Empowering Communities for a Safer Chicago
The Urban Community Development Coalition NFP empowers Chicago neighborhoods with the local intervention and strategic preventive measures required to disrupt violence and save lives.
Our Objective
We are committed to our investment in communities impacted by violence, poverty and other systemic issues. Our overall goal is to replace generational trauma with sustained resources that enhance the quality of life in these challenged communities while ultimately building a safer Chicago.
Our Mission
The Urban Community Development Coalition NFP (UCDC) is a community violence intervention and social network, committed to reducing gun violence in Chicago's inner city and surrounding suburbs.
Safe Passageway
Our Programs & Community Impact
The UCDC is committed to fostering enduring safety measures across Chicago’s neighborhoods through strategic community violence intervention and case management driven preventive services.
Reentry Initiative
Our Reentry Initiative is dedicated to supporting individuals returning from incarceration with dignity and essential resources. This platform connects returning citizens and their families with services to promote successful reentry. We provide resources designed to empower, uplift, and provide essential services for a smooth transition.
Youth Empowerment Project (YEP)
YEP is designed to help teens and young adults develop leadership skills and basic life coping skills, while fostering community engagement. We engage young people through community-based education, mentoring, employment readiness, wraparound services, and enrichment programs that help youth build the skills they need to break down barriers.
Community Wellness
The UCDC Community Wellness Program is a holistic, community-centered initiative designed to promote health, safety, and resilience through integrated services and proactive engagement. Our model bridges healthcare, outreach, and civic involvement to address the physical, mental, and social well-being of individuals and families.
Community Stories
We believe in the power of lived experience. These are the voices of resilience and transformation from the neighborhoods we serve, showcasing the real impact of UCDC’s localized intervention.
"UCDC's reentry program didn't just give me a job; it gave me my life back. I'm now a mentor for youth in the same streets I once walked."
Marcus R.
South Side Community Lead
"The wellness team gave me support when I felt most divided. We're finally healing as a neighborhood because UCDC cares."
Sarah J.
South Side Resident
"Knowing my children have a safe passageway to school because of the outreach team brings a peace of mind I haven't felt in years."
Linda S.
Englewood Resident
"UCDC taught me that my past doesn't define my future. The mentorship showed me how to lead others authentically."
Robert T.
Englewood Youth Lead
"The Youth Empowerment Project taught me that my voice matters. Now I'm leading community cleanup initiatives and feeling proud of where I live."
David K.
Back of the Yards Mentor
"The workforce development program opened doors I thought were permanently locked. I am now building a career I love."
Elena M.
Workforce Participant
Violence Prevention & Intervention
The UCDC community violence intervention program uses a public health approach to reduce violence by intervening with individuals at highest risk of being involved in gun violence, using trusted community members to build relationships, mediate conflicts, and connect people to support services that address root causes like trauma, poverty, and lack of opportunity.
Our programs and services focus on prevention, breaking cycles of violence, and improving community conditions through strategies like street outreach, conflict mediation, and linking individuals to jobs, housing, and mental health support.
500+
street outreach conversations in Chicago neighborhoods last year
Preventing violence through trusted relationships, conflict mediation, and consistent presence.
community outreach highlights
Our community outreach specialists are boots on the ground on the front lines of community violence intervention. Every single day, our street outreach specialists canvass the streets of the communities most affected by gun violence.
Community Outreach Specialists
As credible components of the community, our community outreach specialists build trust, mediate conflict, and help to prevent shootings before they take place. Our community outreach specialists are individuals who have personally endured the same trauma that stems from the systemic disparities that continue to plague our communities.
Credible Components
Their presence in the community is essential because they were once products of the same streets they now choose to serve. This lived experience gives them the credibility to intervene in high-risk situations and de-escalate conflicts that could potentially turn dangerous.
UCDC community outreach specialists building trust on Chicago’s streets to prevent violence before it starts.
Victim Support and Rehabilitation
Our services for victims of violence focus on providing emotional support, counseling, legal advocacy, and practical assistance to help survivors recover and rebuild their lives through community-driven strategies designed to heal trauma, prevent retaliation, and provide holistic care. These programs utilize trusted "credible messengers" to deliver personalized, wrap-around services—including mental health support, case management, and housing assistance—to support survivors through trauma-informed care and dedicated resources designed to foster long-term resilience and empowerment.
Join the Movement for a Safer Chicago
The Urban Community Development Coalition NFP is dedicated to reducing violence and fostering safer communities. Join us in our mission to create a brighter future for Chicago's inner city and surrounding suburbs. Together, we can make a difference.