- Franciscan Outreach Association
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What's New Archives for
October 5, 2004 to December 31, 2004
Today we join one of our guests in celebrating a new beginning in his life. He was born into a family on the West Coast around 1950. His life was never easy, but when his father died it became quite difficult. He was willing to work, but had difficulty keeping a job. In fact, in his adult life he's worked and lived in over 30 different states.
For the last few years he's been living out doors in Chicago, under viaducts and in the parks year-round. He currently earns a little money by salvaging scrap metal and other items from the things that people put out with the trash in the alleys of Chicago. His health isn't too bad, but he's beginning to feel the effects of his age.
This man came to the Marquard Center for dinner several times. While he was here he heard from some other guests that our case managers could help him get an ID card. He soon connected with one of our case managers and worked on getting his ID. After that, our case managers helped him sign up for a Link Card (food stamps).
For most of the time that he'd been living outside recently, he and a friend were watching out for each other. But this changed when our case managers helped his friend get a single-room apartment of his own.
So the guest we're celebrating today asked our case managers if he, too, might be able to get an apartment. He'd been thinking about how living in the cold isn't as easy for him as it used to be, but he never thought that he might be able to have a place of his own. And without a buddy, life on the streets could be downright dangerous.
Together the guest and the case manager located one of the few available single-room apartments in the city, filled out an application, scheduled appointments, and waited. Today this guest moved into a single-room apartment. Its the first time in about 15 years that he's had a place of his own.
Please keep this guest in your prayers as he adjusts to his new life in the New Year. Major life-changes like this are not always easy - fortunately he'll have the continued support of our case managers.
We expect that we'll publish more details about this guests journey in our next newsletter. If you're not on our snail mail list to receive the newsletter, sign up here. You can't care about what you don't know about - so get our newsletter and stay informed!
Christmas
is a time when Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus into the world. One
way of thinking about the Christmas event is to consider that it continues
to this day.
In a new book by Sr. Ilia Delio, OSF, entitled Franciscan Prayer, Sr. Ilia considers the spirituality of St. Francis of Assisi, St. Clare of Assisi, and St. Bonaventure (an early Franciscan leader and a Doctor of the Church). She writes...
For Clare, the transforming power of prayer (as a deepening of love) leads to imitation because it leads to a spiritual birth of Christ in one's life. One becomes, in Clare's words, like Mary "who gave birth to a Son whom the heavens could not contain..."
She writes about the idea of "spiritual motherhood" that was popular in the Middle Ages and still has meaning today. She notes that this idea was summed up by St. Francis when he wrote...
"We are spouses when the faithful soul is united by the Holy Spirit to our Lord Jesus Christ. We are brothers, moreover, when we do the will of His Father who is in heaven; mothers when we carry Him in our heart and body through love and a pure and sincere conscience; and give Him birth through a holy activity, which must shine before others by example."
"To give birth to Christ, for Francis (and Clare) is to let the love that is in our hearts shine through in our lives." writes Sr. Ilia. "When love transforms our actions in a way that Christ is "represented"-- then we become mothers, sisters, and brothers of Christ."
At Franciscan Outreach, we bring Christ into the world to answer the prayers of the homeless who depend on the goodness of God for their very survival. As Sr. Ilia says in her book: "The poor often pray with their whole heart and soul, with their whole being. They reveal an openness to God and are not afraid to share their lives with God." We answer their most basic prayers by providing the food and shelter they need to get through the night and the practical help they need to improve their lives.
Everyone who joins us in this holy activity is mother, sister, and brother to Christ. Our part-time volunteers, full-time volunteers, donors, directors and staff all let the love in their hearts shine through in their actions. All of us make Christ's love present to the homeless of Chicago.
May the blessings of Christmas be with the homeless and all who help them in this season in which we celebrate wondrous events!
You can order Sr. Ilia Delio's book, Franciscan Prayer, through St. Anthony Messenger Press. You can participate in the good work that happens at Franciscan Outreach by clicking here.
This week, we share a story of a couple who had come to Chicago from Tennessee and suddenly found themselves homeless.
They were going to stay with their grandmother and hoped to find better jobs than were available at home. When they got here, though, they found that their grandmother was no longer well enough to maintain her own home and had moved in with her daughter.
They didn't have much money left and so they called the City's helpline, 311. They were directed to our Franciscan House of Mary & Joseph shelter, where they both were able to stay for the night. Roy, one of our case managers who was conducting outreach in the men's dorms, spoke with the man. He told him to come to the Marquard Center the next day so that they could work on finding a better solution to their situation. When they arrived at the Marquard Center, they talked to Roy and to Ambryn, another one of our case managers.
Together
they figured out that if the couple could get to St. Louis, they would be
able to stay with another grandmother there and look for work in St.
Louis. The case managers consulted with
Nick, our Interim Case Management Director. Nick called their grandmother in St. Louis
and confirmed that they would be able to stay with her if they could get
to St. Louis.
Nick then contacted another agency that provides funds for some emergency situations. He described the circumstances and was able to secured funds to get them to St. Louis by bus.
In the time before the funds were received, however, the couple encountered further hardship. The husband found a day labor job for several hours, but by the time he finished work and got back to the shelter, there were no more beds available. Because his wife didn't want to leave him alone outside in the cold, they both spent the night under a viaduct.
On December 14, Nick picked up two checks made out to Greyhound buses for two one-way fares to St. Louis. He presented these to the couple, who are now on the road to a better life. Keep them in your prayers as they try to find work in St. Louis.
Your support of our case management program helps keep case managers on staff so that we can help our guests move on to a better life. The more often we help a guest leave the shelter for a better life, the more beds we have available for those who are left out in the cold. If you'd like more details about our case management program, contact Diana.
Is full disclosure about how income and expenses something you value in a charity? You can view our tax returns on-line at www.guidestar.org.
When you get to the Guidestar website, type our name "Franciscan Outreach" in the "Search for Non-Profits" box. Choose our name from the results offered. You'll see our listing, but to get details you have to "sign up" by creating a password. (Signing up does not appear to add you to any email lists.) Once you sign up, you can see our federal tax returns and other information about us.
You'll see that we don't pay high salaries, our income and expenses are very close (and sometimes even not breaking even). We put your donations to good use in our programs right away - helping to provide shelter, food, and assistance in building a better life to approximately 6,000 different homeless individuals each year.
If you'd like further financial information about us, don't hesitate to ask. Contact Diana with any questions or requests.
Would you like to do something
special for the homeless this Christmas? On any given day near the end of
a month, which is when Christmas occurs, we expect to be serving 250
guests at our shelter and another 180 or so at our soup kitchen.
Wouldn't it be great if we
~ Chicago Stock Exchange and Old St.
Patrick's Church - together providing 250 sets
~ Clear Channel Communications - 25 sets
~ The Ridell Family - 10 sets
We still need 135 more sets. If you're willing to provide one or more hat-gloves-scarf sets, we'd like to hear from you! Gloves must be warm winter gloves, no "magic mini-stretch" gloves. We need mostly sets for men. Please don't wrap the set - but you could tie it together with a ribbon if you'd like. We'd like to have them a week before Christmas.
Contact Diana at diana@franoutreach.org or (773) 278-6724 if you'd like to make Christmas a little warmer for our homeless brothers and sisters.
UPDATE !! Through the generous response of What's New readers, we will have enough hats, gloves and scarf sets for all 400 guests who'll be with us on Christmas. Thanks you to all who've promised a set! If you'd still like to participate, we need sets all winter long for new guests. Contact Diana if you can donate a set.
One day at dinner we invited the dinner guests at the Marquard Center to sign a thanks you card for someone who had made an extraordinary contribution to Franciscan Outreach. Most of the guests simply signed their names, but many also wrote a few words of thanks. We share these with you today, in the spirit of Thanksgiving.
“Thank you for your help. It’s nice to have a place to go in a time of need.” –SF
“Thank you for the food everyday. God bless you.” J & P
“Thanks to you, my belly stays full.”
“Thanks for all you do.” JT & family
“Thank you for your generous support. God bless you.”
“Thank you for the good food.”
“Thanks for your blessings.” –JS
“You are heaven sent. God bless you.”
“I like the food.” --EK
“I truly thank you for your kindness. Your gift is really a blessing. Thanks again.” --MY
“Thank you for your help and support. God bless.” –DB
“Thank you for the many wonderful blessings.” –P & M
“Two words—thank you”
“In appreciation for all the wonderful things you guys do for us all year around. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. God bless you.” --H
“Thanks to St. Francis’ servants, we survive” –Y
“From a long time person, you helped life easier. God bless you.” --JG
“Thank you for helping me with my life.” –JR
“God bless you. Thank you to everyone at the Marquard Center for your help and support.” –RM
“Thanks for your kindness.” --WH
“Thank you so much –appreciative client” --CW
To this we add our thanks for your continued support of the work we do. May all of you have a blessed Thanksgiving Holiday!
For the week of November 16, 2004 - Pictures from our Fall Dinner...
A fun time was had by all at our Fall Benefit Dinner at The Chicago Firehouse Restaurant. For a photo tour, click on the photo below...
Have you bought your tickets yet for the Fall Benefit Dinner at the Chicago Firehouse Restaurant on November 15? All who attend will have the opportunity to bid on the following great silent auction prizes...
Roundtrip airfare for 2 to
any Southwest Airlines destination
Framed original oil painting
Dinner at Meson Sabika in Northfield
Waterford Crystal vase
Set of Waterford Crystal Candlesticks
China Doll
Magnum of wine
Handmade crocheted blanket
Wok with Chinese cooking accessories
Baskets of 3 bottles of wine with
$35, $50, $75, and $100 values
Ceramic Avon collectors’ figurines
Nativity Set from Avon
Napier necklace
His & Hers Pulsar watches
European coffee
2 BP/Amoco gas cards of $50 each
Handmade crocheted lap blanket
Crystal vase
Fox & Obel gift basket
Computer
For the week of
October 26 -
A New Look for the Shelter's Kitchen
Click on the photo below for a photo
tour.
The result of their efforts is a
brighter kitchen,
which will be easier to keep clean.
We thank all who labored during the day
for their assistance, especially volunteers Al & Ted. We are very
grateful to the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, in
Springfield, for donating the metal tables and shelves that made the
transformation possible. Thanks also to National Waste Service for
donating the use of one of their dumpsters.
For the week
of October 19 -
Eye Exams for 98 Guests!
On Wednesday, October 20, Franciscan
Outreach was blessed with the services of a team of eye care professionals
from VOSH-Illinois, thanks to a grant from the Pearle Vision Foundation.
VOSH, which stands for Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity, is a
humanitarian organization with a mission to bring better sight to those
communities in the
One guest, Linda, commented that "the
doctors really take the time out to get the readings right. That's
good for people like me who have no medical assistance. I have no
income but I've needed my eyes checked for a long time." The doctors
noted that the group was truly needy, every one in real
By 1:15 pm, 98 individuals had been
seen by the doctors and had picked out their frames. Within 4-6
weeks, they will each have a brand new pair of glasses. They will be
able to see clearly. One of them, Kathleen, expressed the sentiment
that "it's just great to have doctors who render this service." We
couldn't agree more. We are truly grateful for the generosity of
both VOSH-Illinois and the Pearle Vision Foundation.
The
team of professionals from
VOSH-Illinois,
with
Nick Benedetto, FOA's Interim Case Management Director
and a member of VOSH-Illinois,
who set up this domestic mission
For the week of
October 12 -
Who's on the Street?
Last March, a team of volunteers that
included two of our full-time volunteers canvassed the City to survey
anyone they could find who was living on the streets. The survey was
coordinated by the City of Chicago, the Chicago Continuum of Care, and a
host of social service organizations. Data was compared to data for
persons living in shelters.
The results of the survey are now out.
So, who are the people living on
the streets of Chicago?
An estimated 2,531 persons live on the
streets or public spaces such as parks, abandoned buildings, vehicles, or
public transportation. (The survey estimated that an additional 7,156 are
living in shelters.)
80% of those living on the streets are
male (only 40% of people in shelters are male)
72% are African American; 18% are
White; 8% are Hispanic (similar to those in shelters)
98% of those living on the streets do
NOT have children with them (only 37% of those in shelters are without
children)
55% of those on the streets are aged 41
to 60 (50% of those in shelters are aged 21-40)
13% have served in the Armed Forces
(11% of those in shelters are veterans)
-- 57% suffer from alcohol abuse (in shelters only 23%)
-- 42% from drug use (in shelters only 27%)
-- 39% from mental illness (in shelters only 29%)
-- 25% from a physical disability (in shelters, 17%)
-- 12% from domestic abuse (in shelters, 19%)
-- 6% from HIV/AIDS (in shelters, 3%)
-- 8% from another disabling condition (in shelters 4%)
***** many suffer from more than one condition
Our guests at our soup kitchen and
shelter have characteristics more similar with those living on the streets
than with the majority of those in shelters.
For the week of
October 5 - Join us at our Upcoming Dinners!
Our annual Fall Benefit Dinner will be
on
Monday, November 15
at the Chicago Firehouse Restaurant.
Join us, along with
Dana Kozlov of CBS 2 News,
for a
memorable dining experience in
an immaculately restored turn of the
century
firehouse in the South Loop.
A silent auction will follow dinner.
To
view the invitation, Tickets
are $100 each.
click here.
Click here to purchase
tickets.
Can't wait until November to have a good time
while helping the homeless?
Get the
kids
and head over to the
Spaghetti Dinner and Sock Hop
on
Saturday, October 16th
at
Andrew High School in Tinley Park.
Have fun with the DJ from Diamond
Entertainment
and enjoy a delicious meal courtesy of
Salinas Catering.
Click here
or on the invitation for more
information.
To buy tickets, email Diana at
diana@franoutreach.org Go to
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world
which have little or no access to vision care. They regularly
conduct missions in third world countries, but also recognize that there
are many communities here in the U.S. with little or no access to vision
care. Franciscan Outreach guests form one such community.
Our
guests, most of whom had been pre-screened over the past week, lined up early outside the Marquard Center
for their chance to be
seen by the eye doctors and receive free eyeglasses. When the doors opened
at 9:15 am, there were more than 50 people in line. They came into the dining room, received
a breakfast pastry, and waited their turn. VOSH team members
helped guests through diagnostic tests, exams by the 6 optometrists, and
choosing frames for their glasses.
need of glasses. Several of those seen had severely impaired
vision. Several cases of glaucoma were detected. (We
will work to find appropriate care for them.) Many of the guests
needed bifocals, which means that they had difficulty with both near- and
far-sightedness. The glasses that they receive will help them both
with seeing things up close and seeing into the distance.
click here.
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