The relationship with The Night Ministry doesn't end when residents move on from the agency's Youth Housing Programs. "The Night Ministry provides comprehensive case management for young people who have been discharged from our housing programs," said Bridget Thomas, Housing Stabilization Specialist. "We want to help them maintain their stability ...
On April 4, 2019, The Night Ministry honored 11 employees at our Annual Reap the Rewards of Service Luncheon. Their colleagues, family members, friends, and members of The Night Ministry's Board of Directors gathered to celebrate their multiple years with the organization. Honorees were presented with awards by Paul W. Ha...
By Helen Grove Craig Echols discovered The Night Ministry at a crossroads in his life. At 19 years old, he had recently been released from Cook County Jail and was living in a rehabilitation facility that brought about its own set of challenges, including hostile tenants that made the facility an unsettling place to live. Recognizing that the rehab...
When Stacy Lempka pulls up in her red van next to The Night Ministry's Health Outreach Bus, she receives a warm welcome from guests, including the four-legged kind. "They come and greet me as soon as I get to the sidewalk," said Lempka, a veterinarian who provides free basic health care for the dogs and cats of Bus guests in Humboldt Park. From the...
Four times a year, The Night Ministry's Mission Fulfillment Department visits the organization's Youth Housing Programs to learn about the young people The Night Ministry serves and to find out how they feel their needs are being met. The results of the anonymous surveys conducted by Mission Fulfillment contribute to a data-driven culture of learni...
The Night Ministry's work serving Chicago's homeless population during the dangerously cold weather of January 2019 was highlighted by several media organizations. Below you will find links to a number of the stories. WGN-TVColder Temperatures Mean Increased Risk for Chicago's Homeless Population WBBM NewsradioMobile Assistance Unit Helps Homeless ...
Earlier this month The Night Ministry honored 16 employees at our annual Reap the Rewards of Service luncheon. Their colleagues, members of our Board of Directors, and supporters of The Night Ministry gathered to celebrate their multiple years with the organization. Honorees were presented with awards by Paul W. Hamann, The Night Ministry's Preside...
The Night Ministry's commitment to providing health care to Chicago's most vulnerable communities has been recognized by Henry Schein, a leading medical supply company.Henry Schein awarded The Night Ministry the Gold Henry Schein Cares Medal for excellence in expanding access to health care to underserved populations.The Night Ministry was honored ...
Digging into the 2018 Outreach and Health Ministry Street Survey Results Creating a data-driven culture of learning is one of the goals of Serving in the Next Decade, The Night Ministry's current strategic plan. Gregory Gross, Director of Mission Fulfillment, says surveys conducted with The Night Ministry's clients play key roles in building that c...
Sometimes there is wisdom in knowing that you don't know it all. The Night Ministry's Youth Outreach Team makes contact with homeless young people across the city, connecting them with housing, education, vocational, and physical resources as well as providing compassionate support along their journeys to stability. But a few years ago, the Team's ...
The Intersectionality of Homelessness More than 82,000 people experience homelessness in Chicago each year. For each and every one of these individuals, homelessness did not just happen. It was the result of a matrix of social, systemic, and personal factors such as economic inequality, discrimination, physical and mental health, job insecurity, an...
With summer coming to a close, residents of Phoenix Hall are among the hundreds of thousands of Chicago Public Schools students gearing up for the new school year. The Night Ministry opened Phoenix Hall last August to provide students from North Lawndale College Prep High School (NLCP) who are experiencing homelessness with stable housing and servi...
The school year is wrapping up for residents of Phoenix Hall, The Night Ministry's housing program for North Lawndale College Prep High School (NLCP) students experiencing homelessness or housing instability. This was Phoenix Hall's inaugural year, having opened last August in time for the 2017-18 academic year. Its first year was ca...
Making it through a winter season of snow and extreme cold can be difficult for all of us. But winter conditions can pose extra challenges for individuals experiencing homelessness as well as The Night Ministry staff members who provide mobile outreach services. "The conditions of homelessness make recovery from some of the more common winter ailme...
Serving in the Next Decade, The Night Ministry's current strategic plan, calls for growing and sustaining a data-driven culture of learning. Surveying clients across the organization is an important avenue for achieving that goal. Over the last few years, The Night Ministry began sharing survey results with its clients. Gregory Gross, Director of M...
Every year, hundreds of volunteers contribute their time, energy, and passion to The Night Ministry's mission. Many inspired to give back by personal experiences. Miriam Thompson, who greets clients on the Health Outreach Bus while serving meals and coffee, was drawn to The Night Ministry because she had experienced a period of homelessness. "I loo...
Nurse Practitioner Bethany Hess's philosophy of patient care is rooted in respect for others and acceptance of each person's unique experience of life. "I believe in client-centered care. This requires understanding the needs of the people whom we serve, their circumstances, and the challenges they may be facing," said Hess, who provides free basic...
Every year, the generosity of our supporters allows us to celebrate the holidays with the young people and adults we serve across the city. We hold a holiday party for clients of our Youth Programs, which includes a sit-down meal, games, and wrapped presents. Meanwhile clients of our Health Outreach Bus are also treated to holiday celebrations...
Every year, The Night Ministry's generous supporters help make the holiday season a little brighter for the children, youth, and adults we serve by contributing to the celebrations we hold across all of our programs in December. One of the biggest ways our friends help is through the donation of stockings that are filled with essentials like socks,...
By Malika Tate, a member of Youth 4 Truth, The Night Ministry's leadership and advocacy group for young people. When I first wake up in the morning normally I do not want to get up. But reminding myself of my purpose and goals in life helps me get up every day. They inspire me to live life. As human beings, we have purposes here on earth, whether ...