Care For Friends

Care for Friends is committed to providing essential services to those in need. These include food, clothing, toiletries and basic health care delivered with dignity and respect, with a minimum barrier to entry.

It is our intention to grow the 35-year old program to be able to provide seven-day-a week services to those in need, creating trust amongst our guests which will allow them to confidently enter into programs that address the chronic issues causing their homelessness.

Delivering a three-times weekly program in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago, the organization creates and maintains a community of respect in which essential services can be delivered to those in need.

The organization's program includes a nutritious, hot meal, basic medical evaluation and triage through a foot clinic, and access to a clothes closet and supply of toiletries.

After building trust with our guests, the organization introduces them to partner organizations who can address the underlying cause of their homelessness (Lincoln Park Community Shelter, Heartland Alliance, Obamacare Navigators, etc)

Care for Friends has developed a program for high school students at Lincoln Park High School who suffer from poverty and homelessness. During the pandemic, we are providing food packages for their families and this will be a continuing program.

Care for Friends has a robust cadre of volunteer workers, representing individual community members, church groups, and corporate groups to operate the Program.

The organization has a strong network of food donors (including local restaurants, grocery stores, and food banks), providing almost all of our nutrition needs. It has also developed a strong support group of donors and organizes regular fundraising activities. We are a designated Episcopal Charity.

The organization has a full time Director and two part time employees. We also have recently purchased a van to handle food deliveries.

The organization currently operates out of space rented from a local church in a 150-year-old building. Our programs would benefit from a facilities upgrade. We are in discussions with the church for a new shared facility and have the funding to realize this.

In 2020, Care for Friends served over 12,500 guests in our Program. Notably, the vast majority of program participants were men aged 18-64, who traditionally do not have access to social service agencies.

Over 70 guests registered for Obamacare after being introduced to the benefit through our program.

We have been awarded a $3,000,000 grant from the State of Illinois to share in the construction of a new community center.