On May 19, 2005, Bethel New Life, Inc., a nationally recognized faith-based community development corporation that has served the low-income West Garfield and Austin neighborhoods of Chicago for over twenty-five years, will dedicate its 23,000 sq. ft. Bethel Center. According to Mary Nelson, President and CEO of Bethel New Life, Inc., the $5 million Center, which was completed in January 2005, would never have been built had it not been for the vital support provided by the NMTC program. Bethel New Life, Inc. received a $4 million NMTC allocation in November 2003, of which $1.5 million was directed to help develop the Center. Other sources of funding for the Center include $1.1 million from the State of Illinois, a $1.8 million Empowerment Zone grant from the City of Chicago, $400,000 from the Chicago Department of Environment, $200,000 from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and $100,000 from Illinois Clean Energy. The remainder of Bethel’s NMTC allotment was used to finance, develop, and operate other projects in its service area on the West Side of Chicago.