All of us here served and learned during our service immersions. We witnessed challenging situations, engaged prophetic people, heard powerful stories, and helped where we could. The challenge for us now is to decide what to do with our experiences. "Now What?"
 

We offer here a few suggestions of how to get involved here in Chicago and beyond. We do not have all the answers, but we can help you to stay engaged in the five tenets of our program while you ask better questions and live along into the answers. Please come by the University Ministry office to talk to someone for more information or about more options.

If you are seeking to explore or are simply curious about spiritual, religious and/or faith questions/practices, please feel welcome to contact one of us.

Local Organizations in Chicago

Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Cranks Creek

Taherah Towers, Inc.

Address:705 W Garfield BLVD
Chicago, IL 60621-2941
Phone:(773) 846-4085
Mission of Organization:
Taherah Towers Residential Facility was established for the purpose of providing a select segment of Chicago's homeless population with residential shelter, various residentially based life skills training programs, and referrals to relevant private and government resources and support services.

TAB House

Address:2678 W. Washington
Chicago, IL 60612-2056
Phone:(773) 533-0169
Website: mywebpage.netscape.com/awfta/page16.html
Mission of Organization:
The mission of The Inner Voice TAB Program is to assist men, women, and children in developing the inner strength necessary to lead full and meaningful lives, thus allowing them to attain a self-sufficient and dignified role in society. TAB House supports homeless families in becoming self-sufficient through a six phase program helping them find a job, housing, and providing parenting, learning, and living resources.

Samaritan House

Address:601 10th ST
North Chicago, IL 60604-
Phone:(847) 473-1455 Fax: (847) 782-1030
Mission of Organization:
To provide transitional housing to homeless women and children as well as support reaching financial independence.

Sarah's Circle

Address:4750 N. Sheridan Rd
Chicago, IL
Website: www.sarahs-circle.org

Mission of Organization:
Sarah's Circle offers daytime, supportive services in a welcoming, safe refuge for women who are homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless. We respect each woman and her individuality, and offer her the opportunity to make postive changes in her life. We work toward ending homelessness by providing options, services, and advocacy, meeting the needs of the women who come through our doors.

Lawson House YMCA

Address:30 W Chicago AVE
Chicago, IL 60610-4331
Phone:(312) 944-6211 Fax: (312) 944-1160

Mission of Organization:
The organzition provides stable, affordable housing for the formerly homeless. Lawson House is the largest Single Room Occupancy (SRO) organization in the United States.

HERO

Address:703 W Monroe
Chicago, IL 60661
Phone:(312) 382-0267

Website: www.thecaraprogram.org

Mission of Organization:
Founded in 1991 by Tom Owens, the mission of The Cara Program is to assist the homeless and at-risk populations in their efforts to achieve real and lasting success by providing comprehensive training, permanent job placement and critical support services. The HERO project is a program within CARA. Its goal is to take people who have work and life experience and provide them with opportunities to get a college degree.

Lincoln Park Community Shelter

Address:638 West Demming Ave
Chicago, IL 60614-
Phone:(312) 256-2564

Website: lpcsonline.org

Mission of Organization:
The mission of the Lincoln Park Community Shelter is to empower homeless individuals to make life changes.

Journey from PADS to Hope

Address:1140 E. Northwest Highway
Palatine, IL 60074-
Phone:(847) 963-9163
Website: www.padstohope.org

Mission of Organization:
To provide hospitality, food and shelter to homeless people. To protect the dignity of each homeless guest while assisting with their basic needs for survival.

REST

Address:941 W. Lawrence
Chicago, IL 60640-
Phone:(773) 784-0909
Website: www.restweb.org

Mission of Organization:
REST works collaboratively to provide safe, quality, permanent and emergency housing options and supportive services to adult men and women who are homeless in Chicago. REST assists these individuals to develop their employment and life skills to achieve the transition to independent living.

Inspiration Corporation

Address:4554 N. Broadyway Suite 207
Chicago, IL 60640
Phone:(773) 878-0981
Website: www.inspirationcorp.org

Mission of Organization:
In an atmosphere of dignity and respect, Inspiration Corporation helps people affected by homelessness and poverty to improve their lives and increase self sufficiency through the provision of social services, employment training and housing. Established in 1989, Inspiration Corporation is a nonprofit, community-based organization playing a leading role in Chicago's 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness.

Inner Voice

Address:1621 Walnut
Chicago, IL 60612-
Phone:(312) 666-8110 Fax: (312) 226-4697

Mission of Organization:
To develop strategies for building self-sufficiency, self-initiative, and leadership among homeless and disadvantaged Chicagoans; and to increase their level of participation in the economic, educational, and cultural institutions in their communities.

Humboldt Park Social Services

Address:2120 N. Mozart Street
Chicago, IL 60647-
Phone:(773) 342-6210
Website: WWW.HPSSCHANGINGLIVES.ORG

Mission of Organization:
To empower, serve and advocate for the homeless and disadvantaged in our neighborhood by providing housing and supportive services.

Connections for the Homeless (Evanston)

Address:2010 Dewey Ave
Evanston, IL 60201-
Phone:(847) 475-7070
Website: www.cfthinc.org

Mission of Organization:
Connections for the Homeless works with a variety of communities in northeast Cook County through direct services and education to prevent and reduce homelessness among individuals and families. It has helped people cope with poverty, hunger, and homelessness since 1984.

Night Ministry, The

Address:4711 N Ravenswood
Chicago, IL 60640-4407
Phone:(773) 784-9000
Website: www.thenightministry.org

Mission of Organization:
The Night Ministry was created out of diverse religious traditions to build relationships with vulnerable youth and adults on the streets. Today, we build relationships in a variety of settings. Through these relationships and the provision of housing, health, outreach, spiritual,and social services we seek to empower people of all ages to meet their own needs. Recognizing the uniqueness, dignity, and value of each person, we accept individuals as they are, in an affirming and compassionate manner

Northwest Neighborhood Federation

Address:4924 W. Addison
Chicago, IL 60641
Phone:(773) 288-9807

Mission of Organization:
NNF's mission is to improve the quality of life of the residents on Chicago's Northwest Side. We do this by building powerful campaigns that involve a large number of neighbors to identify problems, educate each other on the possibilities and resolve the most critical issues identified by the community. We have seen that by coming together to address issues of common concern, residents and local leadership have become empowered and thereby assume a greater role in the civic life of the neighborhood. NNF pursues partnerships with government agencies when possible and appropriate; we also maintain enough distance to be able to hold the same agencies accountable to their constituents.

Resurrection Project

Address:1818 S. Paulina
Chicago, IL 60608-
Phone:(312) 666-1323
Website: www.resurrectionproject.org

Mission of Organization:
Founded in 1990 by a coalition of six Catholic Parishes in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, The Resurrection Project is an institution-based neighborhood organization whose mission is to build relationships and challenge people to act on their faith and values to create healthy communities through organizing, education, and community development.

New York, Okolona

Alliance for Community Peace (Wayman)

Address:509 W. Elm Street
Chicago, IL 60610-
Phone:(312) 943-8530 Fax: (312) 944-3299
Primary Contact: Twanna Johnson
Phone: 3129432530 Executive Director: Rev. Dr. Walter B. Johnson

Mission of Organization:
ACP is a non-for-profit, faith-based project seeking to improve students' academic performance and school attendance; enhance children's social and decision-making skills thorugh educational, recreational, cultural and academic related activities; and to help youth develop meaningful work experiences leading to career and vocational fulfillments

Cross City Campaign for Urban School Reform

Address:407 South Dearborn Street, Suite 1725
Chicago, IL 60605-
Phone:(312) 322-4880
Website: www.crosscity.org
Primary Contact: Jaime Artega
Phone: 3123224884
E-mail: jarteaga@crosscity.org

Executive Director: Diane Nelson

Mission of Organization:
The mission of the Cross City Campaign is to develop knowledge and build capacity in urban public schools, districts, families, and communities to create high quality and equitable teaching and learning so all young people are well prepared for post-secondary education, work, and civic participation.

Brothers and Sisters of Love

Address:721 N LaSalle
Chicago, IL 60610-
Phone:(773) 446-6229
Primary Contact: Brother Jim Fogarty
Phone: 7734466229
E-mail: Jfogarty@catholiccharities.net

Executive Director: Brother Jim Fogarty
Mission of Organization:
Brothers and Sisters of Love is an intervention program that works with youths, young adults and their families to adapt behavior to nonviolent resolution in community conflicts. Mentoring, guidance, counseling, education and employment assistance are provided to the clients. Services are primarily offered in Chicago Housing Authority settings.

Cabrini Connections

Address:800 W. Huron
Chicago, IL 60622-
Phone:(312) 492-9614
Website: www.cabriniconnections.net
Primary Contact: Laura Dieckmann
E-mail: elledee@cabriniconnections.net

Executive Director: Dan Bassil

Mission of Organization:
The program's goal is to first draw the students into regular participation, then to support their growth and development as they progress through school. All activities focus on increasing self-image, confidence and motivation to seek higher goals. Each student is assigned his/her own personal volunteer tutor/mentor to meet with weekly at our site.

Chase Park

Address:4701 North Ashland Ave.
Chicago, IL 60640
Phone:(312) 742-7518

Website: www.cbtutors.org
Primary Contact: Chris North
Phone: 847-508-6691
E-mail: info@cbtutors.org

Executive Director: Bart Phillips
Email: phillips@cbtutors.org

Mission of Organization:
Community building tutors, NFP has been established to enable young professionals to strengthen the community by providing and innovative tutoring service focusing on academic improvement, character development and increased community involvement.

Chicago Jesuit Academy

Address:212 S. Francisco
Chicago, IL
Phone:(773) 636-6103
Website: www.cjacademy.org
Primary Contact: John Brophy
Phone: 773.638.6103

Executive Director: Matthew Lynch
Email: lynch@cjacademy.org

Mission of Organization:
As a full-schoraship, college prepartory Jesuit, Roman Catholic middle school for boys of modes economic backgrounds from the West Side of Chicago, Chicago Jesuit Academy uses small classes, an extended academic day and a longer school year to prepare our students for success in college-prep high school, universities and positions of community leadership. Chicago Jesuit Academy succeeds as a full-scholarship middle school because of the disciplined sacrifices made by our studetns, parents, faculty, staff, volunteers and benefactors.

Chicago Lights

Address:126 E. Chestnut Street
Chicago, IL, 60611-2014
Phone:(312) 274-3819
Website: www.chicagolights.org
Primary Contact: Katie Wolgemuth
Phone: 312/274-3819
E-mail: kwolgemuth@fourthchurch.org

Executive Director: Beth Truett
Email: btruett@fourthchurch.org

Mission of Organization:
Chicago Lights provides children and adults with the opportunity to discover hope and cultivate their potential. We assist individuals and families who face the challenges of aging, poverty, and access to education and healthcare by offering programs that focus on the education, health and development of the whole person. Affirming the worth of all, we strive to be a place where the mind, body and spirit are strengthened and nurtured. We reach out to the community and partner with our neighbors to build bridges to a brighter future.

Prologue

Address:640 W. Irving Park (LAKESIDE UNIVERSITY CENTER)
Chicago, IL 60614-
Phone:(773) 935-9925
Website: www.prologueschools.org/about_us.htm

Mission of Organization:
Prologue has been in a unique position to fill a void in Uptown to turn young people's life around. This process involved teaching Prologue students beyond the classroom and into the community where organizations help students to better understand the community in which they live and learn to participate in the positive changes of their environment.

Tolton Family Center

Address:115 S. Pulaski
Chicago, IL 60624-2823
Phone:(312) 746-7744
Website: http://dls.org/tolton_education_program.jsp

Neighborhoods Served:
Bronzville, Garfield, Lawndale, Austin, Little Village

Mission of Organization:
Tolton Center is an adult education program that also provides employability skills, family literacy and child services in low-income communities in the Chicagoland area, without fee. Serving approximately 700 people a year from various backgrounds, Tolton has been recognized as a leader in adult education at local, state and national levels. The Tolton strategy is to empower poverty level adults through academic achievement. This strategy recognizes that breaking the illiteracy cycle must begin with the adult who is the center of the family and community structure. Tolton's mission is to provide excellent alternative adult education experiences within a caring community where "everyone teaches and everyone learns."

Youth NET

Address:640 W Scott St., Room 312 (Schiller School)
Chicago, IL 60610-1093
Phone:(773) 534-8487
Primary Contact: Gloria Purifoy
E-mail: glopure@sbcglobal.net

Executive Director: Calvin Strong

Mission of Organization:
To partner with schools, libraries, community based organizations to develop an infrastructure of comprehensive service delivery that creates a sense of safety, belonging, and leadership. To develop and maintain low to moderate affordable housing for North Town families.

Montgomery

Arts of Life

Address:2110 W. Grand AVE
Chicago, IL 60612
Phone:(312) 829-2787
Website: www.artsoflife.org
Primary Contact: Denise Fisher
E-mail: dfisher@artsoflife.org

Executive Director: Denise Fisher
Email: dfisher@artsoflife.org

Mission of Organization:
Arts of Life, Inc. is a non-profit arts studio that provides adults with developmental disabilities an environment to explore and enrich their lives. The studio is a collective of artists encouraging personal achievement and building an artistic community. Arts of Life, Inc. is committed to providing high quality, innovative, services for developmentally disabled adults. The studio focuses on its artists’ needs and strives to exceed expectations. Arts of Life will continue to be characterized by both dedication to its artists and to excellence in the field of developmental disabilities.

Primary Population Served:
Adults ranging from ages 18-75 (most are between the ages of 30-40) who have a primary diagnosis of developmental disability

Avenues to Independence

Address:8846 Prospect LN
Niles, IL 60714-
Phone:(847) 296-5507
Primary Contact: Nina's V-mail 847-541-5250 ext. 602
Phone: 8472965507
E-mail: HearNoEvil71@aol.com