Nonprofit launches podcast made by and for Little Village teens
CHICAGO (CBS) – In a world where everyone wants to be seen and heard, teenagers in Little Village now have that outlet.
It's a new community-based podcast produced by the youth for the youth. CBS 2's Andrew Ramos reported it's filling a void at a time when it's needed the most.
Take a stroll down any street in Little Village and you'll find a slice of just about everything: culture, tradition, community.
And now, add podcast to the list.
It's called La Carnita Asada. It's produced, edited and hosted by teenagers in Little Village.
Javier Salazar is one of the many contributors.
"The youth just need a place where they could always be comfortable and like have the freedom to be able to share what they want about the community," Salazar said.
The outlet is filling a void, part of a new program within Urban Warriors, a community-based organization founded in 2016, which engages local youth through sports, workforce development and organizing.
Rey Raigoza was born and raised in Little Village and founded the organization in an effort to break what he calls the cycle of disinvestment in his community.
"These gaps not only exist in Little Village, yes they are prevalent here, but really, it's across the city," Raigoza said.
The podcast promotes small business with featured local dishes, and the guests include community success stories making a difference, like Little Village native State Rep. Edgar Gonzalez.
"Once they see someone in the community that's from the community doing it, they get more comfortable like, so if this person could do it, who says I can't do it?" Salazar said.
The plan for this team is to roll out an episode every two weeks.
"Their ideas are what need to be put out there right now rather than when they get older," said Ernesto Gonzalez, co-founder of Urban Warriors. "Right now is the time when their creativity just flows naturally."
Urban Warriors, a nonprofit organization, is completely supported by the generosity of donations. To learn more about the organization, visit UrbanWarriorsYouth.org.
