After 94 Days on Roof, Chicago Pastor Hits Goal with Help from Tyler Perry......

In November 2011, Pastor Corey Brooks of New Beginnings Church in Chicago, IL decided to take a stand against gun violence after seeing too many funerals of young men shot down in his South Chicago neighborhood. Across the street from his church there is a run-down motel that has long been a blight on the neighborhood and a hotbed for drugs and prostitution but no more! On Friday, February 24, 2012, Brooks “Project HOOD” received a $98,000 donation (later changed to $100,000) from filmmaker Tyler Perry who heard about Brooks efforts while a guest on the Tom Joyner Morning Show

It turns out that a member of New Beginnings had written a letter to Joyner’s show in response to a contest that asked participants to explain how their church or place of worship would use the bike for a good deed in collaboration with Perry’s new film, “Good Deeds.” The transcript of that conversation as reported by Urban Insite was:

 Tom Joyner: “I came up the with idea let’s give it to a church as a good deed…and here’s the winner.  This letter comes from Tabitha Clark from Chicago [who] writes this “‘My pastor, Corey Brooks, New Beginnings Church of Chicago, has been on the roof of a closed motel for 90 days. He’s raising money to open a community center in one of the highest murder neighborhoods in Chicago. “
Tyler Perry: “I’ll give him the $98,000. I love the people of Chicago; I’m in. That’s fantastic that he has that kind of dedication… he’s that committed to the community. God bless him man. {Tyler Perry said directly to Pastor Corey Brooks of New Beginnings Church: “Come on down you’ve got your money.”}
Pastor Brooks called in live and said: “Tyler and Tom and all of you all on the show, you really don’t know how much you’re doing for this community. We’re really in a place that’s become a killing field and we need all the help and assistance we can get; and for you all to take time out to care enough for us it really shows a lot. I want to thank you for the enthusiasm and the encouragement and the hope that you are giving us.”

A beaming Bishop TD Jakes related on TBN how elated he was to know that “his son was coming off of the roof” and that he sent Tyler Perry a text message to thank him for his support of Brooks. Jakes shared how Perry had replied that when he

heard what Pastor Brooks was trying to do for Jesus, he felt the Holy Spirit leading him to donate the $98,000 to bring Pastor Brooks down from the roof.

For Brooks, the celebration will be short because the cause continues to compel him. The next step after demolition is to raise the $15 million needed to build a community center where Brooks says young people will have a place to get off the streets, get life skills and find help. He has said, “I’m not going back up on the roof but you can believe I’m going to do something.”

If you would like to learn more or donate to Project HOOD, visit www.projecthood.org