Diane Latiker

Diane Latiker is a mother of eight children who founded Kids Off the Block, Inc. (KOB) in 2003 to give young people in the Roseland community of Chicago’s South Side an opportunity to get involved in programs that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.  KOB, which started out with 10 neighborhood kids, now has more than 250 active members and more than 100 on a waiting list.  “Ms. Diane,” as the children refer to her, was named “One of the 50 People Who Make Chicago a Better Place” by the Chicago Sun-Times in August 2008.