The Night Ministry

Congratulations to The Night Ministry Associate Board, who raised over $105k for The Crib last week! A huge thank you to our star of the night sponsor IMC Trading for their ongoing support!

Last week, The Night Ministry Associate Board hosted their annual Night Lights fundraiser! This year's event benefitted The Crib, our overnight shelter for young adults, which gives unhoused youth a place to call home during times of uncertainty. Stay tuned for an update on the event. We thank all of our supporters from the bottom of our hearts for attending. Here is a reminder of what your ongoing support is doing for young people in Chicago.

We provide human connection on every level. At The Night Ministry, a meal and a nice person to talk to is the bare minimum when it comes to caring for people.

Gompers Park on Chicago’s Northwest Side has been in the news recently, with community discussions focused on an encampment of unhoused individuals living there. In fulfilling our mission to serve Chicago's unhoused residents, The Night Ministry regularly conducts outreach at the park. Our Street Medicine Team and Health Outreach Bus visit the site to offer critical resources such as free health care and case management services. The latter includes housing assessments to start individuals on pathways to stable housing. We believe that the challenges faced by our unhoused neighbors, including those residing in the Gompers Park encampment, are varied and complex. The Night Ministry's services, coordinated with the City's Department of Family and Support Services, are designed to provide and connect our clients with the most appropriate resources to help each client survive, obtain greater stability, and thrive. The Night Ministry also recognizes that homelessness impacts the whole community. The discussion surrounding Gompers Park underscores Chicago's affordable housing and homelessness crises. We face not only a shortage of affordable homes but also gaps in resources available to assist unhoused individuals in becoming stable. Evidence shows that, for most individuals exiting homelessness, housing coupled with supportive services such as case management and links to resources like food, employment, and health care assistance greatly improves their chances of remaining stably housed. While coordination among the City of Chicago and nonprofits such as The Night Ministry has opened new housing opportunities for many of our vulnerable neighbors, further investment in supportive housing programs is required to create significant movement in our collective efforts to end homelessness. We hope and ask that conversations such as the one surrounding Gompers Park spur further discussions and action around sustainable housing opportunities for all Chicagoans.

We’re thrilled to celebrate our CEO, Carol J. Sharp, MPA for being selected to join the prestigious 2024 cohort of The Advanced Leadership Institute's National Executive Leadership Academy! Through this incredible program, hosted in partnership with Carnegie Mellon University - Tepper School of Business, Carol will gain access to top-tier executive training, coaching, and networking designed to elevate Black professionals in leadership. We’re excited to see how her enhanced skills and vision will continue to drive The Night Ministry’s mission forward. Thank you to David Finegold of Golub Capital for sponsoring Carol's participation!

Congratulations to our Board Member, Harris Kay, on his new position as a partner at Jenner & Block. And thank you for your service on our Board of Directors, Harris!

Our own Tedd Peso, Director of Strategic Partnerships, joins a great National Network for Youth's virtual webinar next Wednesday to share his extensive knowledge and experience in pursuing and acquiring government funding, which last year accounted for about 1/3 of The Night Ministry's operating revenue. Registration link 👇

The countdown to Night Lights is on! Join The Night Ministry Associate Board for their Annual Gala on Thursday, October 10. Savor gourmet cuisine, signature drinks, and live music, all while celebrating and supporting our efforts to eliminate homelessness! Save on tickets when you buy two! Ticket link in our Linktree. Get yours before they're gone!

"We know that housing first is successful. We want more opportunities for individuals to move into apartments or into homes." One year into her role, our President & CEO, Carol J. Sharp, MPA, joined her fellow Illinois Association of Free and Charitable Clinics Board Member Levi Moore of the Hektoen Institute, LLC Institute to discuss The Night Ministry’s mission to serve our unhoused neighbors and the collective impact organizations can make on Chicago's homelessness crisis through collaboration. https://lnkd.in/d46SNPXa

The Kellogg Board Fellows program at Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management has been an amazing partner to The Night Ministry. The Board Fellows our Board of Directors host work on impactful projects to further our mission to serve Chicago's unhoused neighbors. We are so glad our President & CEO Carol J. Sharp, MPA and Board Chair Michael V. Borromeo had the opportunity to speak with this year's Board Fellows!