We Raise Grant Supports MAAFA Redemption Project’s Transformation of Forgotten Chicago Neighborhood

Marshall Hatch Jr., Co-Founder and Executive Director of the MAAFA Redemption Project, the recipient of We Raise’s largest grant award to date, had a lot on his mind. That afternoon Hatch was scheduled to speak with the mother of a young man gunned down two weeks prior.

The victim was a member of the second cohort of the project, a faith-based residential program for high-risk young men ages 18-30 in Chicago’s West Garfield Park neighborhood. Despite taking a bullet to the back of the head and the spine, he survived.

“There’s a lot to be hopeful for, you know?” Hatch said. “My immediate family is well, I’m well, my parents are well, and I’m part of a really great team here at my office. We lean on our faith and each other to stay inspired.”