Volunteers raise awareness for Chicago homeless by spending night outdoors

CHICAGO - Volunteers from one local nonprofit are raising awareness for the city's unhoused population – by spending the night outdoors.

Care for Friends, on Friday evening, held a sleepout in Lincoln Park to raise awareness and funds for homelessness.

"To us it’s just a great way to get the awareness out there of what folks are going through, and certainly a great way to raise funds for what I think is a really nice organization and a great cause," said F.J. Phillips, board chair, Care for Friends.

On Fullerton Parkway, you wouldn't typically find tents scattered on the lawn of the Church of Our Saviour. But for one night, that's exactly the point.

"Make people think, stop and think for a moment that it’s a cold night and maybe not everybody has a bed to go to," said Phillips.

Care for Friends, based in Edgewater, was established in 1968 through the church.  

"What we do is provide services to people experiencing housing as well as food insecurity," said Hope Pavich, executive director, Care for Friends.

For the ninth year in a row, a ‘sleepout’ has set out to make a difference.

"We have healthcare programs, we have food programs, we have partnerships that connect our guests to housing," said Pavich.

Pavich says there are currently more than 68,000 homeless individuals in Chicago. Care for Friends is working to make that number smaller.

"This is their only option, to be on the streets, and so we choose a cold night, we could do it in the middle of summer, but I think that impact is not going to be as strong," said Phillips.

This year's fundraiser is expected to raise close to $60,000 to support those in need.

Also announced on Friday, Care for Friends is expanding its reach. Its meal services will soon be offered in Lincoln Park, in addition to its Edgewater hub.

Plus, a new operations center is in the works for the nonprofit. It will be located on the Church of Our Saviour campus in Lincoln Park.

The groundbreaking is set for Sunday, March 17 and the new building is expected to be finished in the spring of 2025.

For more details about Care for Friends and its mission, CLICK HERE.