Street Samaritans

Today, we’re giving a huge shoutout to our Associate Board - a group of passionate, dedicated individuals who amplify our mission, support our programs, and bring energy, creativity, and heart to every project. 💛

Your time, talent, and advocacy make a real difference for people experiencing homelessness in Chicago. Thank you for everything you do!

Interested in getting more involved? If you’re looking for ways to volunteer, lead, and make an impact alongside a group of amazing changemakers, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out to learn more about joining our Associate Board!

🤝 Everyone has a role to play in ending homelessness.

Our 2025 CHNA asked people what THEY think each sector should do:

✅ NONPROFITS: Comprehensive support that continues after housing placement. Staff who listen with patience and dignity.
✅ BUSINESSES: Jobs and barrier removal- not charity. Work phones, flexible addresses, transportation assistance.
✅ GOVERNMENT: Affordable housing with faster placement. Less bureaucracy. Employment that pays enough to afford rent.
✅ COMMUNITY MEMBERS: Acknowledgment. Kindness. Seeing people as human.

People experiencing homelessness told us exactly what would help. The question is whether we'll act on what they've told us.

Full roadmap: https://streetsamaritans.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Community-Homelessness-Needs-Assessment-2025.pdf

As this week of gratitude comes to a close, we’re reflecting on what truly matters: connection, compassion, and commitment to one another.

Every act of kindness creates a ripple — one that can lead someone from surviving to thriving.

As the season of giving begins, help us walk alongside our neighbors with dignity and hope.

Donate today or sign up to volunteer at our next outreach drive- we need you!

This , we’re giving a huge THANK YOU to Bombers BBQ - a true hero in our community! 🍗 For years, they’ve donated 100 hot meals every month to our unsheltered neighbors, showing up with generosity and heart.

If you’re in Munster, stop by Bombers BBQ this weekend to enjoy incredible food while supporting a business that gives back. Every meal you enjoy helps fuel their mission of care! ❤️

Are you a business that wants to make a difference in the lives of people experiencing homelessness? Let’s connect! Together, we can create a city where everyone is seen and supported!

The leftovers are packed away, but for many in our city, hunger never leaves the table.

Today’s a day to pause - to remember that gratitude isn’t a one-day event. It’s a daily practice of compassion, awareness, and community care.

Help us keep the spirit of Thanksgiving alive year-round by donating today at donate.streetsamaritans.org

Today, we give thanks for every person who has welcomed connection - whether on a sidewalk, in a shelter, or at a family table.

Gratitude lives in the simple act of seeing one another.

From all of us at Street Samaritans: Happy Thanksgiving. May your day be full of warmth, compassion, and the reminder that we’re all part of one human family. 🧡

As we prepare for Thanksgiving, our hearts are full of gratitude — for every volunteer who’s shown up with compassion, every donor who’s helped someone find home, and every person who’s trusted us to walk alongside them on their journey.

Gratitude isn’t just about what we have. It’s about how we show up for one another.

This week, we invite you to take a moment to reflect: What are you most thankful for — and how can you pass that gratitude forward? ❤️

💬 "Its not easy but its always gonna be ok."

"I appreciate you being out here & showing up. You could pray all day but if I don't do anything about it nothing gone get done."

"They should understand that homelessness is something that everyone can experience."

These are actual responses from our 2025 Community Homelessness Needs Assessment.

Behind every statistic is a person with hopes, wisdom, and something important to say. People experiencing homelessness are the experts on homelessness.

We asked. They answered. Now it's our turn to act.

Read their full responses: https://streetsamaritans.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Community-Homelessness-Needs-Assessment-2025.pdf

⏰ 63% have been homeless for MORE THAN ONE YEAR.

11% have been homeless for over a decade.

The longer someone remains unhoused, the greater their risk of premature mortality, chronic disease, and untreated mental illness.

These aren't numbers. They're neighbors. They're people surviving years of conditions that dramatically shorten life expectancy.

Our 2025 CHNA shows we need both rapid rehousing for newly homeless individuals AND permanent supportive housing for those who've been on the streets for years.

Different circumstances require different interventions. One-size-fits-all approaches fail.

Full report in our bio!

🎓 84% completed high school or higher.
32% have college experience.
18% are veterans who served our country.

Education doesn't prevent homelessness. Service to country doesn't prevent homelessness.

What these statistics reveal: When systems fail, credentials don't matter.

The people experiencing homelessness in Chicago are educated, motivated, and often have years of work experience. What they lack isn't skills or effort, it's access to systems that work.

Our 2025 Community Homelessness Needs Assessment challenges every assumption about who experiences homelessness and why.

Read it: https://streetsamaritans.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Community-Homelessness-Needs-Assessment-2025.pdf

🏘️ 56% of people experiencing homelessness in our survey were Black.

Black residents represent 30% of Chicago's population but 56% of those experiencing homelessness.

This isn't coincidence. It's the result of redlining, discrimination, employment barriers, and decades of disinvestment in Black communities.

When families can't build wealth through homeownership, they lack the financial cushion that prevents housing crises from becoming homelessness.

Our 2025 CHNA reveals how racial disparities in homelessness tell a story of structural exclusion, not personal failing.

Ending homelessness requires addressing the systemic conditions that creates it.

Full report:
https://streetsamaritans.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Community-Homelessness-Needs-Assessment-2025.pdf

📱 35% of people we surveyed have NO phone or email access.

Think about what that means:

❌ Can't call 311 for emergency shelter
❌ Can't receive housing placement notifications
❌ Can't get callbacks from employers
❌ Can't be reached by case managers

In a society where everything requires digital access, over 1 in 3 people experiencing homelessness are completely cut off from the systems designed to help them.

Our 2025 CHNA shows this isn't a technology problem- it's a barrier to survival.
What if we simplified access instead of making it harder?

Read the full report:
https://streetsamaritans.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Community-Homelessness-Needs-Assessment-2025.pdf