Chicago pastor to walk 3,000 miles across America for underserved youth

A Chicago pastor, known for his unconventional forms of activism, is taking the next step in trying to inspire the country’s youth. 

Pastor Corey Brooks, known as “Rooftop Pastor,” is preparing to walk 3,000 miles from New York to Los Angeles this September. He said his goal is to raise awareness and funding for community development in Chicago, and for underserved youth across the country. 

“Our country has gotten away from God, our families and communities have gotten away from God, and we need a spiritual awakening in America,” Brooks told “Fox & Friends” on Tuesday. 

“That’s one of the reasons why I’m walking across America, to take the hope to people across cities and suburbs and countryside to let them know that we can change things.” 

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Brooks gained national attention in 2011 when he spent 94 days living on the roof of a rundown Chicago motel to protest violence and the deaths of young people in his community. The pastor aimed to raise money to demolish the abandoned motel, which he said had become a hub for drugs and crime.

That demonstration was a success and led to the founding of Project H.O.O.D., a non-profit aimed at helping at-risk youths escape poverty and violence. The organization’s website says it provides mentorship, training, and community support to local residents. 

“In Chicago, we’ve taken one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in all of America, and we’ve transformed it,” said Brooks of their previous work.

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Now, he wants his latest mission, dubbed the “Walk Across America,” to help him aid even more young people. The journey’s goal is to raise $25 million in private donations to finish building Project H.O.O.D.’s 90,000-square-foot Leadership and Economic Opportunity Center in Chicago, debt-free. Brooks said he aspires to spread Project H.O.O.D. throughout the country. 

“We have a school to put in place. Our goal is to plant Project H.O.O.D. across the country,” Brooks said. 

“That’s one of the reasons why we’re walking to raise these funds. It’s not just a walk about raising money, but it’s a walk about raising merit.”

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Brooks said the effort has already received support from private citizens, business leaders, and donors. 

“We’re building a 90,000-square-foot center. And that’s because of the help of [the] American people and [the] Fox Network,” he said, expressing gratitude to those who have already supported his walk. 

Brooks said he hopes his walk will teach others that faith and hard work can help people do great things. 

“I really believe America still works,” he said. “When we have faith and hard work and vision activated, we can make anything happen in America.”