Kingdom Avenue Inc. · New Year 2026
The Kingdom
Konnection
News · Programs · Community — from the heart of Englewood
Danielle
Success Story
Konnection
Sponsors
01 · From the Executive Director
Danielle Wallace
Founder & Executive Director · Kingdom Avenue Inc.
Dear Kingdom Family,
Happy New Year! As we welcome 2026, I am filled with overwhelming gratitude for every one of you who has walked this journey with us. We did not wait for the new year to start building — and that is exactly who Kingdom Avenue is.
In just the first weeks of this year, we officially launched ECAP, are deepening our roots at Chicago Public Schools with something big on the horizon for Kingdom Konnect, convened change-makers at Sips & Synergy to build the first-ever Englewood Community Calendar, and began something we believe will outlast all of us — a village that coordinates, heals, and acts together.
The village our children need is being built — one avenue at a time, one relationship at a time, one commitment at a time. Thank you for being part of it. Let’s stay connected, stay encouraged, and keep building.
Danielle
Executive Director · Kingdom Avenue Inc.
“The village doesn’t wait for perfect conditions. The village builds — through the cold, through the hard seasons, through the work nobody sees coming.”
02 · Kingdom Success Story
ECAP Is Official —
The Village Has Launched
On January 31, 2026, the Englewood Collective Action Project held its inaugural Day of Healing at The Healing House, 6421 S. Honore — and the village showed up. Seven organizations gathered not as competitors, not as parallel programs, but as one collective committed to three years of healing, collaboration, and action for Englewood’s young people.
The day was facilitated by Terrence Pruitt, Co-Director of the TRHT Youth Institute and trained Racial Healing Practitioner. The seven founding partners — Kingdom Avenue Inc., GoodKids MadCity, Imagine Englewood If, Teamwork Englewood, Branding Englewood, Camp 1302, and Think Outside Da Block — committed to the work ahead.
ECAP · Healing → Collaboration → Action
The Mission
The Englewood Collective Action Project (ECAP) is a three-year resident-led initiative designed to make collaborative action the standard for serving youth in Englewood — and to create a reproducible model for similarly affected neighborhoods across Chicago and beyond.
“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. We intend to be the whole.”
We are the village our children need.
Mark Your Calendars — Kingdom Avenue 2026
Every event below is a moment for the village to gather, celebrate, and build.
Sips & Synergy — Spring Edition
Spot Bistro, Englewood · Open to all organizations
RSVP Now →State of the Youth
Summer resource partners align. Youth panelists. Real talk. Location TBD.
Org Participation Interest →B.U.I.L.D.E.R.S.
Kingdom Avenue’s signature nine-week summer youth development program. Mon–Fri.
ESTY 2026 — Englewood Stomp The Yard
63rd & Halsted · FREE · Free backpacks & groceries · $2,250 in performance prizes · Ages 5–25
An Evening in Englewood
Kingdom Avenue’s first-ever fundraising gala. Invitations coming soon.
03 · Kingdom Konnection
Kingdom Konnect —
Coming Soon to a School Near You
Kingdom Avenue Inc. is on the verge of a landmark announcement for Kingdom Konnect. We are finalizing the details of a major partnership with Chicago Public Schools that will embed Kingdom Konnect directly within the district’s support infrastructure as a continuum of care provider — and we cannot wait to share the full story with you very soon.
What we can tell you is this: over 22,000 students across CPS are experiencing temporary living situations right now. Kingdom Konnect exists to be the warm handoff — the human bridge between schools and the community organizations equipped to serve these young people. Our navigators don’t just refer — they connect, follow up, and make sure every young person is actually being served. Stay tuned. The village is about to get bigger.
The Kingdom Konnect Model
When a school identifies a student experiencing housing instability, Kingdom Konnect navigators step in — assessing what the family needs and making a warm, personal introduction to the right community organization. Whether that’s housing support, food access, mental health services, or tutoring, we follow up with both sides to make sure the connection holds. Big news coming soon. Watch this space.
Community Stewardship · Next Gathering: May 9
The Englewood Community Calendar
Belongs to Everyone
At Sips & Synergy on February 20th, 15+ organizations gathered at Spot Bistro and built something historic — a shared community calendar. Join us May 9 for the next gathering. Kingdom Avenue is proud to serve as steward of this community artifact. It is free, open, and built to grow with every voice in Englewood.
04 · Kingdom Spotlight
ESTY 2026 —
The Yard Is Ready
Englewood Stomp The Yard 2026 is coming August 1st to 63rd & Halsted. Free backpacks. Free groceries. Live music. College and resource tables. Scholarship awards. And for the first time ever: a performance competition open to youth ages 5–25 with $2,250 in cash prizes.
NEW · ESTY 2026 Performance Competition
🏆 Compete for $2,250 in Prizes
Categories open to youth ages 5–25:
Step/Stomp · Dance (All Styles) · Vocal/Singing · Spoken Word & Poetry
1st Place: $1,000 · 2nd Place: $750 · 3rd Place: $500
Pre-registration required. The stage is yours.
Sponsor Highlights
We are immensely grateful for the partners, funders, and community champions who make Kingdom Avenue’s work possible — and especially those who have helped launch historic efforts like ECAP.
🌟 Featured · ECAP Seed Sponsor
Builders Initiative
We are deeply grateful to Builders Initiative for their transformative investment as the seed sponsor of ECAP. Their belief in this work before it was fully formed — and their willingness to invest in the long arc of community healing and collaboration — is what made our Day of Healing possible. Because of Builders Initiative, seven organizations could come together and commit to three years of collective action. This is what it looks like when a partner plants a seed for the whole village.
We greatly appreciate all who have joined in support of the village — and we look forward to growing with you!