Safety & Violence Prevention — Corazón Community Services

Since its founding in 2003, Corazón has been a leader in making Cicero safer, especially through its work to curb gang violence.
There are currently a reported twelve street gangs within the 6.5 square mile borders of the Town of Cicero, which also abuts some of the most violent geographic areas of Chicago. Children as young as eight years old are involved with gangs--many through their older siblings, parents, or uncles--and are directly recruited on school grounds.
The elementary/junior high school district has reported that open gang recruitment occurs on school grounds before, during, and after school hours, sometimes targeting children as young as the third grade. In addition, young girls are being recruited to Cicero street gangs and are beginning to equal their male counterparts in violence.
Corazón has consequently labored to provide a refuge for youth from gang violence, which has dramatically declined because of our efforts and those of our nonprofit and governmental partners.

Over one quarter of all households with children under 18 in Cicero are led by a single parent, most of whom work outside the home to support the family.
As a result, many youth lack adult supervision, particularly during out-of-school hours, which often leads to experimentation with alcohol and drugs.
Gang involvement has detrimental effects on school performance in Cicero, leading to approximately 430 in-school suspensions from Unity Junior High School and 954 in-school suspensions from Morton East High School (pre-pandemic).As a result, these students are ineligible to receive educational or other services during the period of their suspension.
Lack of access to school services has incredibly damaging life-long effects on Cicero’s youth, many of whom have low test scores and cannot afford to miss critical learning opportunities in school.
FUERZA Youth Center therefore provides a safe place for youth after school, helping them succeed academically, teaching them critical life skills, and offering them opportunities for fun and belonging.

For many years, the Town of Cicero has supported Corazón Community Services with generous funding for the Break the Violence Movement.
This program focuses on individual and community empowerment and has ranged from athletic activities, such as boxing, martial arts, and midnight basketball nights, to offerings like vigils and peace circles that emphasize mindfulness.

Corazon believes in the transformative power of second chances. Our tattoo removal program is more than skin-deep—it's about offering individuals a fresh start, free from the visible reminders of past experiences. By providing access to safe and professional tattoo removal services, we aim to empower individuals on their journey towards healing and safety.
Removing these markings can be a crucial step towards breaking free from cycles of violence, fostering self-confidence, and enabling survivors to reclaim their narratives.
See here for our current tattoo removal times and sessions.

Yes!
Every spring, Corazón plants its community vegetable and herb garden thanks to donations from public institutions, corporate sponsors, and community businesses.
Youth take responsibility for the garden’s design, as well as tilling and planting, tending and harvesting. The yield from each season’s harvest is gifted to the youth participants in our Teen REACH program to share with their families, in gratitude for the youths’ hard work.

Yes. Individuals who are interested in a supervised Social Work (or other) internship as part of their professional development can serve at the agency as sexual health educators or youth program advisors.
Interns normally serve for a full school year so that they receive the benefit of a full cycle of events and professional experiences.
Individuals who are interested in interning are encouraged to contact either the Director of Health Services or the Director of Youth Programs to discuss possible opportunities.
For volunteers: Click here to fill out a volunteer application.

Yes.
Corazón is pleased to be able to offer members of the community the opportunity to fulfill their community service requirements by working at the agency.
Interested individuals will need to fill out an application form and submit to a criminal background check.
Normally, we only accept candidates who are required to do 100 hours or more for court-mandated community service. Exceptions are made on a case-by-case basis.