Project H.O.O.D.: How One Man Plans to Change a City

A One-Man Occupy Chicago

Pastor Corey Brooks was fed up.

The pastor of Chicago's New Beginnings Church presided over the funerals of 10 young black men in a single year. The senseless violence and unnecessary deaths were more than he could take. So he decided to make a difference in the most visible way that he knew how.

On November 22, 2011, Brooks pitched a tent on the top of a vacant motel across the street from New Beginning on Chicago's south side. Two stories up, he's been living there ever since, praying and fasting for his city. He is raising $450,000 to purchase and tear down that crime-infested motel in order to turn it into a place that will enrich the community.

Beliefnet interviewed this man on a mission about life on the roof.

Photos courtesy of Jason Thomas www.jlasan.com

Life Lessons

What have you learned personally so far from your time on the roof? What have you learned about your city?

I've personally learned that you have to totally trust and depend on God and God alone. You can't depend on others to understand and believe in the assignment that God has given you. You have to always rely on God to be your source, and failure to do so can set you up for disappointments.

I've learned that the city of Chicago is a wonderful place with a lot of great people, but Chicago is also a place of pain, suffering and tragedies. I've learned that a lot of people in Chicago have become desensitized when it comes to the pain, suffering and tragedies that people go through every day.

The Inspiration of Project H.O.O.D.

H.O.O.D. stands for "helping others obtain destiny". How can this inspire people outside of the Chicago area? What can others do to affect change in their cities?

I'm hoping that this vigil will cause others to become more compassionate and sensitive enough to the pain of others to the point that it will cause them take action in their particular neighborhoods.

One must implement a collaboration of efforts to attack the different social ills that their communities face on a day-to-day basis. It must be a collaboration of like minded churches, agencies and institutions.

Learn more about Pastor Brooks' cause and make donations at http://projecthood.org.

March 2012 Update

Pastor Brooks received a generous donation from Tyler Perry that met his goal and he's come down off the roof! He provided Beliefnet with this update:

"When I got the phone call, I was extremely ecstatic. I was hysterical and tried my best not to cry. It was early and I got text and tweets from people congratulating me. It took a minute for it to hit me. But just that quick I was on the phone Tom Joyner and Tyler Perry.

"The next step is to raise $15 million. We have been blessed with the offer from Perkins + Will Architecture firm to design the community center. So we are just attacking the fundraising issue. But my faith has increased. The more we walk in our faith, the more God meets us with each step. To others $15 million is a lot, but for God’s economy, it’s a drop in the bucket.

"I had many 'Rooftop Revelations,' as I call them. But there is one thing I learned and I hope others witnessed; when they see this community center being built, they're going to be reminded that one person can change things. I know that this was just one battle that was won. It was great and God did it. He will do it again.

"People can continue to support at http://ProjectHood.org and follow me on Twitter @CoreyBBrooks."