The Boulevard of Chicago

12/03/2024

Today is Giving Tuesday, an opportunity to help those in need - like Albert, a former resident at The Boulevard of Chicago.

One day when Albert was playing with his grandchild, he tripped and fell down a flight of stairs. He developed a deep bruise on his back but didn’t go to the doctor initially, thinking the bruise would go away on its own. But when his pain kept getting worse, Albert went to the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago’s main hospital-based facility for veterans, where they helped him with his pain and found that he also suffered from cirrhosis of the liver, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Additionally, Albert’s kidneys were only working at 75 percent capacity.

Because of his health conditions, Albert stayed at the VA on and off for a while, causing him to lose his apartment. At one point, he got sick enough that he had to stay at the VA for almost a month. When he became stable, the VA referred him to The Boulevard of Chicago to fully heal.

When Albert arrived at The Boulevard of Chicago in April 2023, he received medical care, group counseling, and comprehensive case management support.

“It really did wonders for me,” said Albert when asked about The Boulevard’s medical respite care program. “It helped me get myself together and get back on my feet.”

Like Albert, many of The Boulevard’s clients just need a place to recover and support to meet their challenges. The Boulevard provides compassionate care to our residents every day, giving them the opportunity to rebuild their lives. You can help our clients this holiday season through our Back On My Feet campaign!

One of the easiest ways to support The Boulevard this Giving Tuesday is by making a donation. Learn more: https://blvd.org/event/back-on-my-feet

11/28/2024

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at The Boulevard of Chicago! We're so thankful for our many supporters, donors and partners this holiday and every day.

11/27/2024

A huge thank you to Christian Love M.B. Church for coming out this past weekend and donating a lot of great stuff to The Boulevard! Clothing, shoes, undergarments and duffel bags were handed out to our medical respite care program residents. They also brought nonperishable food for our kitchen. Thank you SO much!

If you're interested in making a donation yourself, contact us at blvd.org/contact

11/12/2024

Today at The Boulevard of Chicago we held a Veterans Day recognition ceremony for the veterans in our medical respite care program. It was a highlight for all who attended.

11/11/2024

Today, on Veterans Day, The Boulevard of Chicago recognizes and honors the brave men and women who have served our nation with dedication and courage.

The Boulevard of Chicago is privileged to provide our veteran clients with short-term shelter through our medical respite care program, while also working to secure permanent housing for them. In the last year, 23% of our medical respite care residents were veterans.

To all who have served, thank you.

10/10/2024

World Homeless Day, held on October 10th every year, is a day to raise awareness about the needs of people who currently experience homelessness and promote work in local communities to alleviate suffering and prevent death.

This year, The Boulevard of Chicago is recognizing World Homeless Day by kicking off our Winter Walk campaign!

Winter Walk 2025 will take place on Sunday, February 9, 2025 in Humboldt Park. We will walk together with other local partner organizations and those in the community during the coldest month of the year, highlighting the reality of those experiencing homelessness during Chicago's harsh winters. It will be an opportunity when everyone—regardless of where they sleep—comes together to raise awareness and demand change.

Want to join us for the Winter Walk in February? You can register today at the link below. Registration is free, but there is a suggested goal of fundraising $100, which will benefit The Boulevard of Chicago's important programs. You can even create your own team to raise funds together with friends and family.

09/18/2024

Reminder that you have until the end of the month to vote for The Boulevard of Chicago via the Target Circle program. Make sure to take advantage of all the points you've accrued when purchasing back-to-school items!

09/13/2024

Last week, The Boulevard of Chicago was honored to welcome volunteers from JPMorganChase, who also provided food for a BBQ celebration for our clients. We can't thank them enough for joining us for a wonderful afternoon filled with food, games and dancing. A huge thank you goes out to our Board member, Lynne Perryman, for all her work on this event. We also want to thank Union Church of Hinsdale, U.C.C., who made a donation towards new patio furniture, which we were able to enjoy due to the nice weather. Fun was had by all!

07/02/2024

The Boulevard of Chicago is participating in the Target Circle program! You can vote for us and help direct Target’s giving to benefit our organization. Make sure you have “your store” set to a location within Chicago to ensure The Boulevard shows up as an option. Download the app if you don't have it already and start earning those votes! Check out how to vote for The Boulevard below. For full program details and restrictions visit Target Circle. https://target.com/circle

06/21/2024

The Boulevard is so grateful for the continued support and partnership of Winnetka Congregational Church!

Our 2023 Grant Awardee Friday Feature is The Boulevard of Chicago. WCC is grateful to have a partner like The Boulevard to work together and serve the community.

The Boulevard is a low-barrier medical respite facility on Chicago’s West Side, offering medical care, behavioral care, and social support in response to the varying needs of people experiencing homelessness in Chicago. Their commitment and Housing First philosophy directly correspond to the City of Chicago Plan to End Homelessness and the national care standards established by the National Institute for Medical Respite Care.

For more information about The Boulevard, visit https://www.blvd.org.

The WCC Grant Award Committee awarded $158,000 in grants to 31 agencies in December 2023. Grant funds come from net proceeds of Winnetka Congregational Church Rummage sales and the Chicago Community Trust endowment.

We are thrilled to be able to support so many agencies doing such vital work in the community!

06/21/2024

The Boulevard of Chicago held a Juneteenth celebration for our clients and staff earlier this week. Juneteenth is a federal holiday that recognizes the official ending of slavery in the United States, and is a wonderful opportunity to center and celebrate African-American lives and culture.

06/21/2024

The Boulevard’s 2024 Luncheon fundraiser was a huge success! Thanks to our generous supporters, we've raised $203,485.50 to date, exceeding our original goal of $200,000.

We are deeply grateful for the many contributions we received. Every gift makes a meaningful difference in the lives of the men and women we serve each day. It was so exciting to celebrate The Boulevard's 30 years of life-changing work.

It's not too late to donate toward the Luncheon - donate today: https://shorturl.at/Tx6DQ

06/07/2024

The Boulevard of Chicago would like to extend a huge THANK YOU to everyone who was a part of our 30th Anniversary Luncheon fundraiser yesterday. Thank you to our sponsors, donors, guests, volunteers, staff, and everyone else who was involved. We were all able to come together to celebrate The Boulevard's 30 years of life-saving work, in addition to raising funds that will help us continue that important work!

Keep an eye out for more event recaps soon.
https://blvd.org/donate

06/05/2024

The Boulevard's 30th Anniversary Luncheon Fundraiser is tomorrow! We look forward to celebrating The Boulevard's life-changing work. Check out our event eProgram for a sneak peek: https://shorturl.at/OKQd2

05/22/2024

Only two more weeks until The Boulevard's 30th Anniversary Luncheon Fundraiser! A huge thanks goes out to our wonderful event sponsors!

Purchase your tickets today: https://blvd.org/event/2024-luncheon-fundraiser

02/28/2024

The Boulevard of Chicago was proud to host a roundtable discussion last week about the state of homelessness in Chicago. Thank you to the Chicago Mayor's Office, Chicago Department of Housing, Chicago Department of Family and Support Services, Chicago Funders Together to End Homelessness (Michael Reese Health Trust) and many organization leaders for coming together to address housing insecurity and new housing initiatives.

The Boulevard is committed to breaking the cycle of homelessness for Chicago's most vulnerable individuals. Learn more about our programs here: https://www.blvd.org/programs