Kids Off the Block

Kids Off the Block (KOB) was a memorial of stones of young people killed by gun violence.

The memorial was located in Chicago's West Pullman neighborhood, with the mission "to provide at-risk low income youth positive alternatives to gangs, drugs, truancy, violence and the juvenile justice system.

"[1][2] KOB was founded in 2003 by Diane Latiker, a mother of eight, who opened her home to youth in her community to help steer them away from the negative influences of the streets.

"[4] As a result, KOB offers homework help, mentoring, music, drama, sports, community service and a "safe place" to hang out.

KOB provides structured programs and events for youth including Tutoring/Mentoring, Drama, Music, Sports, Community Service, Local/Out of Town Travel, Job Readiness, GED Preparation, Health/Fitness and Nutrition, Cultural Arts.

The Kids Off The Block memorial featuring hundreds of stones, one for each person killed by gun violence in Chicago
The stones to memorialize the young people killed in Chicago, featuring the names, ages and date of death of the young people