employment Connections Work Growing up in some of Chicago.s toughest neighborhoods, Purnell could easily have gotten involved in gangs. In fact, the young man made a few bad choices a few......More >