City starts construction on second housing project for veterans
Gov. Pat Quinn joined local leaders and volunteers on Thursday in breaking ground on a new housing development in Chicago for female veterans with children, the second of its kind dedicated to serving homeless veterans in the city. The complex will be built on 2.3 acres of land at 61st and Halsted streets in the [...]
Streetwise vendor reaches for ‘hand up, not hand out’
Donald Morris was given a chance to get off the streets and end his struggle with chronic homelessness when he signed up to be a vendor for Streetwise, a not-for-profit organization helping the homeless in Chicago get back on their feet. Morris described Streetwise as being “a hand-up not a hand-out,” because profits made from [...]
Teen Homelessness in Humboldt Park
Many teens walk through the city with the brightest of smiles on their faces, but with uncertainty just beneath the surface. Some young adults in Chicago don’t know where the next meal is coming from, consider survival a priority, and finding a place to rest becomes a responsibility. Inconsistency is daily living. In the Humboldt [...]
Change to Spare? Change a Life: Being Homeless in Chicago
via YouTube Craig Key, 50, is homeless. He grew up on Chicago’s south side in the Lakefront and Rainbow Beach area. Three weeks ago, after governmental grant money was cut, he was laid off from his job at the Chicago Park District. He was first hired there in December 2009 after being put on work [...]
Wicker Park Residents Voice Concerns Over Homeless And Graffiti
Wicker Park residents told police last month that they are tired of being harassed by the homeless on sidewalks, especially outside of convenient stores. The police met with residents during a Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy meeting for beat 1424 at the Wicker Park Field House, where they said there were already plans in motion to [...]
Conscious Alliance: Art That Feeds
Would you go out of your way to donate to the needy? That’s what Conscious Alliance, a Colorado-based organization, does through grassroots concerts and art all over the country. Last fall, the organization held a food drive at the Riviera Theater at 4647 N. Racine Ave. In the hall of the venue they set up at a [...]
Looking Back at “Put Illinois to Work”
In downtown Chicago, an institution celebrated its 30th anniversary while reflecting on its latest triumph: the employment of more than 27,000 Illinoisans this year. But it wasn’t in any of the towers or myriad governmental mega-office buildings, but in their shadows, on a single floor of a rather plain office building. Past the almost unnoticeable [...]
The Pacific Garden Mission: A Place of Refuge
Image by Louis Kreusel via Flickr In years past, Gerald Casey was a “shepherd of the devil,” he said, moving 15 kilos of cocaine a day to the streets of Chicago in a large drug cartel. After distributing cocaine for years, Casey found himself a victim of his own enterprise. His business had turned him [...]
Unique holiday gift sale on Sunday will benefit homeless
With the holidays fast approaching, many have shopping on the mind. While malls and department stores may seem like the best place to go, try looking to alternative shopping for your holiday gifts this season. And this year, you can not only get healthy alternative gifts but also help the homeless. On Sunday, Dec. 12 [...]
StreetWise, A Job Opportunity for Homeless, Unemployed
Back in the early 1990’s, Greg Pritchett was incarcerated on a drug charge. After being released from jail, he became homeless and resorted to a life on the streets. “I lost everything I had,” said Pritchett. His only way of earning an income was by selling Streetwise. Pritchett is now director of distribution at StreetWise, [...]
Lakeview Hotel Disrupts Local Businesses
When Mary Anne Barfield opens her business, B&K Office and Art, in Lakeview, strangers usually greet her outside the door. But instead of stamps or stationery, they want food or her spare change. When she leaves for the night, they are still outside roaming the block, which is why Barfield closes her store at 7 [...]
Controversial Hate Crime Bill Would Protect Homeless, Veterans
Facing dire economic times and dwindling resources, more people are not only becoming homeless – they’re then at risk of facing physical assault. State Rep. Thomas Holbrook (D-Bellville) introduced a bill, HB5114, that would create stiffer penalties for offenders who target the homeless, veterans, active duty members and reservists of the Armed Forces. Instead of [...]
“Blood Alley” Still a Problem in Uptown
Police and business owners in Uptown recently joined forces to develop a strategy to clean up a two-block stretch of puddles of urine, empty beer bottles and unsavory characters on Clifton Avenue, more commonly known as “Blood Alley.” The focus of last week’s meeting at Harry S. Truman College was the ongoing problems of safety [...]
Lakeview Group Celebrates Work With Police, Housing and Health
Story by: Corneal Westbrooks August 20, 2008 – The theme of the night was, “people, power, and promise” when the Lakeview Action Coalition (LAC) met June 16 at Anshe Emet Synagogue for its 15th annual convention. The focus was on homeless youth and police relations, affordable housing, and healthcare. This was not an ordinary meeting, [...]
Chicago homeless sell coffee
Submitted on Mon, 03/19/2007 – 13:03. Story by Aisha Qidwae The Chicago Coalition for the Homeless is putting dollars into the pockets of the homeless by offering them jobs selling coffee at farmers market, stores and restaurants in Chicago. The coalition’s Café-Fair Trade Project doesn’t make a profit; instead it raises awareness of the advocacy [...]
