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Our Stories

News and insights from The Night Ministry community.

New Client Advisory Board Gives Platform to Those Served by Health Outreach Program

Outreach and Health Ministry Program Client Advisory Board members attend a meeting at The Night Ministry’s headquarters.

This summer, The Night Ministry launched a Client Advisory Board for those served by its Outreach and Health Ministry Program, which brings health care, supportive services, and resources directly to people who are unhoused. Client Advisory Board members are recipients of the program's services who wish to provide feedback and gather information on...

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Alternative High School and Daycare Program Meets Needs of Young Mothers of Parenting with Purpose

Parenting with Purpose Alum Constance and her daughter celebrate their graduation from the Assocation House program.

The residents of Parenting with Purpose, The Night Ministry's housing program for young mothers and their kids, have long benefited from the agency's partnership with the Association House High School, a free, non–traditional education program based in Humboldt Park. The school provides a path to graduation for 16- to 21-year-olds facing educationa...

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Night Lights 2023

On October 5, 2023, we gathered together for Night Lights, the annual gala hosted by The Night Ministry's Associate Board, at Marshall's Landing in Merchandise Mart. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, the event raised more than $90,000 for two of our shelter programs: Interim Housing, which offers short-term housing for young people, ...

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Health Outreach Programs Serve Populations with Distinct Housing and Health Challenges

How and if Health Outreach clients access health care services varies across the CTA Outreach, Street Medicine, and Health Outreach Bus programs.

By Damian Nelson, Director, Learning and Impact The strength of The Night Ministry's three Outreach and Health Ministry Programs is their ability to tailor their approaches to better help Chicago residents who are unhoused or experiencing poverty. The Health Outreach Bus, Street Medicine Team, and CTA Outreach Program each serve unique populations ...

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Pathways Is a Place to Make a Soft Landing

Henry Merrill is the Supervisor of the Pathways Transitional Living Program.

By Henry Merrill, Pathways Transitional Living Program Supervisor At The Night Ministry's Youth Housing Programs, we are in the unique position of helping young people who are unhoused find a home with us, while we support them in finding a more permanent home of their own. The program I supervise, Pathways Transitional Living, provides up to two y...

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Flexible Housing Pool Case Managers Support Stability and Growth

Housing Case Manager Maya Rudder delivers necessities to the home of a Flexible Housing Pool for Youth participant.

Since launching in 2020, the Flexible Housing Pool for Youth, a collaboration between the Center for Housing and Health and other Chicago nonprofits, has helped 325 unhoused young adults access permanent housing through rent subsidies and supportive services. The Night Ministry plays a key role in the program by offering ongoing case management to ...

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Health Outreach Bus Survey Shows Clients Face Housing and Income Instability

A client receives a cup of coffee at the Humboldt Park stop of the Health Outreach Bus.

Finding a stable place to live, getting enough to eat, and receiving health care when they need it – these are the everyday concerns of many of the community members who visit The Night Ministry's Health Outreach Bus, according to a recent survey from the agency's Learning and Impact department. The Bus travels to Chicago neighborhoods with disprop...

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Annual Health Outreach Bus Survey Uncovers a Deeper Picture of Those Served

Staff from The Night Ministry's Learning and Impact and Outreach and Health Ministry departments interview clients at the Roseland stop on Chicago's South Side for this year's Health Outreach Bus survey.

On a warm Monday afternoon, The Night Ministry's Health Outreach Bus pulled up to a corner in the Roseland neighborhood, just as it does twice a week. But this day was a bit different. In addition to Bus staff providing their usual meals and supportive services to community members who were unhoused or experiencing poverty, team members from the ag...

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Racial Disparities in Education Tied to Homelessness

A disproportionate percentage of Black students in the Chicago Public Schools experience homelessness.

Black students enrolled in Chicago Public Schools are at greater risk of being unhoused than their white and Hispanic classmates, with a one in four chance of experiencing homelessness during their time in the school system.[1] Students who are unhoused and identify as Black face an intersecting web of barriers that make it especially hard to get a...

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Partnership with Loyola University Medical Center Brings Dentists to CTA Outreach Program

Dentists Dr. Martin Hogan, Dr. Tommy Scarafone, and Dr. Taimoor Rahman (pictured left to right) join The Night Ministry’s CTA Outreach at the Forest Park ‘L’ station.

Oral health issues are common among unhoused people and can lead to serious health consequences, such as exacerbating diabetes symptoms or negatively affecting heart health. Unfortunately, with its high cost and frequent need for multiple treatments, accessing dentistry is a struggle for many experiencing homelessness. To help address these concern...

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Youth Leaders Spotlighted in National Art Exhibition

Youth leaders Sharday (left) and Kiesha (right) display their copies of the exhibition catalog at the opening of the ‘Unaccompanied’ exhibition.

Young people served by The Night Ministry are represented in "Unaccompanied," an art exhibition and audio installation that captures the faces and voices of unhoused youth through large-scale portrait paintings and sound recordings. The show's artists, Kate Capshaw and Joshua-Michéle Ross, collaborated with The Night Ministry and other organization...

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Job Fair at The Crib Brings Opportunities Directly to Unhoused Young People

An employer talks with a young person about career opportunities at The Night Ministry's first job fair.

People experiencing homelessness, unhoused youth included, often face significant challenges when it comes to finding employment such as lack of access to transportation to and from interviews, no permanent address to write on applications, no funds for interview attire, possible prejudice from employers, and more. To support their ability to obtai...

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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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The Night Ministry is a 501(c)3 charitable organization. Our Federal Tax ID (EIN) is 36-3145764.