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 as part of social ministry of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church of Oak Park in 1997. Kidz Express was a dream of the founders, Warren King and Duane Ehresman, who moved forward in faith to provide programs and services that helped build self-esteem in inner city children, expose children to the larger world around them, model the life of Jesus Christ as a guide for daily living, and bridge the gap of understanding between the Austin community of Chicago and Oak Park.

Kidz Express is an organization focused on developing mentoring relationships with children from the Quincy and Central neighborhoods within Austin. Today it is an independent 501(c) (3) non-profit organization; however, it remains closely partnered with Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.

Kidz Express meets every Saturday and Wednesday from September through June and in 2007 began its first summer session. In the past, our weekly gatherings took place within Good Shepherd's fellowship hall but in 2005, our program moved to our community center in Austin. Mike Kelly, the owner of Park National Bank, was instrumental in helping us make this move.

In 2005, Kidz Express received its first major grant from Lutheran Services for Children Endowment to further its 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, and in August of 2007 we received a programming and training grant from the Springboard Foundation.

In response to the increase in children and young adult participants, in winter 2005, Kidz Express volunteers added a weekly evening program geared towards youths aged 13 and older. This allows volunteers to create programming that targets specific age groups and concentrate on the unique needs of both our younger and older participants. This fall, Kidz Express split its Saturday program between elementary school youth and pre-teens to accommodate our growth and meet their differing needs.

Kidz Express continues to expand after the acquisition and remodeling of our new community center located at 342 South Laramie in Austin. Volunteers and children helped renovate the building in summer 2005. September 2005 marked the first programs in our new home. In our 2006-2007 programming year, we mentored a record-setting 90 kids per week with a total enrollment of 150 children.