Chicago 'Jibung Wiui Moksa' Comes Down After 1 Year... Fundraising Amount $20 Million

Camping on Rooftop for About a Year to Raise Awareness of Gun Violence
Raising $20 Million to Transform Crime Den into Community Center

Pastor Corey Brooks, who staged a rooftop protest to raise awareness about gun violence in Chicago and revive the local community, came down to the ground after more than a year. Photo by Project 'HOOD' website capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Sung-wook] A pastor who staged a rooftop protest to raise awareness about gun violence in Chicago and revive the local community has come down after more than a year.

According to Fox News and others on the 1st (local time), Pastor Cory Brooks (52), founder of New Beginnings Church in South Chicago, ended his 345-day rooftop protest on the 29th and came down to the ground. On that day, Pastor Brooks held a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a community support center in the Woodlawn neighborhood, a high-crime area, with local residents and political and business figures attending to offer congratulations.

In Chicago alone last month, 29 children and teenagers were victims of shootings, with seven of them dying. Regarding ending the protest, Pastor Brooks said, "I thought now was the right time. This city needs a bit of hope and inspiration." Michael Holmes, a resident who attended the groundbreaking ceremony, said, "I hope this center will bring about change," adding, "It can be used for many positive situations in the future."

Pastor Brooks began the protest on November 20 last year to raise national awareness of the rampant gun violence in South Chicago and to urge politicians to solve the problem. He had previously protested after losing 10 church members to gun violence in a single year. From November 2011 to February 2012, he spent the winter on the rooftop of an old motel in South Chicago with a single tent, earning the nickname "the pastor on the roof" and attracting public attention.

This time, he pitched a tent on a temporary building near the church and worked to revitalize the community by transforming the old motel, once a crime den, into a community support center. The project, called "HOOD," means "helping people gain destiny." The community center will cover approximately 8,300 square meters and will include classrooms, meeting spaces, a cafeteria, a gymnasium, and a swimming pool, providing residents with support services and resources for leadership and economic opportunity development.

Originally, the fundraising goal was $35 million (about 50 billion KRW), but after raising $20 million (about 28 billion KRW) over more than a year, construction began. He stated that fundraising efforts will continue and that the target amount will be met before the community support center opens in 2024.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.