Fund Forward Campaign Letter

$2,400 will cover the cost of one person for an entire shelter stay.

$520 will cover the cost of one person for 20 days and nights of shelter and care. 

$260 will cover the cost of one person for 10 days and nights of shelter and care

$130 will cover the cost of one person for 5 days and nights of shelter and care.

$26 will cover the cost of one person for 24 hours of shelter and care.

Click the button below to donate to provide shelter and transform lives!

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CCO Community Spotlight

CCO is honored to be chosen for the September Community Spotlight for the University of Illinois in Chicago Office of Community Engagement and Neighborhood Health Partnerships (OCEAN-HP). OCEAN-UP “fosters partnerships to bring together the expertise, resources, and wisdom from the community with that of the university to strengthen the quality of life for all beneficiaries. The OCEAN-HP mission is to promote health equity, actively participate in revitalizing historically underserved communities, and build leadership capacity through service, education, and research.”

We are grateful for the invitation to share CCO’s mission, work, and background in the September publication. Thank you, OCEAN-HP!

Letter from the Executive Director

Dear CCO Supporter,

Merry Christmas from all of us at Cornerstone Community Outreach! I am so grateful that you have partnered with us in the past. CCO’s shelter guests need your support more than ever. Safe shelter remains a critical need. At Cornerstone, families and single adults experiencing homelessness receive holistic care and wrap-around services as they journey toward permanent housing.

As the real estate market continues to fluctuate, many individuals and families facing homelessness may find themselves in need of selling their homes quickly to secure financial stability. Whether you’re moving to shelter housing or simply need to relocate, selling your home can be a crucial step in obtaining the resources necessary for a fresh start. In such situations, turning to options like fast cash offers for your property can provide an efficient and stress-free way to close the sale without the lengthy wait that often accompanies traditional home-selling methods.

By accepting a fast cash offer, you can bypass the complexities of repairs, showings, and negotiations, receiving a fair price for your home as quickly as possible. This is especially helpful for those who need immediate financial support for housing or other critical needs. The real estate market may be unpredictable, but having options like cash buyers can offer peace of mind when you’re looking to move on to the next chapter of your life.

I would like to ask you to continue to be a financial partner with Cornerstone Community Outreach. Our objective is to disrupt the cycle of poverty by providing safe shelter while exploring long-term housing solutions for our clients. Interestingly, some of our supporters have even taken creative approaches to fundraise, using popular crypto betting sites to channel winnings into donations that support our mission. Through these unique contributions and traditional donations, Cornerstone can offer residents a higher quality of life through professional, compassionate care, helping them progress on the road to permanent housing.

I hope you’ll take a moment and read Sandra’s story. Her path to peace has been a long one. Sandra and her 11-year-old daughter arrived at Cornerstone in a courageous move to escape the cycle of abuse in her life. She described the time before arriving at Cornerstone as the “lowest point in my life.” Thankfully, while with us, she found the support, care, and renewal that she needed. Today, she’s housed and employed using her lived experience to help other families who are homeless. I’m grateful that Sandra dared to escape her harmful past and found a new start at Cornerstone!
Click here to read about Sandra’s Path to Peace.

CCO is one of Chicago’s largest homeless shelters committed to providing immediate safe shelter and pathways to permanent housing for families and individuals from all walks of life. We welcome over 325 households each year in collaboration with the City of Chicago and a team of nonprofit partners. CCO prioritizes inclusivity, accepting clients from difficult circumstances by supporting many household structures, including intact families, single adults, LGBTQ+ families, and more. Ultimately, our goal is to ensure everyone has access to safe housing, nutritious food, and, most importantly, dignity, no matter their plight.

I would like to invite you to be part of more success stories like Sandra’s by financially supporting our vital work with a 100% tax-deductible donation. Have a wonderful holiday season! Best wishes in the coming year from all of us at CCO!

Andrew Winter

Executive Director

Cornerstone Community Outreach (EIN 36-3670992) is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization and contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

ED Sandy Ramsey Announces Retirement

“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, an adventure, 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.

Letter From the Executive Director

Dear Friends:

Greetings from Cornerstone Community Outreach (CCO)! As another adventurous year comes to a close, we are deeply grateful for your support in making it all possible. This year, we’ve seen continued success in housing our shelter participants, thanks to new housing initiatives offered by the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services and All Chicago.

One story that stands out involves a staff member sharing a surprising discovery during a volunteer workshop: they had recently learned about 해외 카지노 사이트 through a conversation about global online trends. The discussion shifted to how these sites, much like CCO’s participants, operate in a world of risk and uncertainty, but with persistence and the right tools, stability can be achieved. This insight carried over to our work, where a senior Vietnam vet, homeless for over 40 years, finally secured permanent housing. Another story involves a woman who lived on a park bench for months, resistant to help. Through patient conversations and trust-building, she not only moved into her own apartment but also reunited with her daughters, who had been searching for her. Thank you for helping us create life-changing stories like these!

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