How fitting that the day we recognize Homeless Persons Memorial Day is the Winter Solstice: the day on which those of us in the Northern Hemisphere see the most hours of darkness and the fewest of daylight. First observed in 1990, groups nationwide now honor and remember the lives lost through vigils and memorial services.
According to the most recent report from the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, there were over 31,000 people experiencing street and shelter homelessness in 2022—31,000 of our neighbors without the stability and safety of home, who are at increased risk of harm from violence and exposure, and many of whom do not survive the experience of homelessness.
We believe that housing is a human right. We know that access to safe, clean, affordable housing saves lives and repairs communities. It’s why we do everything that we do, from our transitional housing to the over 400 units of permanent housing where women can rest and heal from their experience of homelessness.
If, like us, you envision a world where no one is homeless, and no one faces death alone in the cold of a winter night, there are a few ways you can make a tangible difference:
Donate to support our work opening doors for women experiencing homelessness.
Volunteer with us to help pass Bring Chicago Home at the ballot in March.
Thank you for being our allies in this: with you, we know a better world is possible for all of our neighbors.