October 17, 2006 to May 18, 2007

For May 18, 2007 ~ How Many Persons Into Housing?

One measure of our success at Franciscan Outreach is the number of persons we have moved off the streets and into housing. How many persons did we help move into housing in 2006?

General Case Management at Marquard Center - 33 persons

General Case Management at Franciscan House - 21 persons

General Case Management at our downtown outreach sites - 22 persons

Streets to Home Initiative (funded by the Chicago Dept of Housing) - 12 persons

Shelter Linkage Team at Franciscan House (mental health outreach) - 29 persons

                                  Total = 117 persons off the streets in 2006

Thanks for your support in 2006. If we can raise more funds in 2007, we can hire more case managers and increase the number of persons we can help get housed in 2007.

For April 17, 2007 ~ Our Spring Benefit Dinner - "A View From the Dunes"     

A difficult climb

on a hot summer day

brings a beautiful view

of far, far away.

Franciscan Outreach case managers

inspire our guests to climb out of homelessness

Our food and shelter sustain them on the way

You can help our homeless guests reach the top of their potential

by supporting our Spring benefit dinner

Come to

Monroe Street and the Lake

 Tuesday, May 15, 2007

 Cocktails at 6:00 pm ~ Dinner at 7:00 pm ~ Raffle and Silent Auction

 Reserve your tickets now—Tickets $100 before May 10, 2005; $125 after.

 RSVP to Carin at

Franciscan Outreach Association

1645 W. LeMoyne, Chicago, IL 60622 (773) 278-6724 

or buy tickets on-line at www.franoutreach.org/donate.htm 

Silent Auction prizes are needed for the dinner.  If you have anything to donate, contact Carol.

For April 4, 2007  - Mental Health Links at Franciscan Outreach ~ Computers Needed

           One significant need that our guests have is access to mental health care. The Shelter Linkage Project consists of two full-time and one part-time mental health outreach workers who collaborate with our shelter staff and our case managers to link our shelter guests with mental health services.  The project was developed by Franciscan Outreach , Thresholds, and Heartland Health Outreach in conjunction with the Illinois Office of Mental Health. It is funded, in part, by the Chicago Department of Human Services. 

          The Shelter Linkage outreach workers rendered the following services to the guests at Franciscan House during 2006:

Help! We need at least two good computers for our staff. They must be Pentium 4 or better to handle the programs we use.  We do not need any monitors or keyboards at this time. If you can donate a computer, contact Diana.

For February 15, 2007 - Buy your tickets for Art From the Heart Now

    Experience the work of local artists

          Enjoy wine, cheese and appetizers

      Bid on artwork & silent auction prizes

                    Learn how we help the homeless - tour our dining room

                        Enjoy music by Jeff Churchwell 

Your ticket price helps bring food shelter, and one-on-one help to the homeless of Chicago.

Tickets are $25 in advance ($35 at the door).  To buy tickets, go to our on-line donations page. Type in "Art Event" in the comments box.  This is the first year we're having this event, so please help us make it a success by attending!

Parking is limited, so please walk or take public transportation. Free delivery of artwork.

Buy your tickets today! We will not be mailing an invitation to all our donors,  so buy your tickets on-line here or call Carin at (773) 278-6724. To donate art, sponsor the event, or get an email-able flyer, contact Carol at (773) 278-6724.

For February 8, 2007 - The Cold Hard Numbers

How is attendance at our shelter during this extremely cold weather? (If you don't live in Chicago, you should know that daytime temperatures for the last week have ranged from below zero to the single digits.) Since we are filled to capacity almost every night, the unmet demand is best judged by the number of persons we have to turn away because we are filled to capacity. We call this our "Turn-Away" rate.

This is lower than the actual number of persons who may need our shelter because if a person seeks shelter with us but is turned away, it is less likely that they will return the next night even if they need shelter. 

First of all, we had a record breaking January. Here are the Turn Away numbers for January for this year and the last 9 years...

Our January Turn Away rate was the highest month we've ever had - and we've been keeping records since 1998.

In the first seven days of February, we've turned away 36 persons. We turned away a man on 21 occasions so far this month and a woman on 15 occasions. Here's what the days looked like...

We generally turn away fewer persons in the beginning of the month because many of our guests find other shelter when they have cash from checks that come out on the first of the month. But that break runs out fast - as you can see by last night's number, below. Here are the numbers for this February and the last 9 years...

How can you help?

• Support our shelter with your donations. Our shelter struggles to make ends meet. Your donations help keep us here for as long as we are needed. We need your help to keep doing this work. Make a donation at our on-line donations page.

• Support our case management program with your donations. We need to add more case managers to help get people off the streets. Moving people to better housing situations is the best way to make more room available at our shelter.

• Stay informed about Chicago's Plan to End Homelessness - what's working and what isn't.

• Donate hats and gloves - we are currently out of them at the shelter (as of Feb 7 - if a few weeks have passed since today, call Carin to see if we still need them.)

• Help spread the word about our programs - Send a link to What's New to a friend with a personal note, volunteer for an event (like our Art Event on March 3 - see below - we need volunteers), put newsletter in your parish, connect us to your workplace, make a matching gift, remember us in your will, volunteer at our shelter, etc. Contact Diana or Carol for more info.

Tickets are on sale now for our new event: Art From the Heart on March 3 at the Marquard Center. For info see our Art From the Heart page.  To buy tickets, go to our on-line donations page and type "Art Event" in the comments box when you buy tickets. We also need volunteers and silent auction prizes.

January 26, 2007 - Art From the Heart - a new event at the Marquard Center!

We have a brand new event happening at the Marquard Center on March 3rd. Join us for "Art From the Heart." For more information, click here. Enjoy wine, cheese & appetizers while viewing original art by local artists. We'll have a silent auction for the art and other interesting things to buy. All proceeds benefit our programs for the homeless. Its a new event for us Come help us make it a success!

To buy tickets, go to our on-line donations page and type "Art Event" in the comments box when you buy tickets. Contact Carol for an email-able flyer (773) 278-6724.

For December 29, 2006 - Our Guests are Talented!

     When you think of homeless persons, what is the image that comes to your mind?  You might be surprised to know that many of our guests have hidden talents. Consider...

     David - This guest was homeless after becoming disabled from a motorcycle accident. He didn't have enough insurance, couldn't work, and lost his apartment. He tried to follow his passion of writing music. He moved to Chicago because of the wider range of opportunities for musicians here. "There is so much to do artistically and culturally," he said. He has self published several CDs - "Country-western, blues, other strange stuff," as he describes it. Once our case managers met him, they were able to find him an apartment quickly. He is now housed and often comes to the Marquard Center to eat..

     Alex - This guest is writing a book about his life experiences. He is also disabled because of an accident. Among other events, he once hitchhiked to see a speech by Dr. Martin Luther King. He has 90 pages written at last count. Our case managers helped him apply for disability benefits and then helped him find an apartment. He also comes to Marquard to eat. He volunteers here sometimes too. "I kind of always liked being able to help people," he said.

     Please pray for these guests and the other 6,800 persons who come to our doors each year. Every one is a unique individual - good thing God is big enough to know them all! You can read more about these guests and other happenings here in our Winter newsletter - watch your mailboxes next week!  If you don't receive our newsletter by mail but would like to, you can sign up here.

For December 22, 2006 - Christmas Greetings From Franciscan Outreach (and Pooch Walk Photos)

        How Will We Remember This Holiday Season?        

        This will be the eighth year that I am celebrating Christmastime at Franciscan Outreach.  One of the more memorable experiences that I had some years ago, was at the House of Mary and Joseph. 

       I was working on Christmas night.  The county police brought in a man who had just been released from prison and he had no place to go.  I felt sorry for him and happy that we were able to give him a bed.  It seemed so odd to me, having celebrated Christmas with good friends that there are people with no other place to go on Christmas except the shelter. 

        The other times that I have worked both at the Marquard Center and the shelter, I remember a quiet, serious and reverent atmosphere. Sometimes, we become family and friend to our guests.  I’m sure that they appreciate it.  

         This year and every year, TOV, a very vibrant group of Jewish people come to serve at the Marquard Center.  One year, FOX News picked up the story on Christmas Eve, reporting that Jewish people like to do good works on Christmas so that Christians can spend the day with family and friends.  

          Christmastime at FOA can be a memorable experience.  May your memories of Christmastime this year be filled with grace and blessings.

                                                                                                        ~ Fr. Larry  

More news from Franciscan Outreach...

      We've posted photos of Pooch Walk 2006 (finally!). You can even order prints of yourself and your dog.  Click here to view 2006 photos. Our thanks go out to Phil Marty for his fabulous photography skills. (The delay in posting them was mine, Diana's, not his.) For ordering info, go to www.franoutreach.org/photoorders.htm  All proceeds benefit the programs for the homeless at Franciscan Outreach. If you'd like a reprint of a photo from the portrait photographer that you purchased at the event, contact Diana directly.

For the week of October 27 - Fall Benefit Dinner

I planted.

Apollos watered.

But God gave the increase.
So then neither he who plants is anything,

nor he who waters,

but God who gives the increase.

For we are God’s fellow workers.  

                                            ~1 Corinthians 6-7, 9

God gives the increase,

but its up to us to plant the seeds of good works

and water them with the resources necessary to accomplish the task.

Join us in supporting the work of Franciscan Outreach Association

and help God bring forth a bountiful harvest of opportunities for the homeless of Chicago at

The Fellow Workers Dinner

a benefit for the programs that help the homeless who come to the doors of

Franciscan Outreach Association 

Thursday, November 9, 2006 at

The Chicago Firehouse Restaurant

1401 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois

Cocktails at 6:00 pm ~ Dinner at 7:00 pm

Raffle of a deeded timeshare & Silent Auction

Reserve your tickets now— Tickets $100 on or before November 6, 2006; $125 after. Tables of 10 for $925. RSVP to Carin at (773) 278-6724