“I lost my job” – Unhoused Seniors

“I lost my job because I am 60 with diabetes.

I got laid off due to the pandemic,

and my job never took me back on.”

– a Naomi Shelter Guest

For over 30 years, Cornerstone Community Outreach has welcomed unhoused neighbors of all ages into safe, supportive shelter. The doors swing wide for everyone, from families with newborns to senior citizens and all ages in between. The post below will focus on persons 51 years old and over who have found shelter at CCO in 2021 & 2022.

In 2021 – 2022, in the CCO Naomi Shelters, 187 people (40%) of guests were ages 51 and older. Nationally, the number of unhoused older adults continues to rise.

Many factors play a role in the “graying of homelessness.” The death of a spouse or family member with whom the guest shared a dwelling and costs is one cause. The emotional and financial toll of loss reduces the likelihood of maintaining housing. It’s harder to pay the bills alone. For those walking a financial tightrope, the results can be catastrophic.

Other guests indicated job loss, age discrimination at job interviews, behavioral healthcare issues, and chronic physical health challenges or a combination of these as primary factors. Age discrimination blocks guests from getting and maintaining a job. Employers often hire newer, younger employees who receive lower wages. Shelter guests who have worked blue-collar jobs often have the added issue of declining health due to decades of physically demanding work. Among the guests at the Naomi Women’s Shelter, several women over 50 with university degrees and years of work experience struggle to find employment.

Systemic issues contribute to the rise in older adults experiencing homelessness. A few of these factors are weak safety nets, incarceration, an increasing lack of affordable housing, and the end of COVID assistance.

Remaining in housing is a growing challenge for older adults. Senior citizens receiving Social Security face rising rental costs on a fixed income. A seemingly small financial issue can force someone from their housing. Compelled to choose between prescription medication, food, utilities, or transportation, low-income adults struggle to make ends meet. Loss, medical issues, or a behavioral health crisis can disrupt the fine line that keeps older Americans housed. When this balance shifts, homelessness can ensue.

Since the pandemic, unhoused seniors face longer subsidized housing wait lists and stricter protocols. The circumstances point to the need for shelter and services for those who lose housing and accessible subsidized housing to keep homelessness from recurring.

Older single adults need a place to recover from the destructive effects of poverty and homelessness. Case managers at the Naomi Shelters for Men and Women work to build trust with new shelter guests. From that foundation of care, staff can assist guests in finding jobs, housing, healthcare, and a sense of community.

Please consider making a donation that will support single adults at CCO today. Thank you!

For further reading visit –

Justice In Aging – Low-Income Older Adults Face Unaffordable Rents, Driving Housing Instability & Homelessness

USA Today – America’s Homeless Ranks Graying as More Retire on Streets

2022 Christmas Photo Album

The 2022 Holiday Season brought joy and cheer to the families and individuals sheltered at CCO. Each child received a stocking filled with toys, treats, and a new pair of pajamas. They each wore their new pj’s to the CCO Christmas Party, where they got to meet Santa, receive gifts, and celebrate the holidays with their family. The Christmas Party featured CCO Board President Chris Spicer as Santa Claus, loads of sweet and savory treats, and a hot chocolate station. The crowd went wild when Santa arrived with his bags of gifts!

The celebrated season would not be possible without volunteers who made the party exceptional. Thanks to all who worked as elves in Santa’s Workshop, sorting, wrapping, and decorating Christmas presents for the big day. Christmas at Cornerstone would not be possible without your generous donation of toys for children and gifts for teens and adults. Many thanks!

We hope you enjoy the 2022 photo album. Enjoy the smiling faces found in it!

Photo Credit: Nathan Cameron

CCO Family Portraits with Santa

CCO Christmas Party Album…

You can support families at CCO by making a financial donation today!

CCO Staff & Christmas Volunteers…

2023 Charitable Resolutions & Team CCO

Are you looking for a 2023 charitable fitness resolution? Only 9 Team CCO guaranteed entry slots remain for the 2023 Bank of America Chicago Marathon (BACM)! Secure your spot today and become part of a dedicated team committed to providing shelter, meals, and wrap-around services for families and single adults experiencing homelessness!

Running for a charity is a great way to support a work you care about. It opens the doors for friends and family to throw their support behind you for a good cause.” Click here to learn more about Ted Jindrich and his commitment to charitable fitness and CCO. A long-time Team CCO runner, and board member, Ted has participated in 14 marathons since 2015 and has raised thousands of dollars for CCO shelter guests.

Most of us haven’t run one marathon. That’s ok! Team CCO welcomes walkers, joggers, and seasoned runners to participate. Your charitable fitness and fundraising goals will make a difference in the day-to-day lives of families and individuals experiencing homelessness. People like Sandra found critical help at CCO. Click here to read about Sandra’s Path to Peace. Last year, funds raised through Team CCO provided nearly 2,000 nights of shelter and over 6,000 meals!

Are you ready to join the team? Click here to visit the BACM Charity Team page. Once there, click the “Participate with this charity” button. Also, be sure to complete the Team CCO Participant Waiver form. See the image below for instructions.

Running the Chicago Marathon isn’t for everyone. We understand that. Perhaps you’d like to support CCO by donating new or gently-used items or making a financial donation. Whatever you choose, we are deeply grateful that you have partnered with CCO to provide shelter to vulnerable Chicagoans. Thank you!

Sandra’s Path to Peace

“The path to peace is a lifelong journey. Sometimes you’re on a paved road. 

Sometimes you’re walking on a gravel or dirt road.

 It’s still your journey. It’s not just for a bit of time. It’s for a lifetime.”

Sandra

“My daughter Isabella was only 11 years old when we had the most surreal conversation of her young life. It was a Saturday morning in June of 2021. Secretly, we discussed the abuse we faced daily. We were no longer going to be told we were worthless and substandard. We decided it was time to leave my husband and California behind. Together, we looked at a map of the United States and chose Chicago.

From that moment forward, we quietly and methodically carried out our escape plan. Isabella and I came back from the laundromat with fresh, clean clothes. We folded and placed them carefully into Isabella’s dresser we had emptied earlier. To anyone looking on, it appeared that we were doing regular household chores. Internally, we were fighting a storm of fear mixed with absolute determination as we prepared to go. It was all done in stealth mode, very fast, very ‘hush-hush.’ When my husband left Monday morning, we took the clothes, identification, and precious photos out of Isabella’s dresser and put them into our suitcase. Lisa, Isabella’s beloved teddy bear, came along with us. We were moving halfway across the country, leaving the certainty of pain in California. The uncertainty of the unknown lay ahead. Inwardly, we felt a gentle gust of hope roll over us as the bus carried us away.


I was only seven years old when my mother died. She passed away two days after my youngest sister was born. It was as if a bolt of lightning had struck our family. In a flash, everything changed. I had grown up with abuse from my stepdad. When my mom died, my two older siblings and I were shuffled back and forth between our three aunties’ houses. My three younger siblings, which included my baby sister, were put with their biological grandmother, my stepdad’s mom. She was a violent woman and thought my younger siblings should never see us. We only lived five houses away from each other in a small Mississippi town, but we were a world apart. Sometimes my little brother would sneak over to see us. She would come flying down the road beating him and dragging him all the way home. He just wanted to see us. These memories of fractured relationships have stayed with me. They influenced the decisions that have formed my future. 

Scarcity also played a role in my life. My upbringing was impoverished. Everyone I knew was struggling to get by. I’m not ashamed of my background. I believe it’s what made me want to go into social work. I felt driven to be part of the solution and help others. I worked hard in school and went on to college. I graduated from Mississippi Valley State University with a degree in Social Work. Through college, I learned to set goals and achieve them. My friendships became like family. I began to grow a strong support network and understand its importance. As I worked toward my degree, I could feel the variability and chaos of home replaced by a set routine with some sense of order. I understood that my life experiences could help and benefit others. Little did I know that in the future, the splintered pain of the past would grow into a vast support network for myself, Isabella, and other families with similar experiences.


The Greyhound arrived at the Chicago Station. Isabella and I were free from our life in California. Tired and apprehensive, I held onto the hope that in Chicago, we would find a home where we wouldn’t endure endless criticism and torment. I found a rooming house-type situation on the Southside of Chicago. It was just a bed. No meals. No help. We had to walk several miles to a dollar store to buy food. We had arrived in a food desert. It was tough. I knew we needed to get out of there and find a place that offered us some assistance and practical support. From my phone, I Googled “Homeless Shelter for Families.” Cornerstone popped up, so we got on a train and headed to the north side. Hannah Shelter had space for us! The kitchen had put a few plates of food aside. That night we dined on spaghetti, coleslaw, and chicken. We came hungry, the food was good, and we were glad to have it.

I was 35 when we arrived at Hannah Shelter. Most parents living there were in their early 20s and had younger children. The younger moms came to me for advice. I worked in social services in Los Angeles. I was glad to offer help, encouragement, and resources that could get us on our feet. We were in it together. It felt good to use my education and work experience to help others. 

While living at Cornerstone, I was allowed to train as a Life Coach. The training empowered me to start my own life coaching business, Path2Peace. Subsequently, Chicago Hopes asked me to facilitate parent support groups for the moms at Hannah Shelter. Chicago Hopes (CH) is a non-profit that provides academic support, mentorship, and services to parents and children experiencing homelessness. CH offers these essential services inside Hannah Shelter, so it is accessible for shelter guests. One day, I was meeting with the Family Engagement staff person,  I told her, “Your job is so cool. I would love to have your job.” Then she left! Chicago Hopes offered me the job. That’s how I became the Family Engagement Administrator! They only interviewed me as a formality. The job was always mine. I continue to do parent workshops, but I love my new position. It was another opportunity to uplift young moms recovering from homelessness, poverty, and abuse.

Isabella and I spent this Thanksgiving with my baby sister and my other siblings. My baby sister and I have been talking a lot. We hadn’t had a relationship until last year. Now, we’re making up for lost time! We weren’t able to be sisters before but we’re grown now. We don’t need someone to tell us whether we can talk to each other. Nobody is going to whoop us for behaving like sisters. And that’s what we are. 

Like our first meal at Cornerstone, our first meal in our new home was spaghetti. I felt gratitude and immense pride as we set up our new place. I knew it would be a home filled with love and safety, a true home. After a year in our basement apartment, we were able to move up to another unit in the same building. We cleaned out the old space and gave thanks. It cared for us that year that we lived there. That year of new beginnings and new relationships on our path to ever-growing peace and connection. 

I recalled the field trip we took to the zoo just a few days before moving from the shelter into our apartment. I felt free at the zoo with the moms and kids from Hannah Shelter. It was a warm summer day, and the sky poured. We all began screaming, laughing, and running in the rain. It seemed like everyone felt a surge of joy and peace at that moment. No matter what we had all been through, we were together. We supported each other through the hard times and the good times, too. I felt like the deluge ended all the pain and mistreatment. It was the end of homelessness and the end of being abused for Isabella and me. It was a perfect way to end it all.”


“She was bent but not broken.

She fainted but did not fail

and rose to the challenge to overcome each obstacle thrown her way.” 

– Shirena Houston, Hannah Shelter Program Manager, when asked to comment about Sandra


“I want to thank my Program Director and Case Manager,

Shirena Houston,

and the Cornerstone Community Outreach staff

for your love and support during one of the lowest moments of my life.”

– Sandra


This true story was written from conversations between Sandra and Beth Nicholls. 

Names have been changed. 

CCO Christmas Donations

Thank you for your interest in partnering with CCO to make a joyful Christmas experience for our families and single residents. You can choose to give financially, purchase gifts through our official Amazon Wish List, or make an appointment to drop off new gifts at our Donation Center.

Give a Financial Donation for Christmas

 

Give a Gift for Christmas

 

If you would like to give a Christmas gifts to Families and Single residents at CCO, go to our Amazon Wish List and see gift ideas from individuals, children, and parents. If you would like to purchase gifts from other retailers, contact our donation center, by email at donate@ccolife.org, about gift ideas and schedule a time when you can drop off your newly purchased gifts.

Please send new un-wrapped gifts to:
Cornerstone Community Outreach – Christmas Elves
4615 N Clifton Ave
Chicago, IL 60640

Winter Gear from Turtlefur

In August, CCO received a box of hats and neck-warmers from Turtlefur as a part of their Project Warmth. All the staff in the office was so excited not only to receive quality winter hats and neck warmers for people experiencing homelessness, but to receive them early before the cold season starts.

It’s hard to think about the cold winter months when beaches days and backyard BB-Qs are still happening. The reality is that many people don’t start thinking about providing winter gear to people experiencing homelessness until the weather has already changed. It is possible to get snow in late October in Chicago and with many coat and winter gear drives starting in November there is sometimes a gap in our available cold weather clothing and coats.

If you are considering a coat drive for CCO, think about starting it in September. As fall blows in with colder temperatures the need for coats, hats, scarves and gloves comes as well. If you would like to drop off donations of winter gear, contact out Donation Center to schedule an appointment.

Through Turtlefur’s Project Warmth, people who have purchased Turtlefur products can add the hashtag #projectwarmth to photos of themselves wearing their Turtlefur products, tag @tutrlefur, and share to the social media platform of their choice. Turtlefur will then donate a hat or neck warmer to people in need. Thank you Turtlefur for providing quality winter gear to people experiencing homelessness in our programs and thank you to all the individuals who participated in Project Warmth.

Go to Turtlefur.com to find out how you can participate in Project Warmth

No Gift Too Small

Eve Haycock, Naomi Program Director, was visiting friends and a young lady found out she worked at CCO. She was very curious asking many questions about the shelter and the people living there. This young person was moved by Eve’s description of CCO’s work with people experiencing homelessness and wanted to donate something to encourage and help the residents. She gave Eve the sketchbook she had been drawing in all year to encourage people to have hope in hard times. Then she gave all the money she saved over the summer from her allowance.

We at CCO are so grateful for this young ladies gift. It may seem small on the surface but the gift of hope goes deep into the hearts and lives of those who have little. This donation of hope may be the best gift we have received all year. Thank you.

CCO Back to School Rally 2022

Thanks to the amazing CCO staff, East Bank Club and Grace and Truth Church volunteers, donors, and partners; the children at CCO enjoyed a Back to School rally with games, activities, treats and a reptile show. Celebrations are so important at CCO and this rally is a great way to encourage and prepare kids for a new year of learning. It’s an opportunity for families to have some fun, get new school supplies and get excited for the coming school year.

On Wednesday afternoon, the kids had a pizza party with a reptile show hosted by Alison of Curious Creatures on Broadway, providing an opportunity for kids and families to experience and learn about animals in person. Local cartoonist, Tim “Spike” Davis, drew cartoons for the kids to color. Anna Ingerson did face painting, Isaac Ingerson did balloon twisting, and the staff facilitated more fun and games. 

Along with fun the kids received a backpack, school supplies, and new shoes thanks to our many donors and partners. Chicago Public School and DFSS provided basic school supplies for each child and CCO donors supplied backpacks and supplemented other supplies. We partnered with several local businesses to collect backpacks and supplies. Combined with donors purchasing items from our Amazon School Supply wish list and financial contributions through our GoFundMe page, CCO was able to outfit each child with a backpack, new shoes, and supplies for the school year. 

Thank you to East Bank Club and Grace and Truth Church for volunteering. Thank you Everybody’s Coffee, Uptown Farmers Market, Hearthstone and Terrace, Uptown Underdawg, Immanuel Anglican Church, and Emerald City Coffee for collecting backpacks and supplies. Thank you to all our donors who purchased items from our Amazon Wish List and gave financially through our GoFundMe. You are helping to ready our students for school and giving them another step towards quality education.

A Little CCO Ingenuity

CCO is excited to partner with individuals and organizations to find creative solutions to everyday problems that our staff and clients face. Recently, CCO received a large donation of restaurant, wire shelving from Starbucks through Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago. Even after the CCO kitchen and pantry were outfitted with new (to CCO) shelves, there were still many shelf parts left. The CCO staff found themselves trying figure out what to do with the extra shelf pieces and had a brilliant idea. WARDROBES!

Finding robust, spacious and hygienic storage for our client spaces is a tall order and most options are unavailable to CCO. With a few modifications, the CCO staff was able to construct wire rack wardrobes from the Starbucks shelving for our clients. The new wardrobes are being placed in the family rooms at the moment but we would like to expand their use to all CCO client living spaces.

Thank you to Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago and Starbucks for providing the materials and thank you to the CCO staff for providing the ingenuity and manpower to make this improvement to our clients lives.

Donate for Back to School

I know, I know school just got out. And we’re talking about Back to School already?! Yes we are.

During the 2021-2022 school year, CCO had an estimated 60 students enrolled in Chicago Public School. Now that they are going back to the classroom for in-person learning, our younger residents have many school needs. CPS wonderfully provides a box of school supplies for each child at CCO, however when it comes to Back to School that is just the tip of the iceberg. Kids need backpacks, lunchboxes, school uniforms or new clothes, new shoes, and miscellaneous supplies like calculators, extra markers and crayons.

So, CCO has started a GoFundMe and an Amazon Wish List for the Back to School needs of our student residents. Please consider a financial donation and/or donating school supplies to give young CCO residents a better chance of success in school. Thank you.

https://www.gofundme.com/CCO-back-to-school-2022

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/ch/list/36-3670992

If you are local in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago, you can go to these businesses that have a CCO Back to School box and drop off items there for CCO residents.

Everybody’s Coffee 
935 W Wilson Ave, Chicago, IL 60640
Monday-Friday 7-2 Sat-Sun- 8-3


Uptown Farmers Market
Wednesday 2-7
Broadway and Clifton 


Hearthstone and Terrace
1329 W Wilson Ave, Chicago, IL 60640
Mon-Sat 11-6


Uptown Underdawg 
1122 W Wilson Ave, Chicago, IL 60640
Sun 11-5 Tues-Sat 11-8


Emerald City Coffee 
1224 W Wilson Ave, Chicago, IL 60640
Mon-Fri 7AM–4PM Sat 7AM–3PM Sun 8AM–3PM