No Matter What takes Englewood students to Europe for trip of a lifetime
CHICAGO (CBS) -- It was a trip of a lifetime for some Englewood students.
A CPD officer took 15 teens to London and Dublin to expose them to different cultures.
CBS 2's Shardaa Gray caught up with the organization.
"Just something amazing, honestly."
That's how 18-year-old Rachel Brooks describes a memorable trip to London and Dublin.
"I would love for my friends and family to be able to go as well. Not just to see the sights, but to experience the food, the people, and the different culture that we don't get to see," Brooks said.
She and 14 other students took a trip overseas thanks to their mentor, Kenneth Griffin.
He's a CPD officer in Englewood and the founder of an organization called No Matter What.
It aims to invest in the youth through job readiness training, mentorship, and mental health healing. He also teaches kids how to cook.
"About five years ago, I had this thought to take young people out of the city of Chicago," Griffin said.
He's taken them to different states, but they took an eight-hour flight to England and Ireland this year.
"For me, exposure is everything. A lot of our kids don't know what it looks like outside of Chicago. A lot of our kids think that out of town is Indiana, and we all know that's right across the border," Griffin said.
The trip wasn't cheap.
Griffin said it cost around $40,000, which includes airfare, hotels, and food. Sponsors and fundraisers helped pay. Making sure all had passports was a little nerve-wracking.
"We literally didn't get one of the student's passports until the day before we left. We literally had to call elected officials. We literally was begging, please, someone help us," Griffin said.
Despite the drama before the trip, Brooks and Griffin said they had an amazing time. Brooks said it's inspired her to give back.
"That's one thing I want to do. I want to make a change because Chef Kenneth really inspired me to make a change in my community as well," Brook said.
Griffin said he hopes to bring more kids out of the country next year to Italy or Spain.
