The year is flying by, and before it’s over, we want to take a moment to recognize what you’ve made possible.
Look at the impact you’ve made in 2026 so far:
- 60 households housed
- 37,707 meals served
- 45 food pantry days
- 89 on-site clinic days
- 160 backpacks distributed in August and September
- 1 new shelter launched (official opening in just a few days)!
And that’s only what we can quantify.
We also want to share a story with you about a specific client of ours, who was housed earlier this year.
In 2025, Laini and her children came to Cornerstone after a family tragedy. The massive shift in circumstances and environment was disorienting. A disability prevented Laini from working, and day in and day out she was surrounded by strangers in the shelter setting. Laini was still experiencing significant grief, and one case manager recalls that Laini was “guarded and reserved”.
Laini filled out housing applications daily. She expressed no interest in connecting further with case managers and remained distant. At the same time, Laini was struggling emotionally, and so were her children. One of her children began experiencing bullying and the trauma they had experienced in their past began to weigh more and more heavily on their mother.
Laini then sought support from staff. It was, Laini’s case manager Grace said, “the first time that Laini truly opened up, and started a beautiful collaboration between case manager and client and proved to her that in the darkest of times, grace and kindness can still be given. She was learning to trust again.”
Case management began meeting with Laini’s children, as well as with their teachers and counselors at school, and connecting them with therapeutic service through Cornerstone’s partner Resilience Psychological Services. Grace says, “With the family’s newfound village, progress was seen almost immediately. Laini was chosen for housing via the Chicago Coordinated Entry System, or CES, and placed with a housing agency.”
In spring of 2026, Laini and her children successfully moved into a home of their own. Her case manager recounts that “Laini’s story is one that we at Cornerstone will carry with us throughout our careers, as it shows the importance of trauma-informed care and the impact that it can make when we build intentional relationships with our clients and their children – ones that will stay with us long after they leave the program.”
Thank you to everyone who makes stories like Laini’s possible. We couldn’t be more grateful!
P.S. Want to be part of stories like Laini’s every month? Join the Home Team.