Connections for the Homeless

This week, 40 years ago, Connections for the Homeless was started as an act of civil disobedience in the name of our neighbors. Thank you to all who attended, spoke, and celebrated alongside us at our 40th Anniversary Celebration on the 16. Help us celebrate our birthday by making a donation so we can continue to serve our community doing this lifesaving work for the next 40 years! Donate today: https://lnkd.in/gs3Q2cfJ #40thanniversary #forwardat40

A very warm welcome to our newest Board Member, Mark Frankel! We're so excited you're here!

We want to give a shout out to our amazing friends at UL Research Institutes who have supported us in so many different ways since moving to Evanston last year! Standout moments include a very successful LinkedIn profile and resume assistance workshop hosted by UL talent acquisition advisors for participants of the Margarita Inn, sponsorship of our annual lunch and learn fundraiser INSPIRE, and over 700 lunches made since June.   You can read about all the ways UL supports Connections here: https://lnkd.in/gcSSwAYN

Gift of Giving sign-ups are open! Sponsor a wishlist for our annual holiday gift drive and help us spread the magic of the season: https://lnkd.in/dRGSX9rP 🥰🎁❤️

This week, our CEO Betty Bogg and our Director of Advocacy Sue Loellbach attended Housing Action Illinois Annual Conference along with hundreds of housing professionals to discuss strategies and efforts to expand and protect affordable housing and end homelessness in Illinois. Sue facilitated the closing plenary about local governments crucial role in expanding the supply of housing, and was joined by several leaders of local governments, including Councilmember Bobby Burns of Evanston! Every year, this conference provides an amazing opportunity to get with others working to end homelessness and make housing affordable for necessary discussions, updates, and insights on how we, together, can ensure everyone has a good, affordable home.

If we really value diversity here in Evanston like we say we do, our zoning laws need to reflect that! As Mayor Daniel Biss said, "If you want to live near me, it doesn't mean you need to live like me." This past Sunday, Connections and Joining Forces for Affordable Housing were joined by Evanston Community Foundation, Evanston Cradle to Career, and Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss for the launch of our campaign for zoning reform in Evanston. Over the next few months, as Envision Evanston 2045 moves to its final stages, we need you to join this growing movement for zoning reform. There are tons of ways to get involved and support zoning reform that will help make Evanston more equitable, affordable, and accessible. Find out how to get involved here: https://lnkd.in/ewZ_rzD7 #zoning #evanston #evanstonzoning #envisionevanston #equitablezoning #ezp

We’re #hiring a new Associate Director of Advocacy- Lake County in Evanston, Illinois. Apply today or share this post with your network.

Thank you to our friends at ZS for your incredible support and partnership. Along with making lunches for us twice a week, ZS recently came and redid one of our office spaces for ZS Cares Day! Check out the before and after photo😮 We talked to ZS about their work volunteering and packing lunches for Connections. They told us that, "Doing this helps our company grow and be a place that cares. Any corporation, whatever you are, if you're saying that you care about the community somewhere in your mission statement, you have to be putting time and resources toward those things."

Ever questioned why people are being priced out of their own neighborhoods? Or why more than three unrelated people can’t live together? Or why it feels like you need a car to get where you want to go? The answer might be unexpected - usually, it has a lot to do with zoning laws! On Sunday, October 13, we’re launching our Bad Zoning is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things Campaign. This public forum, hosted by Connections for the Homeless & Joining Forces for Affordable Housing, Evanston Community Foundation, and Evanston Cradle to Career, will lay out how important good zoning reform is in making our community stronger. Joining Forces will be releasing an Equitable Zoning Report with recommendations for zoning reform based on two years of research, along with a toolkit and calendar of workshops that cover zoning basics and how they affect the ways we live. Join us and help prepare Evanston for the future! RSVP here: qrco.de/nicethings #evanston #evanstonzoning #zoningreform

Rising rents and lack of housing are affecting millions across the country. This is a particularly difficult moment for young people just starting out, and for those without a safety net of financial support, it can feel impossible. Our Youth Programs team can help! Connections served 118 young people through a wide range of youth programming last year, providing them with the resources they need to thrive. Consider making a gift today to support the great work our Youth Programs team does for the young people in our community. https://lnkd.in/gAgxAJep