Care for friends

Care For Friends
MottoConnecting Chicago's most vulnerable with the resources needed to achieve a better quality of life.
Formation1968 (1968)
TypeNon-profit
Region served
Chicago, IL
Executive Director
Hope Pavich
Main organ
Board of Directors
AffiliationsGreater Chicago Food Depository, Episcopal Charities
Staff
3
Websitehttp://www.CareForFriends.org

History

In the summer of 1968, Chicago hosted the Democratic National Convention, which also brought anti-Vietnam War protesters to the city's Lincoln Park neighborhood. Nearby Church of Our Saviour opened its doors to shelter protesters,[1] which began a decades-long tradition of serving at-risk populations near 530 W. Fullerton Parkway. As the scope of services grew beyond the ability of the local church to manage, a non-profit organization was created called the 530 Fullerton Foundation to manage the daily operations of the meal program, led by technology business leader and Illinois philanthropist JD Miller, PhD.[2] In July 2016, the organization rebranded as "Care For Friends" to recognize that it had become a distinct entity, separate from the church, with distinct volunteers, community partnerships, and operational teams that were independent of the faith community at 530 W. Fullerton Parkway.[3]

Programs

With the mission of "Connecting Chicago's most vulnerable with community resources they need to achieve a better quality of life,"[4] the organization operates six key programs:[5]

  • Food For Friends Through this program, 9,000 sit-down, hot meals are served each year in a three-times-per-week lunch program.
  • Healthcare For Friends Guests of this program receive foot care and general health evaluations twice per month by a team of volunteers including nurses as well as podiatric and medical doctors. The clinic is typically the only source of preventative healthcare that guests receive.
  • Toiletries For Friends Through the Toiletries and Hygiene Program, guests receive personal hygiene kits for basic self-care (soap, shampoo, toothbrush/toothpaste, razor/shave cream). They have supervised, secure access to basic washroom facilities for personal hygiene needs.
  • Clothing For Friends Through this program, guests have access to a seasonal clothes closet, which can provide two articles per guest per week to support daily living conditions.
  • Referrals For Friends Many homeless and at-risk individuals are entitled to a variety of social services that they do not access because of distrust of authority, or fear of documentation/registration/background check requirements. Because Care For Friends requires no documentation or sign-in process, they are able to build trusting communities to connect guests to these programs.
  • Connections For Friends Through this program, representatives from a variety of partner organizations attend our meals on a rotating basis to start creating community connections with guests. This familiarity makes it easier for homeless guests to overcome uncertainty or barriers they may perceive exist for entry into programs that address the causes of homelessness, and provides access to life and career skills training, quality job placement, addictions recovery, mental and physical health counselling.

Care For Friends' approach to serving homeless is unique in that it is a no-barrier, no-documentation-required introduction to a community that provides connections to agencies with more stringent intake requirements.[6] This unique approach to connection is a reason they have been included as a recognized Episcopal Charity,[7][8] and was the recipient of AT&T's "investing in Illinois" award upon the recommendation of Senate President John Cullerton, and state representatives Ann Williams and Sara Feigenholtz. Their commitment to measuring and reporting outcomes from their programs has resulted in their award of the "Platinum" recognition level by the Guidestar nonprofit research group.[9]

Fundraising

The organization receives no federal funding, and so relies on individual and group giving.[10] The organization organizes an annual "Sleepout For Homelessness" on one of the coldest nights of the year in Chicago as a primary fundraiser. It uses the hashtag #CFFSleeps on all social media and is managed at www.CFFSleeps.org [11][12]

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-04-29. Retrieved 2017-07-18.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ao0Fro3bYkk
  3. https://www.coschurch.org/outreach%5B%5D
  4. "Building Pathways Out of Homelessness | Care for Friends | Chicago, IL".
  5. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/46-1086837
  6. "Care for Friends: Impacting Homelessness in Chicago".
  7. https://www.eccsonline.net/care-for-friends-pages-234.php
  8. "ECCS Announcement".
  9. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/46-1086837
  10. "Care for Friends: Impacting Homelessness in Chicago".
  11. "01.27.16 Booster WEB copy.PDF".
  12. "Group Prepares to Sleep in Cold for Homelessness". 16 December 2016.
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