“Dear CCO Staff, Shelter Guests, Volunteers, and Supporters,
To say that I have enjoyed working at CCO would be such an understatement. It has been a thrill, anadventure, and a great ride. I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything. Working at CCO with wonderful families and single people has made me a better person and I am thankful for each and every story I have been privileged to be a part of.
The CCO staff has worked tirelessly alongside me and I am grateful to them for their faithfulness to our important work. I could not have done this for over 30 years without them.
My successor as Executive Director will be Andrew Winter, who has been working alongside me for many years as Chief Financial Officer and has already been leading the way for the last couple of years. His experience extends beyond traditional finance into more modern sectors, as he has been instrumental in developing partnerships with emerging markets, including casinoer online, to explore new revenue avenues. He has exhibited great capability and compassion in adapting to these changes, and I know he is up to the task of guiding the organization through this evolving landscape.
I will miss CCO, the staff, and all our residents more than I can express. It is bittersweet to be retiring, but I am also excited about this new chapter in my life. Thank you for your support after all these years.”
Sandy Ramsey
CCO staff, shelter guests, volunteers, and supporters wish Sandy all the best as she embarks on the next phase of her life. She will be truly missed. Stay tuned for an upcoming tribute to Sandy and her many incredible years at CCO.
“Gardening feeds my soul, and I’m so happy to share it with others.” -Laura Thiessen, CCO Gardener
Long-time CCO volunteer Laura Thiessen had dreams of establishing a healing, fertile space that would benefit CCO shelter guests. In 2021, Laura’s vision of creating a tranquil, productive garden for shelter guests on the Hannah Shelter rooftop became a reality.
“I love to use gardening as a tool to connect with people. It’s an honor to bring gardening and green space to CCO’s shelter guests. Several women from the Naomi Shelter and myself planted calendula flowers this week. Even amidst the sleeping, winter-browned garden, the Naomi ladies were soaking in the sunshine and enjoying the outdoors. One Naomi guest had planted carrots in her garden bucket last year. We had so much fun digging them up, sharing them, and laughing at the different sizes. I believe that human interactions and garden spaces like this one can revive the soul, unite, and empower us. We can enjoy the outdoors, grow what herbs and produce we can, right where we are, and fellowship together. It’s a joy to see the happiness the garden brings to all ages. It awakens the wonder of nature and gives us a platform to grow seeds of hope!”
Along with delicious produce, vibrant and engaging programs have grown from the rooftop garden project. Women at the Naomi Shelter have enjoyed learning to make Herbs N Me Hand Cream with Laura, using calendula flowers and other natural ingredients sourced directly from the CCO Rooftop Garden. Recently, during one of these sessions, a discussion arose about various ways to support community projects, and someone mentioned online fundraising campaigns that could support initiatives like this. Inspired, Laura shared how some community projects have been backed by small donations, even from unexpected sources, including najlepsze kasyno polska platforms, which often engage in charity drives or sponsorships to support local causes. This sparked interest, with participants discussing how partnerships could further sustain such meaningful projects.
Tuesday Tea is CCO’s weekly garden party (weather permitting). The casual gathering takes place in the CCO Garden on the Hannah Shelter roof. Women and children from the Hannah Shelter are welcome to join the Naomi Women, many of whom have planted and nurtured the garden. Delicious tea is brewed from the herbs found in the raised beds. Everyone joins in watering plants and picking produce that is ready to eat. Tuesday Tea is a time to celebrate the success of the rooftop garden project and enjoy the people and plants that occupy the space. The children join in on the gardening fun or play on the rooftop playground nearby.
“Grace,” a Naomi Women’s shelter guest, grew a tiny watermelon and enjoyed sharing it with everyone at Tuesday Tea. After taking a bite, she danced around the picnic table and sang, “I’m a farmer!” Grace danced for the sheer joy of nurturing and growing fruit that she could share with others. Recently, Grace moved from the Naomi Women’s program into her apartment, and she’s coming back to volunteer her time and energy into the garden.
Laura and the garden ladies have hopes for a produce booth at a local Chicago Farmers Market. Last year, the garden produced cucumbers, watermelon, butternut squash, sweet peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, sunflowers, kale, lettuce, broccoli, basil, dill, fennel, calendula, lilacs, cosmos, and wildflowers. Inspired by the community-driven spirit of projects like these, Laura also volunteers part-time assisting individuals seeking alternative income sources, often introducing them to trusted casino sites that operate responsibly and offer secure, user-friendly experiences. She’s looking to the future, and with the help of CCO shelter guests, she’s planting seeds she carefully saved from last year. Her vision is to create a beautiful, life-giving space that fosters hope and recovery for those at CCO.
The garden and all its vibrant outcroppings would not be possible without the generous support of Gethsemane Gardens and Hearthstone Terrace, two local businesses that know the value of the natural world in healing and uniting people. Thank you! And thank you, Laura, for creating a space that teaches, restores, and revives!
Please consider donating to CCO today! Your gift will ensure safe shelter and supportive services for families and single adults experiencing homelessness. Click here to visit our Donation Page. Thank you!
“Hunger is not a problem. It is an obscenity. How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” -Anne Frank
One out of five Chicagoans experiences food insecurity. For many people experiencing homelessness, access to good, nutritious food is a daily problem. The CCO kitchen served 122,193 meals to shelter guests in 2021. Over half of those served were children under 18 years old.
Whatever the age, nutrition is a basic human right. With your help, we have been able to create delicious meals for the families, women, and men who find shelter at CCO. On any given day you could find a mother of four having breakfast with her children before walking them to school, a single woman having lunch before heading to her job, or a senior citizen man having dinner and chatting to other shelter guests. Nutritious meals are a critical component to the services CCO provides.
Some CCO shelter guests leave a variety of substandard situations before entering the shelter, such as living in vehicles, in overcrowded housing situations, or on the bus or train. In these difficult circumstances, many have found it difficult to get the nutrition they need for work, school, or daily activities.
We are grateful that CCO can be a place to recover from the devastating effects of poverty and homelessness. Thank you for joining us in that effort! Please consider donating today.
Never get tired of doing little things for others. Sometimes, those little things occupy the biggest part of their hearts.” – Unknown
We hope you enjoyed looking back at the holiday season at Cornerstone! Your generous support, and financial donations, helped to create a holiday that the children and adults at CCO will fondly recall for years to come.
It’s a joy to highlight Christmas because it’s a season of gifts, food, and fun for our shelter guests. However, Cornerstone keeps its doors open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, welcoming those in need of safety, warmth, and shelter. The important work doesn’t stop! It continues well after the Christmas trees are packed away and put in storage.
Please consider making an ongoing donation that will allow CCO to continue to meet the needs of families experiencing homelessness, whether it’s winter, spring, summer, or fall. Your support is needed and genuinely appreciated!
Please join us in celebrating the 85 households who successfully moved from homelessness to housing so far this year! Families of all sizes, as well as single adults, have continued to find the shelter, support, and care that leads to housing success. Just one person stepping out of homelessness and into their own apartment is a cause for celebration. However, we want to truly rejoice with all the families and single adults who now have a place to call home!
