“The shelter gave me a place and helped with doctors, food, and clothes.
The team helped me with everything.”
– Sheila found refuge, training, employment, and permanent housing while at CCO
Dear CCO Supporter,
Each year, Cornerstone Community Outreach faces a gap in government funding for direct services, and this year is no exception. In 2024, we supported 592 individuals, offering safe refuge and wrap-around services to help reduce the devastating impact of poverty on the lives of CCO guests. While we continue to welcome and assist each person who comes through our doors, we need your support to extend our efforts during this ongoing funding delay.
This year the need is immediate for unique reasons. While we always rely on your gifts to close the gap in government funding, we are facing both a cash flow issue and a larger-than-normal budget deficit. Payments from the city and state have been delayed, and we have not yet been fully reimbursed for 2024 services. On top of that, city reimbursement rates have not kept pace with inflation. Recent political uncertainty in Washington, DC has put our current state and federal grant applications at risk.
Please consider making a gift in support of CCO’s critical work. Your partnership is vital to our efforts to address the urgent barriers unhoused people encounter. In order to ensure continuity of services for our population experiencing homelessness, we have set an ambitious goal to raise $500,000 by July 1. Your financial gift directly improves the lives of CCO residents like Sheila (pictured above), who found a safe place and strong support so her employment and housing dreams could become a reality.
Below is an example of the impact you can make with a gap-bridging gift to CCO:
$26 1 day’s housing, meals, and care for an individual (total cost: $52
$364 Two weeks’ housing, meals, and care for an individual (total cost: $728)
$1092 Two weeks’ housing, meals, and care for a family (total cost: $2,184)
$2,400 Average quarterly cost for one person at CCO (total cost: $4,800)
$4,400 Average quarterly cost for a family at CCO (total cost: $8,800)
Your gift will allow us to continue our mission of meeting unhoused people where they are, assisting with comprehensive support, and helping them find a home. Thank you in advance for your contribution.
If you would like to make a gift, below are the ways you can donate. Please reach out to me personally if you would like to discuss CCO and other ways to support our work.
- Donate online by clicking the Donate button above
- Call us at (872) 246-5324
- Send a check to: Cornerstone Community Outreach, 4615 N. Clifton Ave., Chicago, IL 60640
Thank you again!
Sincerely,
![](https://ccolife.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/sig_Andrew_winter_signature_sheet_sm.png)
Andrew Winter, Executive Director
Cornerstone Community Outreach
awinter@ccolife.org