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Our Stories

News and insights from The Night Ministry community.

Racial Health Disparities Contribute to Housing Loss Among Black Americans

Measures include health coverage, access, and use; health status, outcomes, and behaviors; and social determinants of health. Data Source: Kaiser Family Foundation, Key Facts on Health and Health Care by Race and Ethnicity, 2022.

In the U.S., health disparities run along racial lines, with Black Americans continuing to experience poorer health outcomes than white Americans overall.[1] Poor health can negatively affect many areas of life, including by contributing to financial instability that may lead to housing loss. In this article, the fourth in our series exploring...

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The Human Cost of Encampment Sweeps

Article authors Yoela Tepper (left) and Kyanna Johnson (right) with the Street Medicine Van

By Kyanna Johnson, Lead Street Medicine Outreach Professional, and Yoela Tepper, Substance Use Specialist As members of The Night Ministry's Street Medicine Team, we see firsthand the damage to human lives caused by encampment sweeps—the removal by municipal authorities of personal property from an outdoor space where unsheltered individuals have g...

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The Night Ministry’s New Health Outreach Bus Hits the Streets

Lead Outreach Minister Juan Roca (left) and Nurse Practitioner Summer Kee showcase The Night Ministry's new Health Outreach Bus.

In the first week of 2023, The Night Ministry debuted its brand-new Health Outreach Bus on Chicago's streets, bringing free health care, food, and other resources to neighborhoods with high rates of homelessness and poverty. The new vehicle includes helpful features such as exterior illumination and secure and refrigerated storage for medicati...

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Parenting with Purpose Program Enjoys Renovations on Open Door - West Town’s Fourth Floor

Parenting with Purpose Program Supervisor La Donna Peppers in the program's newly renovated common area.

When you picture a shelter, you likely do not imagine a modern space with an open concept, a view of Chicago's skyline, a spacious kitchen, and plenty of natural light. But, after several months of renovations, The Night Ministry's Parenting with Purpose program, which provides up to 21 months of housing for pregnant and parenting young mothers and...

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Meetings at Downtown Library Help Case Managers Connect Clients to Housing and More

Youth Outreach Case Manager Zama Buthelezi (left) and Lead Case Manager Mirella Rodriguez (center) meet with a client at the Harold Washington Library.

During the pandemic, Case Managers from The Night Ministry's Health Outreach Program had few options for locations where they could meet clients to fill out applications for housing, public benefits, and identification cards. That is, until May 2021 when the agency began providing case management to clients once a week at the Chicago Public Library...

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The Night Ministry Community Comes Together to Celebrate the Holidays

Stephen Dougherty, Flexible Housing Pool Program Manager, loads up a van with holiday gifts for young adults and their families served by The Night Ministry.

The holidays are an important and busy time at The Night Ministry. Every year, staff, clients, donors, and volunteers join in seasonal traditions of giving and celebrations that elicit joy, provide comfort, and strengthen connections. "The fact that we're able to do this for people means something," said Stephanie Cascio, Resource Coordinator at Th...

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Community Spotlight: Pilsen

The Night Ministry's Health Outreach Bus stops in Pilsen, where staff and volunteers offer resources like free food and medical care to locals who are unhoused or facing poverty.

The Lower West Side neighborhood of Pilsen has long been a hub of Mexican and Latino culture in Chicago. Today it's also well-known for its restaurants, historic buildings, and vibrant arts scene. Yet, many of its residents struggle with homelessness and poverty. The Night Ministry's Health Outreach Bus stops in Pilsen twice a week, offering them f...

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High Rental Costs May Push Low-Income Households into Homelessness

The Street Medicine Team visits an encampment in Chicago. The increasing cost of housing is putting more community members at risk of losing their homes.

With skyrocketing rents and high inflation rates, many low-income earners can no longer afford housing and therefore risk facing homelessness. According to data from the real estate marketplace Zillow, the median national rent rose by 15.9% across a one-year period ending in May 2022, far outpacing wage growth and leaving many struggling to stay ho...

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Meet Terri Sharpp, Vice President of Operations

Terri Sharpp joined The Night Ministry as Vice President of Operations, a new position for the agency, in 2021.

Terri Sharpp brings a wealth of experience in finance, human resources, and strategic planning to her role as Vice President of Operations at The Night Ministry. We asked her to share about her background and her role at the agency. Please tell us about your professional background. My professional background includes diverse experience in governme...

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High Rates of Homelessness in the Black Community are Tied to Racial Bias in the Justice System

Black Americans who have been incarcerated experience higher rates of homelessness than formerly incarcerated white Americans. Data source: Prison Policy Initiative, 'Nowhere to Go: Homelessness Among Formerly Incarcerated People,' 2018.

Racial discrimination in the American justice system is nothing new. For centuries, Black Americans have faced an ideology that placed whiteness at the top and them at the bottom of a racial hierarchy, with unequal treatment under the law among its manifestations. According to the Equal Justice Initiative, Black people in America experience more un...

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Local Baker Sells Sweets to Support The Night Ministry

Betsy Peska, a local baker, sells her creations to fundraise for The Night Ministry.

The Night Ministry is lucky to have a community of generous supporters, many of whom have found creative ways to show their dedication to our mission. Among them is Betsy Peska, a long-time supporter and a talented baker who's found a way to use her skill with sweets to help those we serve: individuals and families who are unhoused or experiencing ...

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Community Spotlight: Humboldt Park

The Night Ministry's Health Outreach Bus parks beneath one of Humboldt Park's iconic steel flags.

Known for its lush, spacious park and its tight knit Puerto Rican community, Humboldt Park is a beloved green space and a culturally rich neighborhood. But its attractions haven't kept challenges at bay – and in recent years, they've led to a wave of gentrification that's displacing longtime residents. The Night Ministry is a frequent vis...

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Young People Learn Life Skills through Fun and Engaging Workshops

Program Specialist Ivory Hopkins (left) and Lead Case Manager Vichelle Frazier lead a workshop about technology and professional communication.

The Night Ministry's Youth Programs have launched a series of in-person workshops designed to teach a range of life skills to the young people the agency serves. Held at The Night Ministry's Bucktown headquarters, the workshops cover topics ranging from budgeting and apartment living to professional communication and technology. Instructors in...

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The Night Ministry and Rush University’s Health Fair for Youth Fosters Education and Enjoyment

Youth Programs participants join in the fun at the Health Fair, an event hosted by The Night Ministry and Rush University medical students.

Learning and fun went hand in hand this past June at The Night Ministry's Health Fair for Youth Programs participants, an educational event centered on sharing information about important health topics. The fair, which took place just outside the agency's Bucktown headquarters, was a joint effort cohosted with medical students from Rush Univer...

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Paralegal with Lived Experience Helps Improve Client Access to Public Benefits

Beth Warner (left), a paralegal with Legal Aid Chicago, joins the Street Medicine Team every week to help connect clients to public benefits such as food assistance.

Every Monday, paralegal Beth Warner joins The Night Ministry's Street Medicine Team as it takes free medical care, survival supplies, and more to those living on Chicago's streets. Working alongside the team, Warner helps clients enroll for public benefits such as Medicaid and food and cash assistance. Warner works for Legal Aid Chicago, a local or...

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Good Neighbor Guide Provides Suggestions for Engaging with Unhoused Community Members

Should I give money to people who are panhandling? Why do some people experiencing homelessness stay on the streets instead of going to a shelter? What causes homelessness in the first place? If you have ever asked these questions, The Night Ministry now has a Good Neighbor Guide on our website that provides some answers. "A lot of our support...

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Meet Lead Outreach Minister Juan Roca

Lead Outreach Minister Juan Roca provides coffee to a Health Outreach Bus visitor in Chicago's South Side neighborhood.

Lead Outreach Minister Juan Roca's passion for his work is palpable. He joined The Night Ministry in the fall of 2019, and since then has become an invaluable part of the agency's Outreach and Health Ministry Program. Roca works on the Health Outreach Bus, a custom-built vehicle that visits neighborhoods across Chicago with high concentrations of p...

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Community Spotlight: South Shore

The South Shore Cultural Center is an important landmark in this South Side neighborhood.

In the second installment of our series spotlighting neighborhoods we're active in across the city, South Shore takes centerstage. Located on Chicago's South Side along Lake Michigan, the community boasts natural beauty and plenty of assets including beachfront property, civic engagement, and architectural gems like the South Shore Cultural Center....

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Meet Chief of Staff Traci Rivera

Chief of Staff Traci Rivera came to The Night Ministry with extensive experience in both non-profit and for-profit settings.

Traci Rivera joined The Night Ministry in the newly created role of Chief of Staff in 2020. With an extensive career in both the non-profit and for-profit sectors, she brings her deep knowledge and experience to bare in helping to guide decision making and implementation across the agency. We asked her to share about her background and her role at ...

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Homelessness in the African American Community is Disproportionately High, with Causes Deeply Rooted in the Nation's Past

Black Americans are overrepresented in the population of people experiencing homelessness compared to their share of the overall U.S. population.

Homelessness is disproportionately experienced among historically marginalized groups in the United States, but for Black Americans, the disparity is especially stark. In Chicago, for example, despite making up about 30% of the general population, according to the City of Chicago 2021 Homeless Point-in-Time Count & Survey Report, African A...

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1735 North Ashland Avenue, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60622 | 773-784-9000
The Night Ministry is a 501(c)3 charitable organization. Our Federal Tax ID (EIN) is 36-3145764.