With financial support from the Maximus Foundation, The Night Ministry served more than 6,000 people experiencing housing insecurity in 2019, offering both health and youth outreach services. They also provide an emergency overnight shelter, a short-term housing and parenting program, and stable housing for high school students.

High school students live at Phoenix Hall until their family housing stabilizes, or until they graduate and move away to college. Along with providing stable housing, the staff at Phoenix Hall commit to helping students achieve their educational goals.

Janice’s* story helps illustrate how the program changes lives:

Janice* had been homeless since September 2014. In May 2018, her mother learned about The Night Ministry and began advocating for her to live at Phoenix Hall for her senior year of high school. She shares that, “staff at Phoenix Hall constantly motivated me and congratulated me on my achievements, allowing me to build the confidence I didn’t have during the years I was homeless.” Janice graduated high school and will be attending Western Illinois University on a full scholarship.

In addition to its youth programs, The Night Ministry provided more than 1,500 health assessments, prevented more than 300 trips to the emergency room, and treated nearly 800 conditions that would have otherwise been untreated. They also distributed more than 3,000 bag lunches and 2,000 hygiene kits.

Learn more about The Night Ministry.

*Name changed to protect privacy