Project H.O.O.D. Celebrates Opening of South Side Community Bank in Woodlawn

Project H.O.O.D. founder and New Beginnings Church Senior Pastor Corey Brooks (left) stands with a Project H.O.O.D. violence prevention team member as the staff member opens the first account at the South Side Community Bank. The organization proudly added one-hundred dollars to the employee’s initial paycheck deposit.

Project H.O.O.D. celebrated the opening of the South Side Community Bank on Sunday, November 5, 2023 in Chicago’s Woodlawn neighborhood. The new site, in partnership with Wintrust Bank, is just one of many add-ons to the Robert R. McCormick Leadership & Economic Opportunity Center.

The celebration of the bank’s opening took place at New Beginnings Church (6620 S. Martin Luther King Dr.) with its Senior Pastor and Project H.O.O.D. founder, Corey Brooks. He believes the bank will bring in a new chapter of hope, resilience, and financial empowerment for community residents.

“We can make a difference. We look forward to continuing to build on this momentum and to further our shared goal of a thriving, vibrant South Side,” Brooks said in an email to supporters ahead of Sunday’s celebration.

A Project H.O.O.D. violence prevention team member commemorated the event by opening the bank’s first account. The organization proudly added one-hundred dollars to the employee’s initial paycheck deposit, in hopes of boosting his financial growth and promoting economic empowerment.

In addition to the bank, the 85,000-square-foot community center will also feature a trauma counseling center, a WellNow urgent care facility, a music and arts theater, two gyms, a swimming pool, three new restaurants, and more. Construction for the project began in September and is estimated to take 18 to 24 months to complete.

Project H.O.O.D. is one of 13 Chicago organizations that make up Communities Partnering 4 Peace (CP4P), a coalition of community non-profit organizations focused on gun violence prevention across 27 Chicago neighborhoods.