Our History: A Vision for Cicero.
Corazon Community Services is a community-focused impact organization serving the Latinx community and others in the Cicero/Berwyn area by means of effective, life-improving programs.
Founding Executive Director, Adam Alonso, formed Corazón Community Services in 2003 out a vision for the community of Cicero, where the needs of children, youth, and families would be met by a comprehensive set of programs using a bilingual and bicultural approach and offered in the “settlement house” style.
Alonso launched the agency with a modest $5000 start-up grant from a private donor. He put together an initial Board of Directors, petitioned for 501(c)(3) status as a nonprofit organization, and began pursuing grants and private funding to support the work of the fledgling agency.
From its very beginnings, Corazón focused heavily on after-school youth programming, as well as on stemming the tide of gang violence through bold initiatives, such as the Cease Fire, Peace Movement, and Break the Violence programs. In 2006, the agency purchased the current FUERZA Youth Center building at 5339 W. 25th Street, where all programs and services are housed.
Over the years, Corazón has offered a variety of after-school youth programs, youth employment opportunities, safety and violence prevention initiatives, and health services focused on teen pregnancy prevention and HIV/STI testing and counseling. Corazón has also worked to build and empower the local community by adapting and responding to the changing needs of Cicero’s residents.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS
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Adam Alonso
2003 - 2011
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Mary Johnson
2011 - 2015
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Edith Anaya Soto
2015 - 2020
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Ethan Alexander Jewett
2020 - 2022
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Esteban Rodriguez
2022 - Current
A Unique Community with Distinct Needs.
Cicero’s residents are resilient, hard-working people. Yet, demographic data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 American Community Survey indicates that the town’s population faces significant socioeconomic challenges and unmet needs.
Incomes below state and county averages, lower education attainment, and significant healthcare challenges are key drivers of the agency’s work for greater social equity, justice, and empowerment.
Corazon Community Services exists to respond to a wide range of issues to improve the quality of life for all of Cicero’s residents.
Corazon relies upon the latest and most reliable data to inform the development of our services and programming.
The data below comes from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2019), a national dataset that tracks population, race and ethnicity, language, economic and employment indicators, housing, and much more.