CHICAGO – One demographic that Pastor Corey Brooks deals with through his ministry and nonprofit, Project H.O.O.D., are foster youths. These youths have suffered some form of trauma from physical and sexual abuse to abandonment by their parents. If they are not placed into stable foster care homes that instill healthy self-esteem and provide access to quality schools as well as mentorship programs, the trauma often continues and worsens. When these youths age out of the foster care system, they may lack the tools and capital to deal with many real-world issues and lapse into mental illnesses, substance abuse or chronic unemployment.
Somehow, Robert Scheer avoided that fate. His siblings did not. Scheer is one of those Americans who overcame near impossible odds to become successful and yet never forgot where he came from. Several years ago, he opened his home to five foster children and was stunned to see that they arrived at his door carrying their belongings in garbage bags, just as he toted his own garbage bag 40 years ago. Scheer eventually adopted the children and made it his mission to bring dignity to the foster care system by starting Comfort Cases.
On the 90th day of his 100-day rooftop vigil to raise funds to build a transformative community center on the South Side of Chicago, the pastor invited Scheer to the rooftop for a conversation by the campfire.
"As a kid, I grew up on the streets, actually lived on the streets when I was 18, my whole senior year of high school," Scheer began. "So to be back here, Pastor Brooks, a little bit of [PTSD], my friend."
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"We're going to help you get through it," the pastor said. "What brings you here on the South Side of Chicago on this rooftop on a cold night, like tonight?"
"First of all, everybody has to know something: Our community is not our zip code," Scheer said. "Our community is our human race and what affects people right here on the O-Block affects people in D.C., in Austin, Texas, and Seattle, and if we do not come together for change, change will never happen."
The pastor nodded in agreement. He then asked Scheer why he started Comfort Cases.
"I'm a banker for 27 years and I never, in a million years, thought I would have a nonprofit, but when my five kids arrived from foster care, all carrying a trash bag, I thought this is not the way life is supposed to go," Scheer said. "The statistics show that only 54% of kids in foster care graduate from high school, but the saddest part for me was to hear the fact that over 80% of our prison inmates were from foster care."
Scheer continued: "10 years ago, my family and I decided to put some cases together, brand new pajamas, toothbrush, toothpaste, all the essentials that a child needs on their first night of foster care and started handing them out. Pastor Brooks, I will tell you, we thought we'd do five, 10, but in the last 10 years, we've delivered over 165,000 cases to all 50 states, D.C., Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom, and, by the way, my friend, we have them right here."
"That's right. We're going to do it here in Chicago tomorrow," the pastor said. "A lot of the work that we do here at Project H.O.O.D is targeted toward individuals who are underserved or who are in dire need of a lot of help. Can you just explain why it's so important for organizations like Project H.O.O.D and Comfort Cases to get involved in the lives of these young people?"
"When you look at the fact that we have 438,000 kids in foster care and … 91% of the gang members … have been in foster care … we have failed as a country," Scheer said. "What are we doing for our future for tomorrow? I think about it every day. I'm the youngest of 10 kids. My brothers and sisters: teenage pregnancy, suicide, drug overdose, prison. That's the path that we give kids in foster care. We got to change it … There is enough money to go around. Project H.O.O.D. is where your dollars need to go right now, and let me tell you why: we build this center today, we build another one tomorrow.
"Exactly."
"And another one the next day."
"Yes. Yes."
"And that's what we have to realize is supposed to happen."
"Absolutely, I'm trying to be like Comfort Cases. I'm trying to go to every place that there's a need and reach everyone everywhere, because that's really what community is really all about," the pastor said. "We've been blessed as an organization to have this platform that Fox has given us, and so many people from around the country have helped us tremendously … From your standpoint, what is it going to take for us to turn this around as it relates to … foster care?"
"I don't want to be cliche about this, but I'm going to tell you something: you have to remember why our forefathers built community. Why? One reason: take care of each other. We have forgotten that along of the way, my friend. We have forgotten how important it is, that when I lift you up, I stand taller," Scheer said.
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"Absolutely."
"And when you lift me up, we stand taller together."
"Absolutely. That's what it's really all about, and hopefully together, we can make the world a better place."
Follow along as Fox News checks in Pastor Corey Brooks each day with a new Rooftop Revelation.
For more information, please visit Project H.O.O.D.
Eli Steele is a documentary filmmaker and writer. His latest film is "What Killed Michael Brown?" Twitter: @Hebro_Steele.
Camera by Terrell Allen.
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