About Level Up & Urban Dream Chasers
76,000+ Home-cooked gourmet meals served since 2019
$510,000 Invested directly into our youth since November 2018
5,000+ Young people from high-risk neighborhoods positively impacted
(ages 13 to 25)
"Thanks for your financial support without which none of this would happen in the midst of such a city-wide youth crisis."
Aaron Campbell, Executive Director
Follow Him at @pastoraaroncampbell
As the city of Philadelphia has just reached an all-time record in homicides, with many revolving around teens both as victims and assailants, something needs to be done. Compounding our young people's crisis is the pervading violence and crime, poverty and homelessness, PTSD, depression, and overall hopelessness. All of the above and more is why Level Up exists.
Level Up is a grassroots movement serving young people from high-risk neighborhoods—and oftentimes their entire families—on the “front lines” of Philadelphia.
Urban Dream Chasers (UDC) is simply the "umbrella name" of the 501(c)3 organization of which the Level Up program is the first phase, with the ultimate goal of starting a charter school. At Level Up we provide holistic mentoring, addressing the compounding crises that our young people from high-risk neighborhoods are confronted with. This includes counseling, crime prevention intervention, anti-retaliation negotiations, court advocacy, academic tutoring, job placement, college, and career prep, and help with housing for teens who are homeless.
All of this takes place in our 12,000 square foot “safe space” that is located in the heart of the city, complete with a $10,000 dance studio that we built just for them. Level Up currently serves some 125 young people from high-risk neighborhoods each week, and over 250 young people at our monthly large events. They come from the hardest and most dangerous sections of the city—from Southwest and West Philly, to North Philly, to South Philly, Kensington, and Frankford.
The Philly Crisis Deserves A National Response
These nightmarish statistics are affecting REAL people - OUR children and OUR future!
Source: Respective Police Department Crime Data (2021YTD)
Crime and violence
In 2021, Philadelphia had more homicides than it’s ever had. Even more than New York City—a city that is roughly five times larger!
Serving Life
Historically, Philadelphia has had more teens serving life sentences in prison without parole than anywhere else in our nation.
Source: Mills, John R. and Dorn, Anna and Hritz, Amelia, Juvenile Life Without Parole in Law and Practice: The End of Superpredator Era Sentencing (September 22, 2015). American University Law Review
Poverty
Philadelphia is the poorest of the top ten largest US cities—with a child poverty rate that is nearly twice the national average.
Source: The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Kids Count Data Center
Suicide
The national average of high school students who attempted suicide is 8.9%. Philadelphia is among the highest at 15%. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among adolescents aged 13-18 in the U.S
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)