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burke@thenightministry.org

The Night Ministry Opposes Change to Shelter Equal Access Rule

hud-for-blog-2 The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is seeking to remove protections for transgender individuals seeking services at homeless shelters.
On July 1, 2020, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced a rule that would modify the Equal Access Rule, stripping transgender people of fundamental protections that ensure the safety of anyone in need of HUD-funded programs. The proposed rule would allow local shelter providers decision-making authority around a transg...
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Barbara Bolsen Looks Back on Two Decades with The Night Ministry

bar_20200915-204445_1 Barbara Bolsen, The Night Ministry's Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Community Engagement, is retiring after more than 20 years at the agency.
This month, The Night Ministry says goodbye to a beloved and long-serving leader and colleague. After more than two decades at the agency, Barbara Bolsen, our Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Community Engagement, is retiring. Bolsen leaves behind a legacy of service, compassion, and innovation at The Night Ministry, all aimed toward th...
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Advocacy Alert: Emergency Housing Resources

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The U.S. Senate is back in Washington this week with plans to move on a COVID-19 spending package by the end of July. Last month, the House of Representatives prioritized emergency protection for renters and homeowners in both the CARES Act and the Emergency Rental Assistance and Rental Market Stabilization Act. Across our country, Betwee...
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The Crib Overnight Shelter Has a New Home

michelle-tour Michelle Thomas, Youth Outreach Case Manager (left), shows guests of The Crib the dorm room at the shelter's new home.
Nine years after it began operations in the basement of Lakeview Lutheran Church, The Night Ministry's overnight shelter for young adults has reopened in a larger, enhanced space on the first floor of The Night Ministry's new headquarters in Bucktown. Guests of The Crib woke up at the old location for the last time Monday morning and were then welc...
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Youth 4 Truth Elevates Youth Voices at The Night Ministry and Beyond

youth Members of the most recent Youth 4 Truth cohort devoted discussions to food insecurity and the importance of elections. (Photo taken pre-COVID19 pandemic).
Youth Development Specialist Candace Musick and Youth Outreach Team Case Manager Michelle Thomas have run Youth 4 Truth, The Night Ministry's leadership development program for young people served by the agency, for the past few years. But lately they've been able to step back as program participants have taken charge.  "There used to be a lot...
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Looking Forward with Hope: A Fiscal New Year's Reflection from The Night Ministry's President & CEO

paul Paul W. Hamann is The Night Ministry's President & CEO.
Dear Friends, The end of the year is always a reflective time for me. It is one of my traditions to take December 31 as my last personal day of the year, so I can spend time in reflection, as the holidays come to a close. I find a quiet space within my heart to reflect on the challenges of the year that is passing, what have been my personal and pr...
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The Night Ministry Is a Good Neighbor in the Communities It Serves

jenny The Night Ministry's Community Engagement Manager, Jenny Merritt (right), speaks with Tracie Worthy, Vice President of I AM ABLE Center for Family Development, during a meeting of TR4IM.
Human connection is an essential part of The Night Ministry's mission. And while it's often spoken about in terms of how the agency works with those whom it serves, it extends to communities as well. That means building and sustaining relationships with residents, businesses, and leaders in the neighborhoods in which it operates. Over the past few ...
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Health Outreach Program Offers Services on Mass Transit

chandra-passing-out-food Nurse Practitioner Chandra Matteson hands out food and beverages while inquiring about a client's well being on a CTA Blue Line car at the Forest Park Blue stop.
For the past several weeks, staff with The Night Ministry's Outreach & Health Ministry (OHM) Program have been hitting the rails to reach individuals struggling with homelessness. During the winter, Peer Advocate Professional, Keith Belton, suggested to his colleagues on the Street Medicine Team that they try conducting outreach on the CTA. Bec...
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New Board Chair Values Strong Relationships and Diversity

kiantae Kiantae Bowles joined The Night Ministry’s Board of Directors in 2012.
Kiantae Bowles has played multiple roles on The Night Ministry's Board of Directors, from Secretary to serving on the Finance Committee. Bowles, who is Manager of Informational Technology Procurement with BMO Financial Group, said the varied experience has prepared him for his latest position, that of Board Chair. "Over the last eight years, I've d...
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Addressing the Roots of this Crisis

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Our city and our country are in crisis. But what we are living through today in the wake of the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and countless others is the result of not only centuries of racism but decades of collective failure to address its corrupting influence in the foundations of our society. As a nonprofit organization assisting ...
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Youth Program Staff Home Deliver Care Packages

IMG_6893 Michelle Thomas and Candace Musick are making contact-less deliveries of care packages to young people served by The Night Ministry's Youth Programs.
The Night Ministry is providing care packages for former residents of its Youth Housing Programs and other young people sheltering-in-place and struggling to make ends meet during the COVID-19 pandemic. The packages, featuring grocery staples such as pasta, meat, peanut butter and jelly, and nuts, are being delivered every week by Candace Musick, Y...
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Interim Housing Residents Utilize Therapy by Phone and Video Conference during Pandemic

jae-park-9_SaFlgwFdA-unsplash Rush University Medical Center is offering mental health services to residents of the Open Door Shelter - West Town over the phone or video. Photo by Jae Park.
More residents of The Night Ministry's Open Door Shelter – West Town are taking advantage of mental health counseling offered by Rush University Medical Center during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rush has been providing therapy as well as medication management at The Night Ministry's Youth Housing Programs for a few years now. Sarah Warner, Case Manager ...
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“There are a lot of people struggling in their own homes.” Sheltering-in-Place When There Is Conflict in the House

trim.jon-tyson-7uPzmidQ4jI-unsplash Staying at home during the pandemic can be difficult when there is family conflict. Photo by Jon Tyson.
M. has a place to shelter in place. But they don't feel safe there. "I'm staying with my mom. It's just not a good environment," they said. M., who is 20 years old, ran away a few years ago to get away from the conflict at home. They returned because being out on the streets was worse. They'd like to get their own place but faces several hurdles. "...
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Case Manager Helps Crib Guests Track Down Their Stimulus Checks

RS1276_000003029601 Guests of The Crib overnight shelter are among the millions of Americans waiting for their stimulus checks.
Millions of Americans are anticipating their federal government stimulus checks authorized by the CARES Act. Among those are young adults who are currently sheltering in place at The Crib, The Night Ministry's emergency shelter. Youth Outreach Team Case Manager, Michelle Thomas, is helping them sort out the situation. "There have been a lot of misc...
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Your Response to this Crisis is a Prologue to the Future

191219-NightMinistry-bus-1825 The Night Ministry's Outreach & Health Ministry Program, including the Health Outreach Bus, continues to serve Chicagoans experiencing homelessness and poverty during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A letter from Paul W. Hamann, President & CEO of The Night Ministry April 14, 2020 Dear Friends,  "The afternoon knows what the morning never suspected." The above quote, attributed to Robert Frost, is one of my favorites. It is a quote about which I have been thinking a lot lately, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our communit...
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Webinar: Chicago's Homeless & The Night Ministry During COVID-19

webinar-replay Watch the replay of this webinar below
How are the coronavirus and its impact on our economy and society affecting young people, adults, and families experiencing homelessness and poverty? What adjustments has The Night Ministry made so it can continue to serve during these challenging times? What can you do to help support our work and to help make sure the needs of Chicago's homeless ...
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Construction at 1735 North Ashland Nears Completion

Despite the radical transformations to daily life brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, we are making tremendous progress at 1735 North Ashland, the future home of The Crib overnight shelter and our Health Outreach Program and home office. Construction is moving at a rapid pace, and we expect to be completed in the next few weeks! The photos below...
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Our Mission Will Not Change

200225-NightMinistry-NobleStreet-1059-min The Night Ministry's STEPS Transitional Living Program continues to provide safe, supportive shelter for young adults experiencing homelessness and their children during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A letter from Paul W. Hamann, President & CEO of The Night Ministry March 23, 2020 Dear Friends, The order for all Illinois residents to stay at home is in effect, but The Night Ministry, with your support, continues to provide essential services to young people and adults experiencing homelessness or poverty in Chicago. Last Wednesday morning,...
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Fulfilling Our Mission during the COVID-19 Pandemic

bus-for-facebook The Night Ministry's Health Outreach Bus continues to visit underserved neighborhoods in Chicago six days a week..
​A letter from Paul W. Hamann, President & CEO of The Night Ministry (Please note some conditions have changed since this letter was originally published) March 16, 2020 Dear Friends, On behalf of the thousands whom The Night Ministry serves, thank you for your support of our mission to provide housing, health care, and human connection to...
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Advocacy Alert: COVID-19 Emergency Federal Funding

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Did you know that The Night Ministry's Health Outreach Bus and Street Medicine Program do not qualify for the COVID-19 emergency funding passed by Congress? That's because the funds are limited to "Federally Qualified Health Centers" (FQHC's) and our programs operate as "Free and Charitable Clinics," which the Federal government does not consider a...
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