Our Mission

The Bloc uses the sport of boxing to reach youth most often rejected from opportunity– kids who like to fight. We empower fighters to achieve extraordinary academic and personal growth through boxing training, tutoring, and social-emotional learning. The Bloc envisions a Chicago where every young person has the tools needed to be the champion of their own life.

When a child is in the hospital, fear, pain, and isolation can overwhelm even the bravest young patients and their families. That’s why Open Heart Magic exists—to bring healing beyond medicine. Through personalized, one-on-one magic performances, our trained Volunteer Hospital Magicians deliver joy, laughter, and moments of relief to kids in intensive care, burn units, oncology wards, and anywhere magic is needed in the hospital. These powerful interactions help children feel stronger, smile brighter, and face their toughest days with renewed hope. With over 110,000 kids reached through Bedside Magic over the past 20 years, Open Heart Magic is expanding its impact in Chicago, Ann Arbor, Cleveland, and soon hospitals across the country—because every child deserves a little magic when they need it most.

For 60 years, Tutoring Chicago has delivered the power of education to children facing economic barriers through one-to-one tutoring at no cost to families. Tutoring Chicago is the largest one-to-one, after school tutoring program offering consistent, long-term pairings of students and volunteers in the Chicagoland area. Tutoring Chicago offers both digital and in-person tutoring options to 1,300 students with the help of over 1,300 volunteer tutors. We believe that through one-to-one relationships with supportive tutors, students facing economic barriers can access brighter futures.