We are the leaders we’ve been waiting for.

Upcoming Events

Areas of Focus

Fighting to protect our students and their futures.

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Working to keep families in their homes comfortably.

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Investing in our future leaders and watching them grow.

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Creating a platform for our elders to protect their rights.

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Providing programs and activities that improve quality of life.

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Amplifying our community’s voices in the halls of power.

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Working with our community members to develop strategies and programs as they realize their own power.

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Kenwood Oakland Community Organization

Vision

Kenwood Oakland Community Organization’s vision is to develop new generations of African American leadership that will build stable, viable, and just communities where opportunity is not denied based on race or economic status.

Mission

Through the sustained engagement of low-income and working families, KOCO develops multi-generational leaders who impact decision-making processes and public policies, improving the quality of life in our local communities. KOCO has been an instrument for grassroots democracy in the North Kenwood and Oakland communities since 1965.

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1965

KOCO was founded to develop multigenerational leaders

500+

Affordable housing units built and maintained in Chicago

15,000+

Households receiving our care packages since the 2020 pandemic

News from KOCO

Face painting at KOCO Fest.

The Return of KOCO Fest!

Remember the spirit of KOCO Fest — the air buzzing with music, laughter, positivity and community spirit? Seeing…

Ald. Jeanette Taylor 20th Ward and former KOCO Education Organizer, addresses community residents in South Shore at CBA Town Hall June 30, 2023.

Obama Center ‘Yes,’ Displacement ‘No’

With south side residents in danger of being displaced from escalating rents, the Obama Presidential Center appears to…

Rev. Leroy Sanders addresses the congregation at Kenwood United Church of Christ.

Celebrate the Life & Legacy of Rev. Dr. Leroy Sanders

Rev. Sanders emphasized the importance of the community asserting their wants and needs and demanding the resources and…

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Media Coverage

Push for rent control is ‘a fight worth having’

To protect low-income and working families from skyrocketing rents, KOCO and the Lift the Ban coalition is pushing the…

Where to get free food by neighborhood in Chicago

KOCO distributes pantry items and groceries on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

How do we organize from here?

Movements got Brandon Johnson elected mayor of Chicago. Now KOCO and other organizations seek to capitalize on the…

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