CCH is proud to announce that we are now on Instagram!
We will be posting new photos of our staff and leaders out in the community as they attend rallies and protests, share their stories with legislators, speak to school and civic groups, and fight for the rights of homeless students.
See us in action, and learn more about our work. Follow us @chicagohomeless.
Below are some recent photos we posted on Instagram:
Chicago Public School layoffs of more than 500 teachers and 500 support staff will disproportionately impact homeless students. Last school year, CPS identified 18,831 homeless students, which was 4.8% of its total enrollment.
Homelessness often has significant negative impacts on students — academically, socially, and emotionally. Homeless students face greater barriers to enrollment, attendance, and success in school than their housed peers. Continue reading Chicago Public School layoffs hit homeless students
Last school year, 521 homeless students were enrolled in preschool programs run by the Chicago Public Schools (CPS). This was a 32% drop from the prior 2014-15 school year, when 766 homeless preschoolers were enrolled.
Chicago Coalition for the Homeless is working to make sure that homeless children are able to attend preschool. The guide below was created to assist families.
If a parent or her/his child is living in a shelter or other temporary living situation, the child can receive priority placement in preschool programs run by CPS or funded by the city of Chicago. Also, the child can be enrolled in preschool without proof of address, income, guardianship, or other documents. Continue reading A guide to enrolling homeless Chicago children in preschool
Gloria Davis talks to Crystal Sahler about relationships, how they are always changing, and how relationships can last a lifetime.
Thank you to StorpCorps for the photo and recording.
If you would like to invite Gloria Davis, Crystal Sahler or any of other members of the CCH Speakers Bureau to present at your organization, school, or civic group, please contact jayme@chicagohomeless.org or fill out the on-line request form.
We are happy to introduce Jayme Robinson as our new AmeriCorps VISTA organizer. A three-year member of our Speakers Bureau, Jayme now manages the program.
Jayme works with Associate Director of Organizing Hannah Willage, who launched the Speakers Bureau nine years ago. Hannah leads education organizing for our HomeWorks campaign, including an Education Committee of homeless parents and students.
The Speakers Bureau is staffed by 15 people passionate about education and advocacy, the most active homeless leaders at CCH. Talking to audiences about their own lives, they speak about issues related to school access, housing and jobs, and developing opportunities for people to get back on their feet. In FY16, the Speakers Bureau spoke at 85 events, reaching an audience of 4,696 people. More than 90% of our audience is made up of students from the city and suburbs. Continue reading The past, present, and future of the Speakers Bureau
The Illinois Commission on the Elimination of Poverty held its annual listening session at CCH’s office Tuesday, this year focused on the experiences of homeless youth.
Five commissioners, including State Sen. Robyn Gabel (D-Chicago), heard about the challenges facing homeless and unaccompanied youth, including the impact of the state budget crisis.
Staff and youth clients from CCH Youth Committee members testified, including Destiny Powers, transitional coordinator at The Harbour of suburban Park Ridge, and Anne Holcomb, supportive services supervisor at Unity Parenting and Counseling on Chicago’s South Side. Continue reading CCH hosts Illinois poverty commission hearing on homeless youth
Associate Director of Organizing Wayne Richard is spending three weeks in central Europe, teaching community organizing practices through an international exchange program.
Wayne’s training sessions in Slovakia and Hungary are offered through the Great Lakes Consortium (GLC) for International Training and Development.
Since 2012, the organizing exchange has brought five of our organizers to Europe to offer training. CCH also hosted nine fellows in Chicago, with host homes provided by staff and board members Rich Goldstein and Jaquie Algee. Continue reading Wayne Richard teaches community organizing in central Europe
Registrations are available as the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless brings its annual golf outing back to the Willmette Golf Club for a second year.
Set for Monday, August 8, the event kicks off with a grilled lunch at 12 noon and tee-off at 1:30 p.m. After golfing, participants will enjoy cocktails and a dinner reception, with the opportunity to bid on fabulous silent auction prizes.
This year’s outing is again presented by our good friends at American Chartered Bank.
Dedicated to the memory of John “Juancho” Donahue, CCH’s 14th annual golf outing raises critical funds for its work to curb homelessness in the Chicago area. Continue reading Registrations available for August 8 golf outing
In the last week, we have all borne witness to the killing of two black men at the hands of police. The deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile are as distressing and unnecessary as were similar tragedies that have come before, in Chicago and across the U.S.
The American reality is that if you are black, you are more likely to be killed by the police than if you are white.
This pattern repeats itself when it comes to homelessness. Continue reading We stand with Black Lives Matter
Chicago Coalition for the Homeless and its Law Project has awarded renewable $2,500 college scholarships to five students who succeeded in high school while coping with homelessness. Funded by private donors and grants, CCH has already awarded more than $235,000 to 50 students since 2004.
Presented on June 23, the 2016 scholarship winners are Nia Hill, Dontay Lockett, Ayrianna Longs, and Amber Doris Rodriguez of Chicago, and Claudia Kubarycz-Hoszowska of west suburban Elmwood Park.
Also honored were 15 rising sophomores, juniors and seniors, earlier scholarship winners who will receive renewals of $2,500. They attend the Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois College, DePaul, DePauw and Western Illinois universities, University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC), and two historically black colleges, Benedict and Tougaloo. Continue reading CCH presents its 2016 college scholarship winners
