The Night Ministry

09/04/2026

It is dangerously hot outside - please be cognizant of our unhoused neighbors and help when you can, or pass along this important information.

Chicago Department of Family and Support Services Cooling Centers will be open during standard operating hours.
📍 For a full list of citywide cooling center locations, visit 🔗 chi.gov/cooling
📍 For shelter placement, to find the nearest cooling center, and for well-being checks for seniors and unhoused neighbors, please contact 3-1-1.
📍 During hours of operation, residents can also find relief at Chicago Public Library locations, City Colleges of Chicago main campus locations, and Chicago Park District fieldhouses located throughout the city.
📍 Also, the Chicago Police Department's 22 district stations are available 24 hours for relief from the heat, and to be connected with a shelter.

For more information on how to stay cool in warm weather, a list of all DFSS cooling centers and other resources, please visit DFSS’s cooling centers page 🔗 chi.gov/dfssextremeweather

09/03/2026

Legacy Thursday: Since our youth emergency shelter program opened in 1982 — now known as The Crib — we've served over 320,000 meals to youth experiencing homelessness.

Most of these meals are prepared and served by volunteer groups, providing a vital, nutritious meal for young people who need our services.

We're always looking for groups to prepare or underwrite a meal for The Crib. A typical meal serves 25 people and can engage around 6 volunteers to prepare and serve. Interested in helping with this important service? Reach out to Tedd Peso at [email protected].

09/01/2026

We're so grateful to the Illinois Association of Free and Charitable Clinics for spotlighting us during Free & Charitable Clinic Month. Their tireless support, advocacy, and passion for expanding access to healthcare for those experiencing homelessness and extreme poverty is incredibly important and impactful — thank you for standing with us in this work.

08/30/2026

RHP Risk Management a Industrial Hygiene and Occupational Safety leader with their headquarters in Chicago. They specialize in the evaluation of exposure to chemicals, noise, hazardous materials, vapors, and biological toxins, but last week they turned their hand to putting together over 200 sack suppers and PB&J sandwiches for our Outreach and Health team to distribute to those in need. We are extremely grateful to RHP for stepping up and making a difference, and for taking the time to learn more about our programs and services.

If you have a group, organization, or corporation that would like to learn more about getting involved in a similar project, please reach out to Maya at [email protected].

08/28/2026

Global partnerships in action 🌏 We were honored to welcome a delegation from Mission Australia to The Night Ministry this year for a continued conversation about our programs and shared progress in serving people experiencing homelessness. This visit built on a conversation earlier this year focused specifically on youth and young adult homelessness services and the U.S. Runaway and Homeless Youth Act — before the team continued on to New York City to further their work supporting youth programming.

For several years now, Mission Australia's team has made it a point to connect with us during their time in Chicago, and we're grateful for the opportunity to keep learning from and with one another. Homelessness knows no borders, and neither does the work to end it.

Thank you to our friends at Mission Australia for the thoughtful exchange of ideas! 🤝

08/27/2026

Legacy Thursday: The Night Ministry shares a simple conviction with partners across Illinois: healthcare is a right, not a privilege.

That's why our partnership with the Illinois Association of Free & Charitable Clinics (IAFCC) is important. They advocate for nearly 45 free and charitable clinics across our state that show up, year after year, for Illinoisans who are uninsured or underinsured, providing primary care, dental care, specialty services, and more, at scaled fees or free of charge.

Our President & CEO, Carol J. Sharp, proudly serves on the IAFCC Board, a reflection of how deeply this shared mission is embedded in the fabric of our organization. Through our Outreach and Health program, we have provided free medical care to more than 100,000 people, and that work doesn't happen in isolation. Thank you to IAFCC for their years of partnership, helping us ensure that we can provide compassionate, quality care for our unhoused neighbors for many years to come.

This , we're honoring that shared history. 💙

Illinois Association of Free and Charitable Clinics

08/24/2026

Huge thank you to Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream in Old Town for supporting The Night Ministry by donating 25% of all sales on August 20th from 4-7 pm! 🍦

If you stopped by during that window — thank you for making a real difference. And major props to anyone who ordered (and finished!) The Bus — a towering combo of Brown Butter Almond Brittle, Darkest Chocolate, and Salted Peanut Butter with Chocolate Flecks, piled into a Butter Crisp Waffle Bowl. Amazing!! 🤯

Even more thanks to our fabulous Associate Board, led by Will, for setting this up, getting Jeni's on board, and staffing The Night Ministry table during the promotion — a tough assignment, but someone had to do it! 😉

The Night Ministry's Associate Board

08/22/2026

💙 Wear Blue Day at The Night Ministry! 💙

On Wednesday, our team proudly wore blue to celebrate the Illinois Association of Free & Charitable Clinics' Wear Blue Day! We stood alongside clinics statewide, championing the incredible work they do by providing free essential healthcare to those in need. At The Night Ministry, this mission is close to our hearts. Each day, our dedicated Outreach & Health team actively engages with the community, meeting them where they are and delivering vital, compassionate healthcare to individuals experiencing homelessness and poverty in Chicago.

Thank you to our incredible staff for showing up in blue and in spirit! Your dedication to accessible healthcare doesn't stop at one day — it's who we are, every day.

Illinois Association of Free and Charitable Clinics

08/21/2026

08/21/2026

Healthcare leaders, providers, and advocates gathered on August 11 at Northwestern Medicine's Bronzeville Outpatient Center for Advancing Access: Strengthening the Healthcare Safety Net in Illinois, a panel discussion focused on expanding healthcare access for underserved communities statewide.

Held as part of The Night Ministry's 50th Anniversary celebration and in recognition of Free & Charitable Clinic Awareness Month, the event was moderated by Carol J. Sharp, President and CEO of The Night Ministry, and panelists included Dr. Amish Desai, Chief Medical Officer of Population Health at Northwestern Medicine; Derek Ma, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, Clinical Supervisor at The Night Ministry; and Laura Ciresi-Starr, Executive Director of the Illinois Association of Free & Charitable Clinics.

Click this link https://thenightministry.org/advancing-access/ to learn more.

Illinois Association of Free and Charitable Clinics Northwestern Medicine