Franciscan Outreach Association 

1645 W. LeMoyne Street, Chicago, IL 60622

Telephone (773)278-6724 

 

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What's New?

What's New Archives for 

February 4, 2003 to April 29, 2003

For the week of April 29, 2003 - A Wonderful Letter

     Once in a while, we receive a letter from someone who has stayed at our shelter or eaten in our soup kitchen but has moved on to a better place.  Here are some excerpts from a letter from a former shelter guest...

I just want to thank you guys for letting me stay at your shelter. ... I am enjoying being at home. I didn't know my wife could be so much fun. But she is. Her and I went shopping. We had fun together. Hope you guys are fine and well. ... 

Tell Joe my counselor I said to thank him very much with all his help he gave me. I am a better person with his help. I can understand my family and understand me better. I am going to church with my wife now. ...

I just wanted to tell all who knew me. Thanks and I love all of you. ...

Letters like this make it all worthwhile! It also helps us remember that the care we provide doesn't just affect the people who come to our programs, but all those who love them as well. Keep our guests (and staff) in your prayers!

For the week of April 15 - Sea 'em Ashore! 

Come to our Spring Benefit Dinner

 Sea 'em Ashore

on

Tuesday, May 13, 2003

at

Chicago Yacht Club

To view the invitation in more detail, click on it.

In addition to the raffle that's open to all, 

we'll also have a raffle and silent auction 

just for those who attend the dinner. 

It promises to be a fun evening!

To purchase tickets, click here.

For the week of April 8 - MAIL CALL!

     Imagine that you are homeless and living on the streets of Chicago. Now imagine that:

• Someone stole your wallet with all your identification

• You read the paper every day and would like to vote in the upcoming elections. 

• You're eligible for benefits from the Veterans Administration but have never applied for them  

• Your family lives in another city and its your birthday next week  

If you are homeless, you don't have any place to receive mail. That means...

• you can't send away for your birth certificate so that you can replace your stolen identification

• you can't vote because you don't have an address

• you cant apply for Veterans benefits because there is no address where they can respond after you submit an application

• your family has no way of contacting you

• you can't even receive a birthday card

     However, if you eat dinner at the Marquard Center or stay in our shelter, you can sign up to have your mail sent to one of our two program sites. Then you can sign up to vote, receive letters from friends and family, apply for benefits, and receive important mail. We'll hold it until the next time you come in. Its one small way to stay a part of today's society.

     Guests at the shelter ask for their mail when they check in. Guests at the Marquard Center can ask for their mail during dinner or office hours. Its just another way that we at Franciscan Outreach affirm the dignity and humanity of our guests and help them to build a better life.

For the week of April 1 - Sunday Night Trivia to Benefit the Homeless

        Would you like something fun to do on a Sunday night? Why not gather a few friends together and try your hands at a trivia contest?

        An Irish bar in Chicago called Ginger's Ale House

is giving the proceeds of its Sunday night  "Pop Quiz" to Franciscan Outreach. Teams of two to five participants try to answer trivia questions about geography, movies, current events and more. The entry fee is $5 per person - with half of the proceeds going to Franciscan Outreach. 

Where is it? 

Ginger's Ale House

http://www.gingersalehouse.com 

3801 N. Ashland

(on Ashland between Irving Park and Addison)

(773) 348-2767

When? 

Every Sunday, until further notice, at 7:30 p.m.

Are food and beverages available? 

Yes! The food is excellent. Check out their excellent 

appetizers and other food at the menu at 

http://www.gingersalehouse.com/menu.shtml 

Who can come?

Anyone over 21 (this is a bar). Teams may consist of two to five persons. The more people on your team the better you'll do!

Are there prizes?

Yes! Tickets to Zanies Comedy Club 

and a cash prize that depends on the number of people playing 

How do we keep the proceeds flowing to

 Franciscan Outreach?

Tell the contest host, Janice, that you're there because the 

proceeds benefit Franciscan Outreach. 

Any questions?

Call Diana or Patrick at (773) 278-6724. 

For the week of March 11 - Mayor Daley Signs on to Plan to End Homelessness

     Mayor Richard M. Daley of Chicago has endorsed a plan to end homelessness in Chicago within ten years. This plan, called "Getting Housed, Staying Housed," was created with the participation of a majority of the homeless services providers in Chicago. Its goal is to change the way the City and service providers address the problems of homelessness. 

The plan includes strategies to...

• stop the flow of people into homelessness

• provide more comprehensive services to those who are already homeless

• provide supportive services to formerly homeless individuals after they become housed to prevent a re-occurrence of homelessness

• maintain emergency services for as long as they are needed

     Mayor Daley is the first mayor in the United States to sign on to a plan to end homelessness. He will be making a presentation about Chicago's plan to the Interagency Council on the Homeless in Washington, D.C. next week. 

     When Philip Mangano, Director of the Interagency Council, was in Chicago, joined Mayor Daley in Chicago in January when the Mayor announced his endorsement of the plan Mayor Daley stated: “We have to do more than just manage homelessness. Our objective should be to prevent homelessness, and ultimately end it.” Mangano encouraged the development of the 10-year plan on his visit to Chicago last year, when he stated that almost anything can be accomplished if the political will to see it happen exists.

     Mayor Daley’s leadership was highlighted by Mangano in an address to the U.S. Conference of Mayors last month when he issued a challenge for 100 cities to develop ten-year plans to end homelessness by 2004. (Some of the information in this What's New was provided by the Interagency Council on Homelessness, www.ich.gov)

     A copy of Chicago’s ten-year plan, “Getting Housed, Staying Housed,” is available at http://www.endhomelessness.org/localplans/chicago.pdf

    What's Franciscan Outreach's role in this ten-year plan? We intend to...

     - maintain emergency services for as long as 

       they are needed

   and

     - expand case management services so as to 

        help those who are currently homeless 

        become un-homeless

     Your continued support of Franciscan Outreach will help to end homelessness! Send your donations today!

For the Week of March 4 - Gentrification and Hunger in our Neighborhood

     If you've visited the Marquard Center Soup Kitchen lately, you may have noticed the many newly rehabbed condominiums on our block. 

     You may wonder, as we have, whether this gentrification of the neighborhood has affected the number of guests who come to eat supper at our dining room for the homeless. 

     In 2002, even though the dining room was closed on the weekends from mid-August to mid-December, we served 47,182 meals. The average number of persons served per night last year was 144.  This average was the same as the average for 2001 and just one less than the average for 2000.

     What do our averages for the last several years look like?

     We'll keep serving as long as the men, women, and children who need food keep coming to our doors. Not long ago, we asked some of our dinner guests why they like our meal service. One of our guests, Marion, said: 

"First of all, it keeps me from starving. ... Without this program I would probably be dead." 

     Its as simple as that. Food = Life. Even though there are many new and expensive condos on our street, there are still a lot of people around who need help staying alive. We intend to be here for them for as long as they need us. With your support, we'll be able to keep that goal a reality.

For the week of February 11 - Spring Benefit Dinner

Save the Date for Our Spring Benefit Dinner

Since the Berghoff Restaurant is remodeling this year, 

we will be having our Spring Benefit Dinner at the

Chicago Yacht Club

On Chicago's beautiful lakefront!

Mark your calendars for Tuesday, May 13, 2003

(Note the change from Monday to Tuesday)

Advance tickets will be required.

Join us for a fun-filled evening of good food, friendship, and blessings for the homeless.

    Helping Hotline ...   

Help people in your church learn about homelessness.

Is there a table in the back of your church 

where you could place a stack of our newsletters?

If you think you'll you need 

someone's permission, ask first.

To request 50 newsletters, 

email Diana

For the week of February 4, 2003 - Cold and Homeless

     "Its cold out there!" is a phrase that's been on the lips of staff and guests alike here at Franciscan Outreach in Chicago. For the staff its merely an inconvenience. For the guests, it can be a matter of life and death.    

     Unfortunately, some of our guests believe the ancient falsehood that drinking alcohol will help keep a person warm. In reality, it prevents them from feeling how cold it really is and from making proper decisions about when to get out of the cold. At the Marquard Center a few weeks ago during dinner, four men we had never seen before brought a homeless person to us who had been sleeping in an alley behind a church. His fingers and toes were so frostbitten that he had to go to the hospital by ambulance.

     Every year, we hear that one or two of our guests have died from exposure. These are the individuals who's death never makes it to the pages of the newspaper. We miss them, though, and so do their friends.  

     So are we doing anything special in this cold weather? 

     At the shelter, we let our guests in early when its very cold. Normally, we start intake at 7:15 p.m. and let the guests inside the building at 8:00. On the days when its 10 degrees or colder, we let the women inside at 6:55 p.m. and the men in at 7:15. On a recent cold night, after we let the guests in early, we heard more than the usual number of guests saying "Thank you so much!" and "God bless you!" 

   At the Marquard Center, when its very cold outside, we let our guests into our vestibule a little early. Dinner still starts at the regular time.  We also give out hats, gloves and scarves upon request. We've already given out at least 350 coats and 300 blankets. We still need a few coats in sizes 3X. 

     At both sites, our case managers talk to the guests about how they're handling the cold. Cold weather is often a factor that motivates our guests to work on the difficult issues they must address in order to find a better living situation. 

     Keep our guests in your prayers as they weather the worst of Chicago's weather!

   To donate on line using     click here. 

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