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Our Stories

News and insights from The Night Ministry community.

Lighting Up the Night 2023
burke@thenightministry.org
Announcements
On June 7, 2023, more than 300 of our friends gathered with us for Lighting Up the Night: An Evening to Benefit The Night Ministry. During the event, members of The Night Ministry staff spoke about our the agency helps clients find a home. Thanks to the generosity of supporters, we raised more than $350,000 in support of our mission ...
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.
Annual Health Outreach Bus Survey Uncovers a Deeper Picture of Those Served
April Behnke
Announcements
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...
A disproportionate percentage of Black students in the Chicago Public Schools experience homelessness.
Racial Disparities in Education Tied to Homelessness
April Behnke
Announcements
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...
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.
Partnership with Loyola University Medical Center Brings Dentists to CTA Outreach Program
April Behnke
Announcements
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...
Youth leaders Sharday (left) and Kiesha (right) display their copies of the exhibition catalog at the opening of the ‘Unaccompanied’ exhibition.
Youth Leaders Spotlighted in National Art Exhibition
April Behnke
Announcements
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...
An encampment on Chicago's Lower West Side. Protecting the safety of our unhoused neighbors requires us to expand access to housing and widen the range of supportive service options available to the population.
Solving the City’s Housing Crisis Will Protect the Lives of Unhoused Chicagoans
burke@thenightministry.org
Announcements
All of us at The Night Ministry were deeply saddened to hear of the tragic loss of Kevin Powell last month. We mourn with his family and others who knew and cared for him. Mr. Powell, who was killed while utilizing Chicago's public transit system, was one of the more than 65,000 Chicago residents who experience homelessness every year.[1]...
An employer talks with a young person about career opportunities at The Night Ministry's first job fair.
Job Fair at The Crib Brings Opportunities Directly to Unhoused Young People
April Behnke
Announcements
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...
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.
Racial Health Disparities Contribute to Housing Loss Among Black Americans
April Behnke
Announcements
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...
Article authors Yoela Tepper (left) and Kyanna Johnson (right) with the Street Medicine Van
The Human Cost of Encampment Sweeps
April Behnke
Announcements
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...
Lead Outreach Minister Juan Roca (left) and Nurse Practitioner Summer Kee showcase The Night Ministry's new Health Outreach Bus.
The Night Ministry’s New Health Outreach Bus Hits the Streets
April Behnke
Announcements
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...
Parenting with Purpose Program Supervisor La Donna Peppers in the program's newly renovated common area.
Parenting with Purpose Program Enjoys Renovations on Open Door - West Town’s Fourth Floor
April Behnke
Announcements
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...
2022 in Review
burke@thenightministry.org
Announcements
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...

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.