Cornerstone Community Outreach

Thanksgiving and Christmas is such a confusing season. It is supposed to be the season of joy, celebration and happiness, yet many are struggling to see even a glimmer of hope. To those who are homeless, precariously housed, isolated in a SRO or institutionalized, this time of the year is often a season riddled with guilt, regret and grief.
• Guilt over not being able to provide meals or gifts for their families. Guilt over having to rely on organizations and churches. Guilt over the mystery of estranged children and the whereabouts of family members.
• Regret over relationships that have been destroyed and need to be repaired. Regret over the decisions that were once made and now having to suffer the consequences. Regret over not having a home to call their own.
• Grief over what could have been, but isn’t. Grieving over their reality of alienation and rejection. Grieving the lost of those loving family members that once invited them in. Grief over the reality of isolation.

At Cornerstone, we do our best to counterattack these feelings of depression. We offer what we can, with as much energy as we can, and with as much love as we can. This takes form in the beauty of fabulous meals, busses coming to take people to church services and feasts, entertaining shows and a mass of donated gifts and hygiene items. It is our hope and prayer that through our love and these different acts of kindness, our homeless women, men and children will taste the fruits of thanksgiving, celebration and joy.

I am pleased to report many clients have wept with joy, proclaiming that their Christmas and Thanksgiving at CCO was “their best ever.” Apart from the abundance of food and gifts, they are also blessed with the wonderful fellowship and community of people living in and experiencing the same struggle. They are surprised by the mysterious blessings; that they are able to celebrate in their turmoil.

This holiday period, I want to encourage us all to courageously to take a leap of faith. Let us embrace and truly love some lonely, alienated and rejected people. How about inviting a homeless person or displaced immigrant into our homes for the Thanksgiving meal? How about sending a Christmas card to someone in prison? How about volunteering and serving food in a homeless shelter? How about visiting someone living in a hospital, nursing home, treatment center or a SRO? How about giving some gifts to a mother who cannot afford to buy her children anything?

I want to encourage us all; let us creatively use our imaginations and be in prayer as to how we can bless the alienated, the isolated and the homeless this festive season.

Thanks to the Loyola School of Nurses who conducted a Health Fair for the Residents of the Naomi Interim Program for Women and the Epworth Day Time Drop In Center for Men.  They took blood pressure, passed out info and answered questions.  We really appreciate you!

Cornerstone Community Outreach is grateful to the Women’s Ministries of the Evangelical Covenant Church Central Conference for their Dressers for Dignity project. The 16 dressers donated will be used by mothers with children who reside at our shelter. The dressers are in excellent condition and will be a blessing to our residents for years to come!

Some of our residents were able to help decorate  six of the wreaths that will be displayed at businesses throughout Uptown.  They really did a good job and enjoyed getting in the holiday spirit.  Thanks to the Chamber of Commerce for letting us participate!

Thanks to Leo Burnett Ad Agency for kicking off our week of Thanksgiving celebration by donating food to our families here at Cornerstone Community Outreach.  Thank you for thinking of us!  We really appreciate it.

Thanks again to City Year for helping clean our basement.  You worked fast and efficiently.  Thank you for helping us in this major job!

The Chicago Examiner writer Adrienne Williams recently ran an article about volunteering at CCO. Take a minute and read what she had to say!

“Cornerstone: Giving it all up and volunteering at a homeless shelter” by Adrienne Williams

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CCO appreciates the opportunity to exchange information and knowledge with the Guangdong Delegation. We enjoyed touring this visiting group. Thanks for your interest in CCO!

CCO is pleased to become a member of Uptown Chamber of Commerce and Business Partners. We look forward to working closely with many agencies and businesses in Uptown.