Pastor Corey Brooks, founder of Project H.O.O.D. on Chicago’s South Side, joined Chicago’s Morning Answer to discuss his walk across America, the state of urban poverty, and how government programs and nonprofit bureaucracy have failed to lift struggling communities out of dependence.
Brooks—who has become known for his cross-country “Walk Across America” campaign to raise funds for Project H.O.O.D.’s community center—said his travels have reinforced what he’s long witnessed in Chicago: a nationwide cycle of cultural and economic decay sustained by welfare programs that trap families rather than empower them. “It creates a permanent underclass,” he said. “There’s no incentive to move out of poverty, only systems that profit from keeping people there.”
The pastor compared his recent experiences in Baltimore and other cities to Chicago’s South and West Sides, where the same pathologies repeat—broken families, failed schools, drug addiction, and dependency on government assistance. “I’ve seen it in Philadelphia, Newark, D.C., Baltimore—everywhere I go, it’s the same,” Brooks said. “Bad education, drugs, and dependency are destroying communities.”
Brooks argued that both government and left-leaning philanthropic foundations are complicit in maintaining this stagnation. He said that while these organizations fund countless programs with positive-sounding names—youth centers, afterschool activities, midnight basketball—they rarely measure results or track whether participants escape poverty. “Nobody’s keeping data on how many people they’re actually helping,” he said. “You can’t play basketball out of poverty.”
His own organization, Project H.O.O.D., has deliberately avoided government funding to preserve its independence and focus on accountability. Brooks said the group relies instead on private donors who share his belief in self-reliance, responsibility, and faith-driven transformation. “We’ve had success with people like Ken Griffin and the McCormick Foundation—people who believe in helping others help themselves,” he said. “But the big liberal foundations? They dismiss us out of hand.”
Brooks emphasized the need for a mindset shift within struggling communities. “People have to understand they’re trapped,” he said. “Depending on government is never the way out. We need to build systems that teach responsibility, accountability, and work ethic.”
Despite recovering from foot surgery during his journey, Brooks continues to walk toward his goal of raising $25 million to complete Project H.O.O.D.’s community and job training center. He’s currently raised just over $2 million and plans to resume walking from Richmond, Virginia, next week. “We’re walking every day to prove you don’t have to depend on the government to change lives,” he said. “You can do it through faith, hard work, and people who care.”
Brooks said he hopes his project can become a model for urban renewal across America. “If we don’t change course, we’re going to lose these communities forever,” he warned. “But if we can show that hope and opportunity are still possible on the South Side of Chicago, then there’s hope for everywhere else too.”
For more information, visit ProjectHood.org.