The Chicago Bears have announced Matt DeMateo, Chief Executive Officer of New Life Centers of Chicagoland, as the team's 2025 NFL Inspire Change Changemaker Award recipient. DeMateo will be formally recognized during the Chicago Bears' Inspire Change Game on Dec. 20, when the Chicago Bears play the Green Bay Packers at home.
The Inspire Change Changemaker Award honors one individual in each NFL market who is creating meaningful impact in their community through work tied to social justice. Recipients are recognized for advancing initiatives aligned to the league's four Inspire Change pillars: education, economic advancement, police-community relations and criminal justice reform. Each honoree receives a $10,000 donation from the NFL Foundation to support a nonprofit of their choice.
DeMateo learned of his selection earlier this month, when Chicago Bears alumni Jerry Azumah and Henry Melton visited New Life Centers' Pan de Vida Fresh Market, a food distribution center serving families in Little Village. Believing he was simply giving the alumni a behind-the-scenes tour, DeMateo walked them through the center's grocery distribution model, youth mentoring programs and community care efforts.
At that time, Azumah and Melton then surprised him with the announcement that he had was selected as this year's Chicago Bears Inspire Change Changemaker, presenting him with the $10,000 donation from the NFL Foundation. The moment honored not only the scope of DeMateo's service but also the depth of trust he has built within the communities New Life Centers serves.
"I wasn't expecting this at all. I thought I was just giving a tour and sharing the work our team does every day," said Matt DeMateo about the surprise announcement. "The Changemaker recognition is a huge blessing. It's not just an award for me, it's for our entire team and for our community. New Life is celebrating 20 years this year, so being able to honor everything that's happened over the past 20 years, and all that we've accomplished this year is an incredible blessing. It's truly an honor to be recognized by the Bears."
Originally from northern Indiana, DeMateo moved to Chicago at age 18 and has spent more than two decades in various capacities supporting youth and families across the city. He later became a full-time pastor with New Life Community Church. When the church launched its nonprofit extension, New Life Centers, DeMateo played a central role in shaping its vision and growth. Since becoming CEO in 2013, he has helped guide its transformation from a small volunteer-led initiative into a citywide organization with more than 200 staff, hundreds of volunteers and programs supporting over 10,000 youth and families annually.
Under DeMateo's leadership, New Life Centers has become a trusted presence and resource in neighborhoods including Little Village, Humboldt Park, Pilsen, Brighton Park and Midway. The organization provides mentoring, academic support, sports-based youth development, street outreach, restorative justice programming and trauma-informed family support. Its Pan de Vida Fresh Market serves thousands of residents each month, offering free groceries in a dignified, supermarket-style setting that prioritizes hospitality and comfort in moments of need. In addition to his work at New Life Centers, DeMateo also advises Cook County Juvenile Court, Communities Partnering 4 Peace and the Chicago Restorative Justice Hubs, contributing his experience to broader citywide efforts focused on safety, healing and accountability.
"Matt's work reflects a level of commitment that has made a real difference for families across Chicago," said Tanesha Wade, Executive Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion & Chief Impact Officer for the Chicago Bears. "He shows up consistently, listens to community members and responds in ways that create stability, opportunity and trust. His leadership at New Life Centers has strengthened entire neighborhoods by providing mentorship, resources and support at moments when people need it most. We're proud to recognize Matt as this year's Inspire Change Changemaker and grateful for the impact he and his team continue to make every day."
DeMateo has also played a leading role in Chicago's humanitarian response to the influx of new immigrant arrivals beginning in 2022. Under his direction, New Life Centers opened emergency warehouses, established landing zones and welcome centers, coordinated essential supplies and helped connect more than 6,000 newly arrived families with furnished housing and ongoing support. The effort quickly became a model of neighborhood-based, relationship-driven care rooted in compassion and partnership.
Through every season of growth, change and crisis, DeMateo's leadership has remained grounded in one constant principle, meeting people where they are and building community with them, not simply for them. His work reflects the core intention of Inspire Change, creating opportunity, strengthening safety and stability, and ensuring that every individual has the support they need to move forward with dignity and hope.
For more on Inspire Change Changemaker Award, visit NFL.com/Changemakers.
