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In this powerful episode of Derate The Hate, host Wilk Wilkinson reconnects with Pastor Corey Brooks, better known as the “Rooftop Pastor.” From his bold rooftop vigil to his tireless work with Project H.O.O.D., Pastor Brooks is a man on a mission: transforming O Block into Opportunity Block.
Currently 50% complete, the 90,000-square-foot leadership and economic opportunity center will be a beacon of hope on Chicago’s South Side. This one-of-a-kind facility will include:
✅ A trade school teaching carpentry, HVAC, welding, and more
✅ A culinary arts program and three fully functional restaurants for hospitality training
✅ A financial literacy bank to empower families with economic knowledge
✅ A STEM center, music studio, theater, pool, and rooftop garden
✅ A space designed to bring dignity, opportunity, and transformation
Pastor Brooks’ next chapter begins with sneakers, not rooftops. On September 1st, 2025, he’ll launch the Walk Across America:
Starting in Times Square, New York
Ending at Santa Monica Pier, California
Walking 3,000 miles over 365 days
Hosting 55 major events across the country
Raising $25 million to complete the community center debt-free
This walk isn’t just about fundraising—it’s a call to unity, faith, and the belief that every step can change lives.
Throughout our conversation, Pastor Brooks highlights the unshakable role of faith in facing challenges and the dignity that comes from meaningful work. His vision is clear: equip people with skills, opportunity, and belief in themselves so they can build brighter futures.
To learn more about Project H.O.O.D. and support Pastor Brooks’ Walk Across America:
🔗 Website: ProjectHood.org
🐦 X (Twitter): @CoreyBBrooks
💼 LinkedIn: Pastor Corey Brooks
📘 Facebook: Pastor Corey Brooks
The world is a better place if we are better people. That begins with each of us as individuals. Be kind to one another. Be grateful for all you’ve got. Make every day the day that you want it to be!
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Subscribe to us wherever you enjoy your audio or from our site. Please leave us a rating and feedback on Apple podcasts or other platforms. You can share your thoughts or request Wilk for a speaking engagement on our contact page: DerateTheHate.com/Contact
The Derate The Hate podcast is proudly produced in collaboration with Braver Angels — America’s largest grassroots, cross-partisan organization working toward civic renewal and bridging partisan divides. Learn more: BraverAngels.org
Welcome to the Derate The Hate Podcast!
*The views expressed by Wilk, his guest hosts &/or guests on the Derate The Hate podcast are their own and should not be attributed to any organization they may otherwise be affiliated with.
Transcript is AI generated and may contain errors
00:00:00:00 - 00:00:23:10
Wilk Wilkinson
When vision is rooted in faith, fueled by ambition and carried forward by action, even the impossible begins to look inevitable. And when Pastor Corey Brooks climbs onto a rooftop for 343 days, or walks 3000 miles to build a future, what once seemed impossible becomes undeniable.
00:00:23:10 - 00:00:32:02
Pastor Corey Brooks
So I said, why not go up on the roof again? So we put eight train containers together on the property of the motel that was there,
00:00:32:02 - 00:00:34:08
Pastor Corey Brooks
that had been torn down. Now,
00:00:34:08 - 00:00:38:23
Pastor Corey Brooks
put a roof deck on it. And I went up there and decided I'll stay until we raised enough money,
00:00:38:23 - 00:00:40:20
Pastor Corey Brooks
to start this community center.
00:00:40:22 - 00:00:41:20
Pastor Corey Brooks
I thought it would take,
00:00:41:20 - 00:00:48:23
Pastor Corey Brooks
94 days like it did the first time. But unfortunately, thankfully, though, it took 343 days.
00:00:48:23 - 00:00:59:04
Pastor Corey Brooks
We had 20,000 new donors. We raised $20 million, and we were able to break ground to start a community center. And now today, that community center is being built.
00:00:59:04 - 00:01:00:14
Pastor Corey Brooks
We're about 50%,
00:01:00:14 - 00:01:03:18
Pastor Corey Brooks
complete. And it's 90,000ft².
00:01:03:20 - 00:01:06:08
Pastor Corey Brooks
And it is going to be a blessing to this community.
00:01:06:08 - 00:01:09:13
Wilk Wilkinson
So so let's talk a little about your,
00:01:09:13 - 00:01:15:13
Wilk Wilkinson
your latest project. That's that's coming up. Or maybe by the time this episode drops, you might have already started.
00:01:15:13 - 00:01:16:08
Wilk Wilkinson
It's not going to be boots.
00:01:16:08 - 00:01:19:21
Wilk Wilkinson
Probably going to be sneakers. Right. So. So let's talk honestly.
00:01:19:23 - 00:01:21:10
Pastor Corey Brooks
Yeah, that,
00:01:21:10 - 00:01:22:13
Pastor Corey Brooks
so we're doing a,
00:01:22:13 - 00:01:25:09
Pastor Corey Brooks
a big thing called the Walk Across America.
00:01:25:09 - 00:01:34:22
Pastor Corey Brooks
It starts September the 1st, in Times Square in New York. And it will end one year, 365 days later. So it's one man,
00:01:34:22 - 00:01:41:18
Pastor Corey Brooks
3000 miles raising $25 million to complete,
00:01:41:18 - 00:01:47:22
Pastor Corey Brooks
community center to start a school and to change lives forever.
00:01:48:00 - 00:01:53:19
Wilk Wilkinson
Another incredible conversation is coming your way. Let's roll that intro.
00:01:53:19 - 00:02:43:04
Wilk Wilkinson
Welcome back, my friends, for the Derate the Hate podcast. I'm your host, Wilk Wilkinson, your blue collar sage calming outrage and helping to navigate a world divided by fog and those who would spread that fear, outrage and grievance. The Derate the Hate podcast is proudly produced in collaboration with Braver Angels, America's largest grassroots cross. Partizan organization working towards civic renewal.
00:02:43:06 - 00:03:10:10
Wilk Wilkinson
This podcast amplifies the mission that we share to foster a more respectful and united America where civic friendship thrives even when we disagree. Each week, through the power of story, conversation, and connection with incredible guests, we work to build bridges instead of barriers, not to change minds on the issues, but to change how we see one another when we differ.
00:03:10:12 - 00:03:34:19
Wilk Wilkinson
Because friends, it really is about bettering the world one attitude at a time. We did not create the hate, but together we can Derate the Hate. So be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcast. Share it with a friend and visit Braver angels.org to learn how you can get involved in the movement to bridge the partizan divide.
00:03:34:21 - 00:03:43:15
Wilk Wilkinson
Friends, I am so incredibly grateful that you have joined me for another powerful Derate the Hate episode. So let's get to it.
00:03:43:15 - 00:03:50:17
Wilk Wilkinson
Today, I'm joined once again by a man whose vision and faith continue to inspire me and so many others.
00:03:50:19 - 00:04:23:15
Wilk Wilkinson
Pastor Corey Brooks, also known to many as the Rooftop Pastor. Now, you may remember Pastor Brooks from way back in episode 87, when he was still living on a rooftop to raise awareness and resources for his community. That bold step led to breaking ground on a 90,000 square foot Leadership and Economic Opportunity Center on Chicago's South Side, a place designed to transform Old Block into what Pastor Brooks now calls opportunity block.
00:04:23:17 - 00:04:42:15
Wilk Wilkinson
In this conversation, we dive into the incredible progress on that center, complete with trade schools, culinary arts programs, restaurants, financial literacy training, and so much more. We also discuss Pastor Brooks next bold endeavor, The Walk Across America, a 3000 mile journey from
00:04:42:15 - 00:04:54:06
Wilk Wilkinson
Times Square in New York City to Santa Monica pier in LA beginning September 1st, 2025, all to raise the $25 million to complete the center debt free.
00:04:54:08 - 00:05:08:19
Wilk Wilkinson
This is a story about faith, about the dignity of work, and about what it really means to help others obtain their destiny. Stick around for another conversation with my friend, Pastor Corey Brooks. You don't want to miss it. Here we go.
00:05:08:19 - 00:05:16:05
Wilk Wilkinson
Pastor Corey Brooks. Man, it's so good to see you again. Welcome back to the Derate the Hate podcast.
00:05:16:07 - 00:05:18:17
Pastor Corey Brooks
Thank you. I appreciate the opportunity to be on. And,
00:05:18:17 - 00:05:21:05
Pastor Corey Brooks
I'm looking forward to the conversation.
00:05:21:07 - 00:05:24:17
Wilk Wilkinson
Yeah, man. So good to see you. So good to see you. And,
00:05:24:17 - 00:05:26:15
Wilk Wilkinson
for the listeners that that,
00:05:26:15 - 00:05:27:18
Wilk Wilkinson
may not have heard
00:05:27:18 - 00:05:34:23
Wilk Wilkinson
you're with us on episode 87. So, just about 200 episodes ago of the Derate the Hate podcast, but,
00:05:34:23 - 00:05:40:12
Wilk Wilkinson
that was back in the winter of 21. You were on the on the rooftop for the,
00:05:40:12 - 00:05:41:15
Wilk Wilkinson
for the second time.
00:05:41:15 - 00:05:42:11
Wilk Wilkinson
Right.
00:05:42:13 - 00:05:43:21
Pastor Corey Brooks
Absolutely.
00:05:43:23 - 00:05:44:10
Wilk Wilkinson
So,
00:05:44:10 - 00:05:55:17
Wilk Wilkinson
let's kind of reset a little bit for, for those that, that may not be familiar with the rooftop, Pastor Corey Brooks. So, so talk to me about Project Hood, what got that started. And then,
00:05:55:17 - 00:06:02:11
Wilk Wilkinson
and then that rooftop legacy and how how that played out, for the second time back in, in 2021,
00:06:03:14 - 00:06:07:15
Pastor Corey Brooks
Absolutely. So 2011 to 2012,
00:06:07:15 - 00:06:09:09
Pastor Corey Brooks
to November 20th to
00:06:09:09 - 00:06:11:05
Pastor Corey Brooks
2011 to
00:06:11:05 - 00:06:35:20
Pastor Corey Brooks
February 24th of 2012, 94 days. The first time I went up on the roof of a motel to bring awareness of the violence in our neighborhood, and to also shut down a motel and purchase it. It took me 94 days of making awareness and raising funds before we finally had enough to buy the motel and tear it down with the goal of starting a not for profit.
00:06:35:22 - 00:06:36:07
Pastor Corey Brooks
We,
00:06:36:07 - 00:06:38:19
Pastor Corey Brooks
With that being said, we started a,
00:06:38:19 - 00:06:58:04
Pastor Corey Brooks
not for profit call project hood, who stands for Helping Others Obtain Destiny. And from that, we wanted to start a Leadership and Economic Opportunity Center. Fast forward, it was coming up on the ten year anniversary. We had not yet built the center, and we were trying to figure out creative ways to build this center.
00:06:58:06 - 00:07:06:22
Pastor Corey Brooks
So I said, why not go up on the roof again? So we put eight train containers together on the property of the motel that was there,
00:07:06:22 - 00:07:09:04
Pastor Corey Brooks
that had been torn down. Now,
00:07:09:04 - 00:07:13:19
Pastor Corey Brooks
put a roof deck on it. And I went up there and decided I'll stay until we raised enough money,
00:07:13:19 - 00:07:15:16
Pastor Corey Brooks
to start this community center.
00:07:15:18 - 00:07:16:16
Pastor Corey Brooks
I thought it would take,
00:07:16:16 - 00:07:23:19
Pastor Corey Brooks
94 days like it did the first time. But unfortunately, thankfully, though, it took 343 days.
00:07:23:19 - 00:07:34:00
Pastor Corey Brooks
We had 20,000 new donors. We raised $20 million, and we were able to break ground to start a community center. And now today, that community center is being built.
00:07:34:00 - 00:07:35:10
Pastor Corey Brooks
We're about 50%,
00:07:35:10 - 00:07:38:14
Pastor Corey Brooks
complete. And it's 90,000ft².
00:07:38:16 - 00:07:41:13
Pastor Corey Brooks
And it is going to be a blessing to this community.
00:07:41:15 - 00:07:54:19
Wilk Wilkinson
Oh, man. Man. And speaking of blessings, you are. You're an absolute blessing with the New Beginnings Church over there and the things you've been able to do on Old block. And and I just remember during that conversation,
00:07:54:19 - 00:07:59:20
Wilk Wilkinson
the, the, just the visualization that you brought to that conversation talking about,
00:07:59:20 - 00:08:08:10
Wilk Wilkinson
how the pool's going to be here in the theater is going to be over there in the classrooms and, and, and and all that was just, man, what a treat for me.
00:08:08:10 - 00:08:09:13
Wilk Wilkinson
And, and
00:08:09:13 - 00:08:14:22
Wilk Wilkinson
just just the idea that you have have, have done these things,
00:08:14:22 - 00:08:19:05
Wilk Wilkinson
helping others obtain destiny is, is such an important.
00:08:19:05 - 00:08:31:11
Wilk Wilkinson
I don't know if you want to call it a mission statement or whatever, but far too often we find that there's plenty of people out there trying to tear us down, but not a lot of people out there and not enough people.
00:08:31:13 - 00:08:36:00
Wilk Wilkinson
There are a lot of people, not enough people out there trying to,
00:08:36:00 - 00:08:40:15
Wilk Wilkinson
walk, walk that same journey with with others helping them,
00:08:40:15 - 00:08:50:09
Wilk Wilkinson
helping them realize their own destiny and working through that. So so that's an incredible and incredible thing. So, so just let's dive into that a little bit more than,
00:08:50:09 - 00:08:52:13
Wilk Wilkinson
Pastor Brooks, because the, the,
00:08:52:13 - 00:08:57:16
Wilk Wilkinson
center itself, you said it, you're about 50% complete right now.
00:08:57:18 - 00:09:01:07
Wilk Wilkinson
Yes. Okay. So so talk to us a little bit then about,
00:09:01:07 - 00:09:04:09
Wilk Wilkinson
where you're at, what what more you need with that, where
00:09:04:09 - 00:09:06:06
Wilk Wilkinson
where you're at in that process?
00:09:06:08 - 00:09:08:21
Pastor Corey Brooks
I'm glad to. So we're 50%,
00:09:08:21 - 00:09:15:04
Pastor Corey Brooks
in the works of this new 90,000 square foot leadership and economic Opportunity center.
00:09:15:04 - 00:09:27:05
Pastor Corey Brooks
We call it that because it's more than just a community center. It's a place where people can actually transform their lives on this block where we are. It's called Old Block because it's named after a young man named Odie Perry who was shot and killed.
00:09:27:05 - 00:09:32:19
Pastor Corey Brooks
The gangs took the in his name and start calling it. Oh is actually King Drive from 60,
00:09:32:19 - 00:09:34:14
Pastor Corey Brooks
third to 67th.
00:09:34:14 - 00:09:50:18
Pastor Corey Brooks
But that old block moniker has stuck for years. And we decided, okay, we're going to keep the oh, but we're going to change it to opportunity block. So this center is the linchpin in helping to make sure that everybody in our neighborhood has an opportunity to live the American dream.
00:09:50:18 - 00:09:59:19
Pastor Corey Brooks
So it has a lot of different facets. It has a bank so that we can teach financial literacy. It has a swimming pool. It has a culinary arts,
00:09:59:19 - 00:10:00:21
Pastor Corey Brooks
facility and a,
00:10:00:21 - 00:10:04:20
Pastor Corey Brooks
a ghost kitchen. It has three restaurants so that we can,
00:10:04:20 - 00:10:06:06
Pastor Corey Brooks
teach people how to,
00:10:06:06 - 00:10:11:22
Pastor Corey Brooks
do restaurant work, restaurant management, man. Restaurant skills, cooking skills.
00:10:12:00 - 00:10:29:02
Pastor Corey Brooks
We have a Stem center. We have a well, now, urgent health care. One of the biggest things that I'm excited about is our trade school, because it's going to right now we have a trade school, and we do it in our church. And we do about 60 students a year. This is going to allow us to ten exit.
00:10:29:04 - 00:10:30:03
Pastor Corey Brooks
So
00:10:30:03 - 00:10:34:02
Pastor Corey Brooks
it's going to have a carpentry, electrical, Hvac,
00:10:34:02 - 00:10:49:19
Pastor Corey Brooks
roofing and automotive. And we're going to be able to teach these and welding, and we're going to teach these trades and help people to get jobs. We have a theater, we have two basketball courts, we have a music studio, a golf simulation room. And we also have,
00:10:49:19 - 00:10:51:08
Pastor Corey Brooks
a rooftop garden.
00:10:51:10 - 00:10:52:22
Pastor Corey Brooks
Where we can teach about,
00:10:52:22 - 00:10:55:11
Pastor Corey Brooks
agriculture. And, and it's a place where,
00:10:55:11 - 00:10:57:06
Pastor Corey Brooks
people from our community can actually go up on
00:10:57:06 - 00:11:00:01
Pastor Corey Brooks
the roof and be a part of it.
00:11:00:03 - 00:11:02:22
Wilk Wilkinson
That's awesome. That is absolutely awesome. I
00:11:02:22 - 00:11:03:18
Wilk Wilkinson
I remember,
00:11:03:18 - 00:11:08:11
Wilk Wilkinson
remember you talking about that before and then and then obviously the,
00:11:08:11 - 00:11:16:15
Wilk Wilkinson
being the rooftop pastor and then incorporating something on the roof of the new center. Yeah, it was very exciting. Let's talk a little bit more about, I mean,
00:11:16:15 - 00:11:23:08
Wilk Wilkinson
I love the trade school thing, the, the, the Hvac and the, the the electrical and the welding and all that.
00:11:23:10 - 00:11:28:14
Wilk Wilkinson
Hugely important because, I mean, there's, there's it's, I mean, no matter,
00:11:28:14 - 00:11:30:04
Wilk Wilkinson
no matter what we end up doing
00:11:30:04 - 00:11:32:18
Wilk Wilkinson
as a country, the, the importance of education,
00:11:32:18 - 00:11:33:20
Wilk Wilkinson
there is that the right
00:11:33:20 - 00:11:38:19
Wilk Wilkinson
there's the college thing. And everybody tries to put so much emphasis on, on education.
00:11:39:01 - 00:11:46:04
Wilk Wilkinson
But the trade school thing is one of the most the things that I'm most excited about, actually, is, is the fact that that,
00:11:46:04 - 00:12:03:07
Wilk Wilkinson
people especially now that that Hvac work and electrical and plumbing and things like that are actually I mean, I know, pastor Brooks, I know people right now in the Hvac business and in the the electrical and the plumbing business and stuff.
00:12:03:09 - 00:12:06:23
Wilk Wilkinson
They're making as much, if not more as as many of your,
00:12:06:23 - 00:12:14:00
Wilk Wilkinson
your middle managers and, and things like that out there. It's it's work that it's it's good, hard, honest work.
00:12:14:00 - 00:12:24:12
Wilk Wilkinson
it's it's not easy by any means. It's hugely important. So so talk a little bit about the importance of trade school and getting folks involved in, in these things.
00:12:24:12 - 00:12:33:00
Wilk Wilkinson
Because let's face it, college isn't for everybody. It certainly wasn't for me. And I know a lot of people being a blue collar guy. I know a lot of people who just,
00:12:33:00 - 00:12:37:02
Wilk Wilkinson
they got no desire for the college thing, but trade in a different animal.
00:12:37:04 - 00:12:39:16
Pastor Corey Brooks
Absolutely. There's a great void is going to happen.
00:12:39:16 - 00:12:49:07
Pastor Corey Brooks
AI is replacing a lot of things. But one of the things that they're not able to replace our carpenters, our tradesmen. And so there's a great void,
00:12:49:07 - 00:12:51:06
Pastor Corey Brooks
of tradesmen that are needed,
00:12:51:06 - 00:12:54:17
Pastor Corey Brooks
in America right now at this point and in the future, it's only going to get greater.
00:12:54:22 - 00:13:04:12
Pastor Corey Brooks
So we said, why not tap into that? Why not train our people to be successful, especially those who are not interested in going to college, but they still want to,
00:13:04:12 - 00:13:14:06
Pastor Corey Brooks
live the American dream? Why not give them an opportunity to do so? So we thought trades and we believe trades are viable option for individuals who feel that way.
00:13:14:08 - 00:13:15:21
Pastor Corey Brooks
And because of that,
00:13:15:21 - 00:13:17:16
Pastor Corey Brooks
we're going to be able to teach,
00:13:17:16 - 00:13:36:21
Pastor Corey Brooks
a lot of trades. We give people a lot of opportunities. And that's very important, especially if our goal is to transform this neighborhood. We have to teach people the responsibility of work, and work brings dignity and work brings value. And so we push that and we believe that.
00:13:36:23 - 00:13:49:12
Pastor Corey Brooks
But in order to really push it the way we want to, we have to make sure that we have people who are trained and skilled that way. We're not asking people to lower the standard to hire individuals or create some,
00:13:49:12 - 00:14:00:11
Pastor Corey Brooks
some DEI or be woke in order to hire people. We say, no, we're going to train people, give them the best standards, the best skills that we can so they can meet whatever standard wherever they go.
00:14:00:13 - 00:14:06:07
Pastor Corey Brooks
And that that way they can they can be fully functional, and they can be a value,
00:14:06:07 - 00:14:15:20
Pastor Corey Brooks
to a company that makes the investment in them. And so the trades are very important to us, not just for the work part, but for transformation,
00:14:15:20 - 00:14:21:23
Pastor Corey Brooks
for dignity, for value. So many areas it's going to help us to care to cover.
00:14:22:01 - 00:14:24:06
Pastor Corey Brooks
And and that's really important.
00:14:24:08 - 00:14:26:10
Wilk Wilkinson
Yeah. Yeah. And the importance of that,
00:14:26:10 - 00:14:40:18
Wilk Wilkinson
that that providing value thing. It I don't think it can be overstated. It's it's one of these things. And that's one of the things that I love about the trades is when you go to work in the morning, the stuff that you're doing all day,
00:14:40:18 - 00:14:42:18
Wilk Wilkinson
you see a real, tangible product.
00:14:42:18 - 00:14:43:23
Wilk Wilkinson
At the end of the day,
00:14:43:23 - 00:14:52:12
Wilk Wilkinson
you don't have to. You don't have to wonder if you got something done that day, right? I mean, you're you're putting in the work, you're sweating,
00:14:52:12 - 00:15:01:13
Wilk Wilkinson
you're you're whether whether you're slinging a hammer or bending tan or, or soldering pipes or whatever you're doing. You're seeing a tangible result for that work, that effort.
00:15:01:13 - 00:15:05:03
Wilk Wilkinson
At the end of the day, that brings, a lot of dignity.
00:15:05:05 - 00:15:05:16
Pastor Corey Brooks
Right? And,
00:15:05:16 - 00:15:16:09
Pastor Corey Brooks
I love the trades because to me, it's it's a picture of what America is really about, the hard work ethic, the blue collar workers and people working together.
00:15:16:09 - 00:15:30:01
Pastor Corey Brooks
when you if you were to come and look at our site, you see all kind of people. We got some Irish guys out there. We got some some Scottish guys out there, we got some Hispanic guys, we got some black guys and and everybody's working hard.
00:15:30:01 - 00:15:55:21
Pastor Corey Brooks
Nobody's worried about color. Nobody's only color. Those guys are worried about is green right. So and and I and I can appreciate that because they're working hard. They're doing something meaningful. They can see the value that they're adding and it makes them feel good. When I go up there and I talk to those guys, you can feel the joy that they have in doing this project and they're doing it,
00:15:55:21 - 00:15:58:16
Pastor Corey Brooks
with a labor of love, and they're doing it unified.
00:15:58:16 - 00:16:00:18
Pastor Corey Brooks
And that's that's what it's really all about.
00:16:00:20 - 00:16:02:03
Wilk Wilkinson
No, that's right. I, I,
00:16:02:03 - 00:16:05:13
Wilk Wilkinson
I follow you on, on social media and you're always posting,
00:16:05:13 - 00:16:17:20
Wilk Wilkinson
pictures of you out there with the folks that are there. They're putting in that work. And, I mean, it's it's it's hugely important. It's awesome. So so let's talk a little bit about the restaurants in there then, because that's another thing that that's dear to my heart.
00:16:17:20 - 00:16:20:10
Wilk Wilkinson
As somebody who worked in restaurants for a number of years
00:16:20:10 - 00:16:26:12
Wilk Wilkinson
and then now I, I cook at home and, and I okay. One of my wife, my wife and I, we,
00:16:26:12 - 00:16:30:07
Wilk Wilkinson
one of our guilty pleasures is to watch, cooking shows on,
00:16:30:07 - 00:16:35:08
Wilk Wilkinson
Okay. Cool on unlike the cooking channels and everything. Right. And, and and just seeing,
00:16:35:08 - 00:16:40:02
Wilk Wilkinson
just seeing the, the, the enthusiasm for the, for the, for the hospitality,
00:16:40:02 - 00:16:41:19
Wilk Wilkinson
hospitality industry and.
00:16:41:21 - 00:16:51:09
Wilk Wilkinson
Yeah. And people work in the way that they do in those. So, so these restaurants are going to be functioning restaurants in the, in the thing that people can kind of intern in or how does that work.
00:16:51:11 - 00:16:54:13
Pastor Corey Brooks
Absolutely. So they're fully functional restaurants,
00:16:54:13 - 00:17:01:13
Pastor Corey Brooks
where people can be hired and they'll be paid to learn a skill. So our focus is going to be,
00:17:01:13 - 00:17:08:00
Pastor Corey Brooks
culinary and hospitality. So either people are going to be learning how to do culinary skills where they become cooks,
00:17:08:00 - 00:17:13:00
Pastor Corey Brooks
for restaurants, various restaurants in the back, or they're going to be doing hospitality,
00:17:13:00 - 00:17:13:13
Pastor Corey Brooks
learning,
00:17:13:13 - 00:17:18:11
Pastor Corey Brooks
the, the, the front, front of the house, the management elevate the serving of it.
00:17:18:13 - 00:17:26:19
Pastor Corey Brooks
So those are the two focuses of the restaurant. But it's all about still training people to do these jobs and training people,
00:17:26:19 - 00:17:37:01
Pastor Corey Brooks
to be of value to another company. It's not so much about them working for us, but it's about us training them to go and do something for themselves or work for other individuals.
00:17:37:03 - 00:17:38:04
Wilk Wilkinson
And that's awesome.
00:17:38:04 - 00:17:41:23
Wilk Wilkinson
Yeah. So cool. That is so cool. Yeah. Like I said, and
00:17:41:23 - 00:17:59:03
Wilk Wilkinson
a point that you've brought up a couple times is that providing value and, and, and the dignity and being able to provide value, being part of something that, that, that really matters and, and, and the dignity that comes along with work and, and and the importance of,
00:17:59:03 - 00:18:03:04
Wilk Wilkinson
of, of a good day's work, I mean, all of these things,
00:18:03:04 - 00:18:04:17
Wilk Wilkinson
are just so important,
00:18:04:17 - 00:18:09:19
Wilk Wilkinson
when we talk about or when we think about, at least for me, when I think about,
00:18:09:19 - 00:18:13:18
Wilk Wilkinson
a lot of the problems in our country today and the unmet human needs
00:18:13:20 - 00:18:17:11
Wilk Wilkinson
many people have and, and things like that. I know,
00:18:17:11 - 00:18:19:09
Wilk Wilkinson
obviously a part, a big part,
00:18:19:09 - 00:18:20:09
Wilk Wilkinson
passion,
00:18:20:09 - 00:18:24:23
Wilk Wilkinson
of ours, a big part of our purpose and things is our is our Christian faith.
00:18:24:23 - 00:18:53:00
Wilk Wilkinson
maybe that's not for everybody, but but everybody needs to have purpose. Everybody has to have passion. Everybody has to feel like what they're doing each day makes some type of difference in order to, to start to, to work through some of those unmet human needs, those things that, that we have that are going to make sure we're getting up every day and, and, and putting on our boots or putting on our whatever, whatever it is we're putting
00:18:53:00 - 00:18:55:00
Wilk Wilkinson
on, whether boots or a suit.
00:18:55:00 - 00:19:03:14
Wilk Wilkinson
Right. We we, we want to make sure that we are doing something that's, that's making a difference. So so let's talk a little about your,
00:19:03:14 - 00:19:09:14
Wilk Wilkinson
your latest project. That's that's coming up. Or maybe by the time this episode drops, you might have already started.
00:19:09:14 - 00:19:10:09
Wilk Wilkinson
It's not going to be boots.
00:19:10:09 - 00:19:13:22
Wilk Wilkinson
Probably going to be sneakers. Right. So. So let's talk honestly.
00:19:14:00 - 00:19:15:11
Pastor Corey Brooks
Yeah, that,
00:19:15:11 - 00:19:16:14
Pastor Corey Brooks
so we're doing a,
00:19:16:14 - 00:19:19:10
Pastor Corey Brooks
a big thing called the Walk Across America.
00:19:19:10 - 00:19:28:23
Pastor Corey Brooks
It starts September the 1st, in Times Square in New York. And it will end one year, 365 days later. So it's one man,
00:19:28:23 - 00:19:35:19
Pastor Corey Brooks
3000 miles raising $25 million to complete,
00:19:35:19 - 00:19:42:05
Pastor Corey Brooks
community center to start a school and to change lives forever.
00:19:42:07 - 00:19:45:08
Pastor Corey Brooks
And the walk is going to,
00:19:45:08 - 00:19:48:01
Pastor Corey Brooks
end in Los Angeles, California,
00:19:48:01 - 00:19:51:16
Pastor Corey Brooks
at Santa Monica pier. It will take us,
00:19:51:16 - 00:20:08:12
Pastor Corey Brooks
365 days, a little bit over that. But walking Monday through Friday, 12.5 miles every day, taking Saturdays and Sundays off for events, we have 55 stops, major stops that we're doing in cities. And so we're excited about that.
00:20:08:12 - 00:20:12:22
Pastor Corey Brooks
And we're going to have some other places that we're detouring off and then coming back,
00:20:12:22 - 00:20:15:03
Pastor Corey Brooks
on the walk as well.
00:20:15:05 - 00:20:24:17
Wilk Wilkinson
Yeah. And so, so talk to me about because I was on the website and I saw the path that you were taken. And
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