CHICAGO (WLS) — Originally focused on assisting teen moms and educating girls about their bodies, Gyrls in the Hood in Chicago has now broadened its scope to support women of all ages.
The organization is housed in a storefront with a bright, inviting mural on 71st Street in the city’s Grand Crossing neighborhood.
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“Our goal in this community is to let girls know that they are amazing, intelligent, and capable, equipped with everything they need to succeed in life,” explained founder Ghez Smith.
Having previously worked with teenage mothers, Smith noticed a lack of essential information about their changing bodies and accurate sex education. As a resident of Englewood, she took it upon herself to provide supplies and education directly to young mothers across the city, assisting them with housing, job training, and college opportunities.
“Nothing takes the place of face-to-face conversation, being in a safe space to ask questions and receive answers in a nonjudgmental way,” she said.
Latina teens have the highest birthrate nationwide, but in Cook County it is young Black women who have the highest birthrate. According to the Journal of Adolescent Health, comprehensive sex education is associated with a 43% decrease in teen pregnancy as opposed to no sex education.
Gyrls in the Hood has now expended to include younger girls in its programs.
“It’s important for girl to be educated now so that when the get older they can advocate for themselves,” Smith explained.
The young girls get a little homework help and more from those who have gone through the program. Desire Walker is one of them; at 17 she was pregnant and homeless, but then she met Chez Smith.
“She is like a second mother to me, this place is like a second home,” Walker said. “I was just so lost. I’m just so glad I had the guidance and help from getting in this program.”
Walker is now a working mother with her own place who volunteers at Gyrls in the Hood.
“Them starting so young, it’s a good thing for them. Now they can take what they’ve learned and have from Gyrls in the Hood and take it and use it the rest of their lives,” she said.
Smith took a leap of faith leaving her full-time job in public health to go into the community and support teen moms. She didn’t know it would lead to a nonprofit that gives new generations of girls what they need to navigate the world.
She encourages the girls to follow their dreams too.
“We want them to know that there is beauty in the hood, and that includes them,” she said.
Hundreds of girls have gone through programs with Gyrls in the Hood since it started, and that doesn’t even include people who stop by daily for information, supplies and support. In February, they start the Gyrls Group which is open to any girls around Chicago, and anyone can donate.
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