"Chicago HOPES for Kids provides students with the resources and encouragement needed to succeed academically, despite the challenges of homelessness."
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Rita Kahn
Executive Director Wishing you a happy and healthy spring season! Unfortunately, the weather is not cooperating with our desire to start celebrating the end of winter, no surprise to any life-long Chicago residents. April is April, enough said about that. Despite the weather, we are excited to be doing some spring cleaning and sprucing up of our program sites with the help of All Nations Foundation. They have requested wish lists for each of our sites and are supplying furniture, cabinets, bean bags, bookshelves, and more to make our program spaces more functional and inviting for our students. The All Nations Foundation is a newly established organization on the southeast side of Chicago. They are launching an “Access” Campaign to raise awareness of the need for literacy and technology for those in need. We are excited to begin this new partnership and grateful for their generous investments in HOPES program spaces. Thank you for your support and commitment to children experiencing homelessness in Chicago. |
Erica Walker
Program Director Greeting friends, Spring semester is underway at Chicago HOPES for Kids! Our twelve active programs are running at partner sites including Good News Partners, House of the Good Shepherd, Cornerstone Community Outreach, Primo Shelter locations in Austin and Englewood, Family Rescue, Frieda’s Place and the South Chicago branch of the Chicago Public Library. |
The Need for Transportation: How Our Streets Facilitate Homelessness
By: Matthew Friedland AmeriCorps State and National By car, train, bike, bus, or simply on foot, the ways in which we choose to travel grants us the freedom to go where we want or need. Unfortunately, mode of transportation is not a choice for many. The expenses of purchasing and insuring a car, maintaining a bike, or the price of a bus or train ticket all limit the number of places and resources in which those experiencing poverty or homelessness can access. Low-income neighborhoods often lack fresh food grocery stores and jobs, meaning residents often have to travel further than those in wealthier areas to access food and work. |
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Spring is here and our volunteers have been working hard to instill a love of reading in our students this semester! This month, we are highlighting Ivy McMullen, a volunteer at one of our Northside sites. Ivy is from Metro-Detroit, Michigan and has been in Chicago for the past five years. She is a graduate of Michigan State University and works as a Packaging Engineer.
Q: Why did you decide to volunteer with HOPES? “I decided to volunteer with HOPES because I wanted to find a way I could support a Chicago community in need, in a meaningful way. |