Kidz Express is a faith-based organization where adults work to provide positive role models consistent with the teachings of Jesus Christ and his charge to love our neighbor as ourselves. The purpose of Kidz Express is expressly stated in the Kidz Express Promise:

     Trusting in God’s love and power,
          I will respect myself and others,
          I will accept responsibility for my choices and consequences,
          I will explore my world and make it a better place.

We believe these tenets are critical to helping children in our program understand there are options and opportunities beyond the streets of Austin. Programs like our post-high school education fund will help make it economically feasible for children to attend a college or trade school.

Kidz Express was founded in 1997 as part of the social ministry of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church of Oak Park. Kidz Express was a dream of founders Warren King and Duane Ehresman. Their goal was to provide programs and services that:

• helped build self-esteem in inner city children;
• exposed children to the larger world around them;
• modeled the life of Christ as a guide for daily living; and
• bridged the gap of understanding between Austin and Oak Park.

The program met every Saturday morning, eventually making Good Shepherd the program home. In 2003, a Wednesday evening program was added to address the needs of the children as they approached the teen years.

In 2005, Park National Bank provided a new home for our growing program at 342 S. Laramie in Chicago. That same year, Kidz Express received its first major grant from Lutheran Services for Children Endowment, given to further our programs and services to children and young adults on the west side of Chicago. in 2006, we received a funding development grant from the African American Legacy Initiative of the Chicago Community Trust. In 2007, the Springboard Foundation, affiliated with Chicago Community Trust, provided us with funding for programming and training.

Springboard continued its support in 2008, allowing us to operate our first summer daycamp program in July and August of that year. A major donation was also received from Iowa Foundation for Medical Care that enabled us to expand our programs in the 2008-09 year to operate four to five nights per week, in addition to our established Saturday morning program. With the help of these donors, Kidz Express now has a permanent, professional staff and is employing graduates of our program as youth mentors as well.