Breakthrough Urban Ministries

Arloa Sutter is the director and founder of Breakthrough Urban Ministries, a nonprofit organization that serves the East Garfield Park community on the Chicago’s West Side. With an annual budget of nearly $7 million, Breakthrough offers food, shelter and job placement. Sutter said Breakthrough’s success stems from her 100-person staff and steady group of community volunteers. Learn more about how this Chicago woman has touched lives with West Side ministry, as featured on the World’s Greatest Newspaper (WGN)  “Chicago’s Very Own” segment.

“Every Friday in the summer, for the last decade, Breakthrough Ministries puts on a block party event called HomeCourt in East Garfield Park, IL. Along with a basketball tournament, this event provides a safe place and a meal for kids in the neighborhood. East Garfield Park ranks 3rd among Chicago’s 77 community areas for violent crime. These events have been proven to drop crime rates by 52% on the west side of Chicago during the summer months. For the past 5 years, KeHE has joined with Breakthrough to host one of these Friday block parties. KeHE employees volunteer in the activities, prepare and serve a meal, create crafts with kids, and interact with the community members. It is an event that we look forward to every year as “We SERVE to make lives better™” in our local community.”

– Aubrey Scott, Marketing