The Night Ministry

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The Night Ministry Providing human connection, housing support and health care to unhoused members of our community.

The Night Ministry is a Chicago-based organization whose mission is to provide human connection, housing support, and health care to those who are unhoused or experiencing poverty. With an open heart, we compassionately accept each individual as they are and work alongside them to advocate for their immediate physical, emotional, and social needs while affirming our shared humanity. Last year, The

Night Ministry served nearly 6,000 adults and young people. Our Health Outreach Program provided 1,638 free health assessments to individuals who struggle to access traditional health care and prevented 383 visits to the emergency room. Our Youth Housing Programs provided 535 unhoused young people and 101 of their children with safe housing and supportive services.

Last night, The Night Ministry partnered with All Chicago, the Department of Family Support Services, the Dept. of Housi...
25/01/2025

Last night, The Night Ministry partnered with All Chicago, the Department of Family Support Services, the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development, the City of Chicago, and over 200 volunteers for the Annual Point-in-Time Count. It provides a snapshot of the number of people experiencing homelessness in our community on a single night. The PIT Count is held during the coldest week of the year, when many unhoused individuals seek shelter. The data collected informs policy decisions and resource allocation, helping us track trends and identify areas of need to improve the homelessness response systems across the country.

The city Department of Family and Support Services said the count is really important this year.

Thank you to everyone who donated to our fundraiser to raise money and spread awareness about the arctic cold snap. We w...
23/01/2025

Thank you to everyone who donated to our fundraiser to raise money and spread awareness about the arctic cold snap. We were able to raise more than $5,500!

Our Medical and Outreach teams are out in the community today providing sleeping bags, tents, warm meals, winter gear, and medical care to those who need it.

The Night Ministry was officially closed yesterday to celebrate and honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  We ac...
21/01/2025

The Night Ministry was officially closed yesterday to celebrate and honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We acknowledge our dedicated staff members who work on holidays and embody our values. They ensure that clients are safe and have provisions everyday (photo credit: Yousuf-Karsh 1962).

As an arctic front moves into Chicago and temperatures drop below zero, the next few days will present an extremely dang...
20/01/2025

As an arctic front moves into Chicago and temperatures drop below zero, the next few days will present an extremely dangerous challenge for our unhoused and under-supported neighbors.

In an effort to save lives and keep people warm through this winter, The Night Ministry is urgently collecting donations. Financial resources will allow us to purchase the most urgent supplies based on the immediate need. Together we can keep our neighbors safe and warm! https://secure.givelively.org/donate/the-night-ministry/peer-to-peer-winter-weather-fundraiser

**PLEASE HELP US SPREAD AWARENESS** The Crib will be open 24 hours starting on Sunday, 1/19 through Wednesday morning du...
19/01/2025

**PLEASE HELP US SPREAD AWARENESS**

The Crib will be open 24 hours starting on Sunday, 1/19 through Wednesday morning due to the dangerously low temperatures. The Crib is open to young adults ages 18-24, and provides breakfast, lunch, and dinner during inclement weather.

If you are in need of resources, Call 3-1-1 for shelter placement, nearest warming center & well-being checks for seniors and unhoused residents.

A youth staying at our overnight shelter, The Crib, shared her amazing talent for crafting origami from tissue paper. Vo...
18/01/2025

A youth staying at our overnight shelter, The Crib, shared her amazing talent for crafting origami from tissue paper. Volunteers who prepared and served breakfast also learned how to make an origami crane, orizuru, which is a classic and well-known model in Japanese paper-folding.

A health crisis put Dan in the hospital for several weeks. And during that time, he lost his job and his housing. Dan en...
17/01/2025

A health crisis put Dan in the hospital for several weeks. And during that time, he lost his job and his housing. Dan ended up staying along Lower Wacker Drive, where he met our Street Medicine Team.

“The relationships I built with all the individuals who work there gave me the confidence to get where I needed to go," Dan says.

That place is the apartment Dan has lived in for more than a year. With permanent housing, Dan is rebuilding his life. He has returned to his job. This year he plans to get his driver’s license back.

“I’m bettering myself,” Dan says. “And my chances of doing that are 100% better now than when I lived on the streets.”

03/01/2025

We build community at The Night Ministry. One way this shows up is at the weekly house meetings at our Youth Housing Programs. Program Specialist Jalesa Haggard tells us why the house meetings at our Interim Housing Program are so important for residents and staff.

As we close out 2024, all of us at The Night Ministry wish you and your loved ones a very happy new year.We are so grate...
01/01/2025

As we close out 2024, all of us at The Night Ministry wish you and your loved ones a very happy new year.

We are so grateful to friends like you for the countless ways you sustain our mission to serve our unhoused neighbors. Your compassionate actions, from volunteering alongside us to providing financial support and resources, truly make a difference in the community. Thank you!

Our Health Outreach Bus has a new schedule in the new year! In response to the growing number of Chicago residents livin...
27/12/2024

Our Health Outreach Bus has a new schedule in the new year! In response to the growing number of Chicago residents living unsheltered, the Bus is expanding its outreach to tent encampments across the city. The Bus, which provides free medical care, resources like food and clothing, and supportive services, will now visit encampments three days a week. It will continue to make scheduled stops in the Pilsen, New City, and South Shore neighborhoods.

All of us at The Night Ministry wish you a happy holiday season. We are grateful for all of our supporters who helped us...
25/12/2024

All of us at The Night Ministry wish you a happy holiday season. We are grateful for all of our supporters who helped us celebrate the season with the families and individuals we serve over the last two weeks

More than a quarter of young people served by The Night Ministry identify as LGBTQ+. Our Youth Housing Programs are inte...
23/12/2024

More than a quarter of young people served by The Night Ministry identify as LGBTQ+. Our Youth Housing Programs are intentionally safe spaces that provide affirming support in addition to shelter and other critical resources for unhoused youth.

We are grateful for our partnership with 100 Black Men of Chicago! Thank you for including The Night Ministry in your An...
21/12/2024

We are grateful for our partnership with 100 Black Men of Chicago! Thank you for including The Night Ministry in your Annual Toy Drive and your special event proceeds this month. We look forward to working with your young people in the new year! We took a quick picture of the toys from your drive before they were whisked away to the families we serve across Chicago!

Our holiday celebrations are in full swing! In the neighborhoods we serve and in our Youth Housing Programs, we are shar...
20/12/2024

Our holiday celebrations are in full swing! In the neighborhoods we serve and in our Youth Housing Programs, we are sharing the warmth of the season with special meals, stockings, and presents, thanks to the generosity of our supporters.

Volunteers with the Night Ministry gathered Wednesday at a Back of the Yards street corner to serve warm meals, hot chocolate and hand out stockings full of goodies to unhoused community members.

Residents of our Open Door Shelter in West Town recently enjoyed a performance of Shakespeare's timeless classic Macbeth...
18/12/2024

Residents of our Open Door Shelter in West Town recently enjoyed a performance of Shakespeare's timeless classic Macbeth at . The Night Ministry organizes regular outings for the young people who stay with us, introducing them to places in the city they may not have been and providing enriching recreational experiences. Thank you to Invictus Theatre and our Board Member Kristin Justus Rothenberg, who is also on the theater's board, for arranging the outing.

Thank you so much! Because of you, we have raised nearly $200,000 in support of our unhoused neighbors during our Giving...
15/12/2024

Thank you so much! Because of you, we have raised nearly $200,000 in support of our unhoused neighbors during our Giving Tuesday campaign. TODAY is your final opportunity to DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT through the generous matching of the Alvin H. Baum Family Fund. Support The Night Ministry with a gift at https://thenightministry.ejoinme.org/givingtuesday.

Our President & CEO, Carol J. Sharp, recently joined Natalie Bomke Fox 32 Chicago  on Fox 32 Chicago to talk about how T...
14/12/2024

Our President & CEO, Carol J. Sharp, recently joined Natalie Bomke Fox 32 Chicago on Fox 32 Chicago to talk about how The Night Ministry supports our unhoused neighbors during winter weather. Watch the interview below.

As the bitter cold temperatures settle in across Chicago, it's estimated about 68,000 people in the city are considered homeless. That's where the Night Ministry comes in to provide shelter, healthcare and support to those who need it most.

12/12/2024

Meet Yasmin Clark-Greenlee. She is the Senior Program Supervisor at our West Town Open Door Shelter, which serves Chicago's unhoused young people. Yasmin shares about an eye-opening moment that provided deeper insight into the challenges faced by youth when their paths cross with The Night Ministry.

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The Night Ministry is a Chicago-based organization that works to offer housing, healthcare and human connection to members of the Chicago community struggling with poverty or homelessness. With an open heart and an open mind, we accept people as they are and work to address their immediate needs while affirming their sense of humanity. Outreach Services: The Night Ministry operates on the ground in Chicago neighborhoods to build relationships and provide immediate, practical resources. Our Health Outreach Bus offers medical exams, treatment and HIV testing, as well as coffee, conversation and a sense of community. The Youth Outreach teams reach out to homeless and LGBT youth in Lakeview to offer non-judgmental support, guidance, food and self-care supplies. Short-Term Housing: Our youth housing programs provide structured, safe and supportive living situations to youth from all backgrounds who face multiple, difficult challenges. The Crib is an overnight youth shelter for people age 18-24 that addresses immediate housing needs. Our 120-Day Interim program offers longer-term, housing and social services for homeless youth. Pregnant and Parenting Program: The Night Ministry’s Open Door program is the only shelter in Chicago that will work with pregnant or parenting teens as young as 14. We operate a 120-day interim housing program dedicated to serving pregnant or parenting runaway, throw away, or homeless youth and their children. Transitional Living Program: STEPS aims to transition teens age 18-20 from homeless to independent living within two years.