Sanaa Battle didn’t plan to become pregnant at 17. She was still in high school and didn’t have a job. But she persevered. At 18, she is a coordinator in the Safe Spaces for Youth program for Think Outside Da Block, an Englewood-based nonprofit.
“I know that what I’m doing is way bigger than just planning events,” she says. “I’m helping to bring the community together, helping to change the image of Englewood, and seeing that what we do has a domino effect by creating a lot of positives for the people living here.” A recent accomplishment for her was speaking at a press conference about safe spaces alongside Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.
Englewood resident Pha’Tal Perkins founded Think Outside Da Block (TODB) in 2016 “with the idea that I could be the kind of support that I needed growing up in Englewood.” Before he turned his life around, he committed crimes when he was young and lost peers to violence and incarceration. He started Think Outside Da Block to build healthy and peaceful communities by addressing the root causes of violence and to heal unresolved trauma.
I’m helping to bring the community together, helping to change the image of Englewood, and seeing that what we do has a domino effect by creating a lot of positives for the people living here.
Sanaa Battle
Roll N Peace, an eight-mile evening bike tour, lets people see that the neighborhood is more than its violent reputation. This year the group gave away 150 bicycles. Getcha Mind Right, a mental wellness program, empowers individuals to interrupt cycles of violence, introduce coping mechanisms, connect with resources and build resilience.
Their street outreach team serves as conflict mediators. “We show up at scenes of violent crime with the goal of restoring hope and bringing positive energy and resources,” Perkins says. “We also assist victims and survivors when a tragedy has happened by helping with funeral costs and relocation, and emergency and mental health support.”
Perkins says residents contribute wisdom from their lived experiences, making them valuable assets in reducing crime. To prevent and reduce youth crime, TODB also works with the Chicago Department of Family Support Services on an initiative with the Chicago Police Department, where law enforcement refers young people arrested in the 7th and 8th police districts for low or mid-level crimes directly to the organization for services.
The organization currently employs 32 youth, and there’s a long waiting list. But like many other nonprofits, Think Outside Da Block is struggling. It lost over $400,000 in city funding in January and the U.S. Department of Justice cut almost $500,000 in April. Of its 15 full-time employees, five were laid off, all from street outreach.
But the group soldiers on, and Sanaa exemplifies the importance of their work. She starts community college in the fall and aspires to become a nurse, describing herself as a “young Black woman determined to build a life that matters.” She didn’t always see herself that way but her current role inspires her: “I like seeing the impact we’re having and now I realize that my voice matters and that I am making a difference in my community.”
Through the Robert R. McCormick Communities Fund, dedicated people across Chicagoland help make sure that every child and family has opportunities to achieve their goals. With your support, we can create new possibilities and help make countless dreams come true. Funding from the Robert R. McCormick Foundation Communities Fund assists organizations on the South and West Sides of Chicago to make a meaningful impact in the lives of children, young adults, and families each and every day.
