Citizen x My Block My Hood My City

The Citizen team recently was welcomed to the weekly My Block My Hood My City Zoom call to see over 70 faces that seemed to be celebrating. Pride beamed from Block Leaders during roll call as they shared updates on the positive progress of their neighborhoods. My Block My Hood My City, is a violence interruption and advocacy group based in Chicago with the mission “To inspire youth, empower communities, and build a better world one block at a time”. On that Zoom call, it was undeniable that the My Block My Hood My City leaders have a pulse on their city and a deep connection to the people they are committed to keeping safe, something that Citizen respects and is one of the many reasons why we are excited to work with this noble organization.

Citizen was introduced to this group and their incredible work while on the ground in Chicago. Citizen’s mission of “Protecting Your World” includes finding mission driven organizations like MBMHMC to work together to empower communities to take control of their safety. In a recent blog post, we shared Citizen Pledging $5 Million to Protect Bay Area’s Asian Community, and now once again, thanks to the generous help of the Goodwater Collective, Citizen offered one year Citizen Premium accounts to all members My Block My Hood My City to support them in their work.

Founder and CEO, Jahmal Cole, notes that My Block My Hood My City was born from the desire to provide opportunities for Chicago’s youth and empower the community by reducing a major barrier that plagues the city — violence. Countless numbers of the youth of Chicago feel limited in their choice for success, My Block My Hood My City aims to expand what their world gets to look like to these young people by providing scholarships, neighborhood walks, and access to the group’s Explorers Program.

Over the past five years My Block My Hood My City’s presence and efforts have expanded into community organizing and development, holistic care offerings and small business relief. My Block My Hood My City understands that this sort of overwhelming change starts by moving block by block.

“That’s why we’re excited to be partnering with the Citizen app to highlight positive things being done [on] the block. For us at My Block My Hood My City, democracy starts at the block level.”

Citizen and My Block My Hood My City are working together to create a better world. Building on our newly formed partnership is a step in the right direction to keep Chicagoans safe and bring the Chicago community together.

Citizen is available for iOS and Android platforms. Learn more about the app here.