Rapid HIV Testing Goals for Fiscal Year 2008 surpassed already
The Night Ministry's Fiscal Year runs from July 1 to June 30. Each department develops goals and works toward them all year. We wanted to announce that our Rapid HIV Testing Team had a Chicago Department of Public Health goal to provide 500 tests to an at-risk population difficult to reach and difficult to persuade to get tested. So far, in Fiscal Year 2008, our Rapid HIV Testing team has provided 541 tests, with four months of the fiscal year remaining!

Purim celebrations at Anshe Emet
by Julie Delezenne, Coordinator for Community & Congregational Relations
I had the privilege this past March of taking part in the Purim celebrations at Anshe Emet.  During this joyous celebration that commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people as told in the Book of Esther, I learned that it is a commandment to also remember the poor by sharing gifts.  This is called Matanot L’Evyonim.  I had the opportunity to share with some of the children at Anshe Emet about the work of The Night Ministry.  I am always amazed with the questions and reflections that children are able to form.  After learning about The Night Ministry, the children worked hard together to make Matanot L’Evyonim in the form of 100+ sack suppers that went out on the Health Outreach bus that very night.  What a wonderful community of faith that, in Rabbi Cosgrove's words, “strives to instill a sense of justice and compassion” in their children.

Gregory* Begins To Change
by Kim Ziyavo, Outreach Professional

For many of the people we serve at the Outreach and Health Ministry bus, change does not come easily.  In particular, those who have been homeless for years usually have most of their time and energy focused on survival from one day to the next: finding a place to sleep where they feel safe; getting to and from places that serve meals; replacing blankets and clothing that get stolen or thrown away if left in a public place; picking up cans to recycle or finding odd jobs or panhandling for a little pocket money; and trying to stay clean and keep their clothes clean when they can.  It can be extremely difficult to shift one’s focus toward creating a more positive future – just imagine how strange it might feel to apply to be on a waiting list for housing that won’t be available for six months to a year when you are not even sure you will make it through the next night.

One of the biggest challenges for our Outreach Team is patiently building relationships with clients who can’t envision a future beyond waking up tomorrow morning.  For some, it may take a few years before we notice any changes but even the smallest movement forward is something to be celebrated.  The growth we see in our clients over time helps to sustain us in the work we are doing.

Early this year, we lost a client whom we had known for years.  Linda was severely mentally ill and also struggled with addiction, too ill to know that she needed help and she died of exposure.  She had friends in several of the communities that we visit. One of her friends, Gregory, had been Linda’s friend for quite some time, although he sometimes had to distance himself from her when she became aggressive.  Gregory has been homeless for more than 10 years and has been coming to our Health Outreach Bus for about five years.  He has a developmental disability of some sort and lost track of his disability checks years ago.  For several years, we have offered referrals and urged Gregory toward case management services so he could get his benefits reinstated and find housing, all to no avail.

Somehow, in the midst of losing Linda and in conversation with other friends Gregory has made at the bus, something changed for him.  One day in February, Gregory came to see us talking excitedly about his visit with a case manager and the possibility of getting his benefits and his ID and housing. He continues to update us and we have observed that Gregory seems to be growing more relaxed and more engaged with everyone around him. Recently, Gregory told us he has an SSI check waiting for him. He's so excited, is starting to realize that getting housing is right around the corner now. He told me the other night that he always thought he'd be on the street at least another five years if he survived that long and I darn near cried.

We’ve learned an important lesson from Gregory: although we might offer great referrals and plenty of encouragement to the clients we see, one of the most important factors in helping someone to change his or her life is being in relationship with a community.  Everything that goes into providing hospitality and creating a positive, welcoming space around our bus contributes to this sense of community. To see a community begin to take on a life of its own where our clients become helpers to one another is truly something to celebrate.

Names have been changed to protect confidentiality.