by Veronica Ocasio,
New Life Covenant Church New Life Covenant Church starts every year with a 21- day Corporate Fast. In 2016, its Senior Pastor, Wilfredo “Choco” De Jesús, felt a strong desire to broaden the scope of the fast in effort to bring awareness and healing to our city. For the duration of the 21 days of the fast, from January 4th– January 24th, the church has been open for 24 hours a day; offering prayer and community support. In these last 2½ weeks the church has provided over 1,000 meals to the homeless, has helped individuals with addictions go to detox, placed homeless families in shelters, provided a warm sleeping environment from the frigid cold weather and a safe place for families to seek refuge, prayer, support and encourage healthy living. New Life Covenant has completely underwritten these expenses as part of its mission, to be “A Church for the Hurting.” “As the body of Christ I believe that we must pray for our city and country. We must respond to the violence by being the light of Christ wherever we go – simply put, we love God and we love people. This is what helps transform communities and cities by spreading a message of reconciliation and hope.” said Senior Pastor, Choco De Jesús. We are very grateful to all the city agencies, community organizations and restaurants who have partnered with us like the Chicago Police Department, City of Chicago Department of Family and Supportive Services, La Palma Rest., Mexique Rest., National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture, VIDA/SIDA, Norwegian American Hospital, Catholic Charities and El Rincon to offer holistic services to all the homeless families and individuals who have walked through our doors seeking refuge.