Front view of New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church with a tall steeple and round stained glass window.

Our work extends beyond the sanctuary as well.

The MAAFA Redemption Project recruits emerging adult men ages 18-30 to invest in them with housing, employment, educational opportunities, spiritual life-coaching and wrap-around social services. The Beautiful Seed Foundation helps young women of color recognize their greatness, utilize their gifts and impact the world. The Fish and Loaves ministry provides over 9,000 meals per year to West Garfield Park Community residents and families. The West Garfield Park Legacy Families organize and empower community members and stakeholders. The Sankofa School for the Arts offers classes in Musical Theater, Ballet Modern, Jazz Hip Hop, Content Creation, D-Jing. to youth ages 4-18.

Fish & Loaves

Group of people wearing "Fish & Loaves" T-shirts standing outside behind a table with food packages, trees and buildings in the background.

Fish and Loaves provides nearly 9,000 free boxes of food per year to residents of West Garfield Park, including special holiday giveaways and additional resources to families in need.

Logo featuring a green fork and spoon forming a fish shape, with the text 'Fishes & Loaves' beneath in green letters.

Join Us

Since COVID-19, we are streaming all services.

MAAFA Redemption Project

A group of people stands on a stage inside a church, holding framed certificates. Many are wearing colorful traditional garments. Stained glass windows are visible in the background, along with a large screen displaying words like "awesome," "wonderful," and "faithful." The setting is ornate, with detailed architectural elements.

The MAAFA Redemption Project is a faith-based residential institute for emerging adult men of color located in West Garfield Park. We offer dormitory-style residential support, workforce training, character/spiritual-development, and a host of wrap-around social services. With our unique direct-service and community-building approach, MAAFA aims to drive the community’s redevelopment plan.

Circular stained glass window depicting a religious figure with arms outstretched.

Legacy Families

Group of people posing together inside a church with ornate windows and wooden pews.

The Legacy Families is an organizing initiative situated in the church. It is a community-led, collaborative response to the Sankofa Wellness Village breaking ground in West Garfield in 2024. The Legacy Families’ mission is to increase the length and quality of lives in West Garfield Park by providing hope, prioritizing safety, and preventing displacement while adding valuable resources to our community.

Intricate stained glass windows in a church, featuring religious scenes and figures, with ornate decorative arches and a blue vaulted ceiling.

The Spirit of the Village, in the heart of the City.

Beautiful Seed Foundation

Women sitting at a panel discussion for the Beautiful Seed Foundation for Young Women of Color, with a banner displaying the organization's name and contact details, in Chicago.

he Beautiful Seed Foundation exists to help young women of color between the ages of 12-23 recognize their greatness, utilize their gifts, and impact the world positively through mentoring, global leadership opportunities, college access and readiness, and community service through a faith-based, social justice and empowerment lens.

Logo of Beautiful Seed Foundation showing a leafy tree and the text "Beautiful Seed Foundation for Young Women of Color."

Sankofa School for the Arts

Children in ballet class practicing positions wearing black leotards and pink skirts in a studio with wooden floors and chairs.

In September 2023, MAAFA received a grant from the Blackhawks Foundation to activate programming in the future MAAFA Center for Arts & Activism (pictured below).  In October, MAAFA instituted “Sankofa School of the Arts”, programming for youth ages 4-18. The following classes were offered: Musical Theater, Ballet Modern, Jazz Hip Hop, Content Creation, D-Jing. The capstone showcase occurred December 9th, 2023 (pictured below). Forty-seven young people participated in Musical Theater, twenty-seven participated in Content Creation, twelve participated in Ballet Modern, and six participated in D-Jing. 92 youth ages 4-18 participated in MAAFA’s first ever Sankofa School for the Arts.