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 ...

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...

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,...

​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...

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...

Watch the video below to learn what it takes to get the Health Outreach Bus ready to hit the road. It's more than just jumping on board and starting the ignition. 

We are nearing the end of the 100-Day Challenge on Youth Homelessness in Chicago, a push to stably house 225 individuals ages 17 to 24 who are experiencing homelessness. According to Chicago's Dashboard to End Homelessness, at any given time, there are approximately 1,500 young adults ages 18 to 24 on the city's list for transitional living program...

How is the yearly budget for an organization with multiple programs serving more than 6,000 individuals per year formulated? "We empower our department directors and program managers to drive the budget process, as they know firsthand what the needs of The Night Ministry's clients and staff are," said Erin Ryan, Senior Vice President. Directors and...

Members of Youth 4 Truth, The Night Ministry's leadership development program for young adults, have written an open letter to Chicago about how our city inspires them and what they would change about it. When we think of Chicago, we think of "hustle." All over the city, people are coming up and doing their thing. Up north, the sidewalks are filled...

What started as a pilot project with a few members of The Night Ministry staff visiting encampments a once a week has blossomed into a robust outreach program making deep inroads into Chicago's homeless population. With the addition of three new full-time staff members, the Street Medicine Program is now on the road six to seven days a week, usuall...

"Home for the holidays" is a phrase heard often this time of year. But what does "home" mean for individuals who have experienced homelessness? Teresa, who recently found permanent housing with the help of The Night Ministry's Street Medicine Team, said home means stability. "It's a place where I can get myself together. I can look for a job now. I...

Every year, with the support of so many of its friends, The Night Ministry holds holiday celebrations for the individuals and families served through all of its programs. A major part of the celebrations are the over 1,200 holiday stockings that are being distributed this week during celebrations at the Health Outreach Bus and by the Street Medicin...

For Alicia Pond, Chair of The Night Ministry's Board of Directors, being a Chicagoan involves taking an active role in making the city a better place. "Your community can be your neighborhood, but your community is also the larger city. And being a member of the community means caring for one another," she said. We spoke with Pond as she winds down...

According to the Prison Policy Initiative, individuals who have been incarcerated are ten times more likely to experience homelessness than the general public. The following essay is by Richard B., a member of Youth 4 Truth, The Night Ministry's leadership and advocacy group for young adults. Richard experienced homelessness after he was released f...

Housing instability and inadequacy are challenges that impact nearly all of the visitors to The Night Ministry's Health Outreach Bus. That's according to findings from the sixth annual Outreach & Health Ministry (OHM) Street Survey, conducted by the agency's Mission Fulfillment department earlier this year. One in every four Bus guests report h...

After 17 years in the neighborhood, The Night Ministry is moving its home office out of Ravenswood. The Chicago-based non-profit, whose mission is to provide housing, health care, and human connection to individuals struggling with homelessness or poverty, will be relocating its central administration, as well as Health Outreach staff, to a fa...

Construction continues at 1735 North Ashland, the new home of The Crib overnight shelter, Outreach & Health Ministry Program, and central administration.

Dear Friends, Throughout life, we define who we are as individuals and as a society. We question our values and beliefs – the foundations of our motivation to behave in certain ways – clarify them, change them, and reaffirm them. Our individual lives and communal stories are full of moments when we bear witness to or participate in events that make...

Homelessness is not a crime, but in municipalities across the country, more and more individuals experiencing homelessness face jail time or fines for sleeping on the sidewalk or in a car, camping in a public place, panhandling, or engaging in other activities they must do to simply survive on the streets. "It's a vicious cycle," said Sylvia Hibbar...

By Benita Natalini and Chintan Mehta, Co-Presidents, The Associate Board At this year's Lighting Up the Night, The Night Ministry's Annual Awards Dinner & Auction, President & CEO, Paul W. Hamann, Associate Board member Sam Ritchey, and other speakers provided reflections on the importance of human connection to the mission of The Night Min...