Roseland Community Meeting Brings Message of Unity and Empowerment

Chicago CRED hosted a community meeting for Roseland residents at the Youth Peace Center (YPC) on Monday, June 30, 2025. The organization was joined by Phalanx Family Services and UCAN as they collectively shared how they’re tackling violence prevention, mental health, youth development, and job readiness. 

Together, the groups align around a common mission: to build safer, more empowered communities.  

The meeting opened with a powerful declaration from YPC co-founder Rogers Jones that “Roseland is changing.” Each speaker—whether a representative of a nonprofit organization or Chicago CRED participant—echoed this sentiment in their remarks. And the message was clear: change starts from within, but is sustained by collective effort.

Dantrell Jelks, a former Chicago CRED and YPC participant, said he was once caught in a cycle of violence. By the age of 15, he had already been shot multiple times and confined to a wheelchair. 

But, everything shifted when he joined Chicago CRED and YPC. There, he found mentorship, purpose, and a path forward.

“When I came here, the life coaches received me, and they opened their arms to me and told me that I can be somebody,” Jelks said. “When we come into these communities, we don’t fully know what it is we want to do with ourselves, until we’re put into a position to give back and help those who are coming behind us. My mission is to be the message I bring.”

The event concluded with a Q&A session, with most questions focused on workforce development and the efficacy of Community Violence Intervention (CVI) programs. Chicago CRED reported that participants who complete their full program are 73 percent less likely to be arrested for a violent crime.

At the end, guests were encouraged to network, and youth were treated to a bouncy house and face-painting.