Twice a month at our Forest Park Blue Line outreach, Loyola optometrists volunteer their expertise to provide essential eye care to those experiencing homelessness and extreme poverty.  From vision screenings and glaucoma testing to distributing free reading glasses, these amazing professionals are helping our community members and making a si...

When The Night Ministry launched Youth 4 Truth (Y4T) in 2016, the goal was both transformative and straightforward: to create a space where young people in its housing programs could speak for themselves and shape the services they rely on. Nearly a decade later, the program is thriving, now under the leadership of Michelle Thomas, Client Developme...

The Night Ministry's Associate Board will host the 11th Annual Night Lights Gala on Thursday, October 30, from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Marshall's Landing, 222 West Merchandise Mart Plaza. Guests will enjoy an evening of celebration, networking, and community while raising vital funds to support The Night Ministry's health outreach programs and se...

 For more than four decades, Carter-Westminster United Presbyterian Church has stood as a steadfast pillar of support for The Night Ministry's mission to serve Chicago's unhoused. The Skokie-based congregation, led by Rev. Stuart Barnes Jamieson, has woven service into the fabric of its identity, consistently providing 200 sack suppers each mo...

The potential deployment of the National Guard has heightened anxiety and fear across Chicago. For our unhoused neighbors, increased military presence can be particularly unsettling, exacerbating the already immense challenges they face daily. The feeling of insecurity and potential for further marginalization adds another layer of complexity to th...

For the second consecutive year, The Night Ministry hosted a delegation from Mission Australia, (who are they and what do they do).The visit provided an opportunity for The Night Ministry to update the organization on its programs and services, learn more about their initiatives, and foster valuable cross-cultural dialogue about addressing homeless...

Each day, whether on sidewalks, under viaducts, and in shelters, The Night Ministry's Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) are on the frontlines, providing health care and other vital services to some of Chicago's most vulnerable residents. In honor of Illinois Association for Free & Charitable Clinic Month, we celebrate them for their u...

August is Free and Charitable Clinic Month, and The Night Ministry is proud to highlight the transformative impact of our health outreach programs serving Chicago's most vulnerable populations. Our dedicated street medicine teams exemplify the spirit of charitable healthcare by bringing vital medical services directly to those who need them most. E...

Funding will support Health Outreach Bus program serving Chicago's most vulnerable populations (CHICAGO, IL – August 7, 2025) – The Night Ministry announced today that it has received a $20,000 grant from SC Johnson to support its Health Outreach Bus program, which delivers essential medical care and community support to individuals and families ex...

(Chicago, IL – July 16, 2025) The Night Ministry is proud to announce it has received a $100,000 grant from The Chicago Community Trust (the Trust) in support of its ongoing efforts to serve thousands of individuals experiencing homelessness and poverty throughout Chicago. For more than 39 years, the Trust has been a steadfast partner in The Night ...

At 21, Alexandra jingles her house keys with a butterfly keyring—a reminder of her mother, who loved butterflies. The keys represent something profound: after years of instability, she finally has a place to call home. Alexandra's journey came to an abrupt and heartbreaking stop when, at 16, her mother died at the hands of gun violence. The love an...

 (CHICAGO, IL — July 25, 2025) The Night Ministry strongly opposes the recent Executive Order, "Ending Crime and Disorder on America's Streets," which directly targets the communities that we serve and abandons the approaches that have been seen to improve people's lives. Our mission is grounded in supporting our unhoused neighbors with proven...

 "I knew I was going to be a good dad," Chris says with a reminiscent grin as he recalls the moment he found out he was going to be a father at just 16 years old. "I was nervous, but kids have always kind of loved me" he continued. Now, at 22, he is a proud father of three and is determined to create the stable, fulfilling life he always envis...

Homeless and pregnant, Julie found herself facing an overwhelming and uncertain future. The situation became even more daunting when her mother, upon learning of Julie's pregnancy, forced her out of the house. During this tumultuous time, Julie confided in her high school English teacher, who, understanding the gravity of her situation, connected h...

Did you know that more than 68,000 Chicagoans have no permanent place to call home? To put that number in context, that is more people than can fit in Soldier Field. You have the power to make a difference in the lives of our vulnerable neighbors by joining me in supporting TheNight Ministry on Hope for Homes Day on July 17. For nearly half a centu...

 At just 19 years old, Shanyah has faced some extraordinary challenges. But with resilience, she is charting a new course for her life—one marked not by the hardships she's endured, but the future she is determined to build. A participant in The Night Ministry's Pathways program, Shanyah is studying to become a registered nurse while embracing...

Alan, a determined 21-year-old from Central Africa, came to the United States for a better life. Now experiencing homelessness and staying at The Night Ministry's The Crib, a safe and supportive overnight emergency shelter for young adults ages 18 through 24, he's turning hardship into motivation." The fact that after every...

1 in 10 young adults ages 18 to 25 and 1 in 30 adolescents experience homelessness over the course of a year in America. That's about 4.2 million people. These sobering statistics come from the first comprehensive national study on the prevalence of youth homelessness in the United States. The report, "Missed Opportunities: Youth Homelessness in Am...

For Mark Warren, serving as Vice Chair of The Night Ministry's Board of Directors allows him to play an active, ongoing role in providing hope, compassion, and encouragement to individuals experiencing homelessness and poverty in Chicago. We asked Mark, a management consultant at Point B, to share what drives his engagement with The Night Ministry....

With winter in full effect, The Night Ministry's Street Medicine Team is offering cold-weather support to individuals living in encampments across Chicago, with news about impending weather-related emergencies, referrals to shelters and warming centers, blankets, coats, warm socks, and gloves, as well as information about hypothermia. Consisting of...