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Our Stories

News and insights from The Night Ministry community.

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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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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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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The Night Ministry in the News

The Night Ministry's mission to serve unhoused members of our community has been featured in many news stories recently. Chicago's Night Ministry Plows Ahead, Despite Expected Blizzard | WBBM Newsradio | 12/20/22 As Possible Blizzardlike Conditions Barrel toward Chicago, Advocates for Homeless Work to Provide Shelter, Save Lives | Chicago Tribune |...

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Street Medicine Survey Sheds Light on Experiences of Unsheltered Chicagoans

Senior Nurse Practitioner Stephan Koruba consults with a patient. A new survey provides insight into the challenges faced by unhoused Chicago residents.

The Night Ministry's Street Medicine Program provides free health care, food, survival supplies, and supportive services to unsheltered individuals across the city. To stay informed on the program's progress and about its clients, the agency's Learning and Impact Department conducts an annual Street Medicine Survey. The survey aims to identify who ...

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2022 in Review

As the year comes to a close, we are looking back at memorable milestones and accomplishments at The Night Ministry in 2022.  Parenting with Purpose Settles into Its New Home Parenting with Purpose provides long-term, supportive housing for up to eight pregnant and parenting young mothers and their children. The private bedrooms for each resid...

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Remembering Those We've Lost

As we prepare for the longest night of the year, we remember our unhoused community members who lost their lives in 2022.

The Night Ministry staff gathered today to remember and honor those who have died this year while living on the streets. Below are the remarks delivered by our staff on this solemn occasion. Every year since 1990, on December 21, the longest night of the year, a National Homeless Persons' Memorial is held to bring attention to the tragedy of homele...

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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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Our Mission Remains the Same

December 1, 2022 Dear Friends, Last month, we shared news with you about a leadership transition at The Night Ministry. I am following up on that announcement to reconfirm the agency's commitment to its mission. Just as we have done for decades, The Night Ministry will continue to provide human connection, housing support and health care to those w...

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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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Leadership Transition at The Night Ministry

A message from Kiantae Bowles, Chair of the Board of Directors | November 10, 2022 Dear Friend, It is with mixed emotions that I announce the departure of our President & CEO, Paul W. Hamann. After more than twenty years of service to The Night Ministry, Paul has decided that this is the most advantageous time to step away from the Organiz...

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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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Partnership with UI Health Brings Treatment for Substance Use Disorder to the Streets

Individuals can use a mobile phone to access appointments with UI Health doctors for substance abuse treatment.

As opioid-related overdoses and deaths increase by alarming rates in Chicago this year, The Night Ministry has partnered with the University of Illinois (UI) to expand access to treatment for substance use disorder among Chicago's homeless population. Through an innovative telemedicine program, the Street Medicine Team is connecting indiv...

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Survey Confirms Health Outreach Bus Visitors Face Housing, Food Insecurity, and Health Care Challenges

Outreach Professional Lavelle Horne provides a meal at the Health Outreach Bus. A new survey indicates that nearly three out of four visitors to the Bus rely on the program for at least some of their daily food intake.

Unstable housing, food insecurity, and limited access to health care remain widespread among visitors to The Night Ministry's Health Outreach Bus. That's according to the 2022 Outreach and Health Ministry Bus survey, conducted by The Night Ministry's Learning and Impact department. The survey also finds that the Bus provides an important source of ...

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Overdose Reversal Drug Is a Key Tool in Saving Lives

Substance Use Specialist Yoela Tepper assembles a harm reduction kit, which includes the overdose reversal drug Narcan.

Deaths from drug-related overdoses have soared in recent years in the United States. With opioid use common among a segment of the population The Night Ministry serves, the agency is often on the front lines in efforts to save lives by preventing overdose deaths among Chicagoans who are unhoused. Naloxone, a non-addictive medication that can revers...

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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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Revised Mission Statement Recognizes Primacy of Human Connection and Dignity of Clients

Princess (right), a resident of the Pathways Transitional Living Program, speaks with Program Specialist Tracy Walker.

The Night Ministry has revised its mission statement, as it continues to pursue innovative solutions to the challenges of homelessness and poverty in Chicago while remaining true to its core beliefs. "We are not changing our mission," said Paul W. Hamann, President & CEO of The Night Ministry. "Rather, we have updated our mission statement...

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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.