Cory Long

Cory Long, Making a Change Group’s Executive Director, founded the organization and has been responsible for shepherding it from a single youth development program to a multi-service organization certified as a 501(c)(3).

Cory graduated from Chester High School in 1993 and spent the next 10 years building a successful career as a disc jockey and promoter – working for noteworthy companies such as regional radiostation, Power 99 FM and Black Entertainment Television (BET).

Cory is a Chester native and a long-time youth and community organizer and advocate. He has served as the Assistant Director for the Chester Police Activities League (2007-2009) and as the city’s Anti-Violence Coordinator (2010-2012).

In addition to launching MACG, Cory is also the co-founder of the Fellowship of Urban Suburban Engagement (FUSE): a Delaware County-based organization that aims to deepen relationships across racial, ethnic, religious, socioeconomic, and geographical lines. Cory is the Owner and Principal Developer for Dominion Realty Group.

The work that Cory does through Making a Change Group is very dedicated to empowering youth, strengthening families, and serving as a community connector in Chester, PA and its surrounding townships. Through this he has helped develop a lot of programs to assist his community. These programs all target the problems that Chester, PA faces on a day-to-day basis.

One of the programs Cory has created through MACG is an Anti-Violence program that deals with the effects of gun violence (GVINE). This program helps to educate the youth in the community on all the effects of gun violence and how it impacts their lives.

Another one of these programs created through MACG has been the Connected Visions program which offers direct services to youth as well as the adults in households in which the youth reside. Designed for low- to moderate-income households and supported in large part via a Community Development Block Grant from Delaware County, this program offers intensive engagement via case management (that includes needs assessment and goal planning) and access to workshops focusing on important topics such as social-emotional skill-building, career and workforce development, healthy living, budgeting, communication and emotional wellbeing.

Cory and MACG’s goal is to support families as they address trauma, break cycles of poverty and achieve healthier lives as individuals and household units through the programs created.

Cory is a change agent. He is dynamic, results-oriented leader with a strong track record of performance in youth development, recreation planning, and civic engagement. As a trusted constituent, Cory has fostered strong relationships and affiliations with key decision-makers from various sectors in the community. He is a confidant to many and a stabilizing force around the region.