“Can I get some socks?” CCO staff often hear this question. A clean, warm pair of socks is not only essential but a great encouragement to our homeless residents. Joy Williams has donated new socks for our single mens shelter. She has intentionally set aside 10% of the profits from her small knitting business to suppor…t the homeless in this way. Thanks, Joy!
We have posted pictures of Joys knitwear that can be found at littlepearl.etsy.com
News
Posted by ccobeth
on March 31, 2010
Business, Donations, Homeless-Shelter-Updates, News, Special Projects, Support / No Comments
Business, Donations, Homeless-Shelter-Updates, News, Special Projects, Support / No Comments
Cornerstone Community Outreach has served Chicago’s homeless population for over 20 years. This short documentary reflects the work of CCO through the experiences of shelter staff and residents.
length:11 min
http://www.vimeo.com/9651501(video made by www.manifestmedia.de)
Dear Friends,
Hello! The holiday season has come and gone, and it’s hard to believe that we are already in February of a brand new year.
I thought you might be interested in some CCO highlights from the past few months. Life is always exciting at the shelter, and the holidays have been no exception. Your interest and concern on behalf of our shelter residents is such a blessing to all of us. I hope you find this letter informative and helpful. So much of what we do would not be possible without you.
November Highlights
November 2009 included a visit from Moo Moo of the Harlem Globetrotters, who graciously posed for pictures and signed autographs for our residents. A local TV station came looking to interview some of our people on the issue of hunger and how it had affected them before they became homeless. A major ad agency downtown in Chicago shared their Thanksgiving party food with us. On Thanksgiving Day several churches and volunteers made sure that all our residents enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving meal. The holiday season had begun.
December Highlights
In December we helped celebrate the 20th anniversary of Heartland Health Outreach, who have contributed so much toward the health and well-being of our residents. They focus on residents who might be hesitant to seek out medical services for an array of reasons, so Heartland Health Outreach provides healthcare services at Cornerstone each week.
The holiday celebrations continued, with decorated trees arriving for our families from a large corporation. Another group brought Christmas meals and backpacks, and still another brought socks, hats, and gloves. An area church held a Christmas party for the children, with food, arts, and crafts, while another church held a special dinner for the 65 single men. Everyone enjoyed what is turning out to be a yearly holiday concert featuring a wide variety of Christmas music. The kids experienced the arrival of three different Santas. Our single ladies enjoyed a wonderful Christmas party complete with a talent show and prizes, gifts and more good food. Our single men received gifts and Christmas stockings filled with goodies. We handed out gifts to the families, with each child receiving at least six toys, and passed out candy and chocolate to adults who enjoyed feeling like little kids at Christmas.
Throughout the season, we were entertained by Sean’s loud laughter, found out that Walter likes oranges, listened to
Danita’s poetry, and heard from Alan that he found a place to live in the suburbs. At the closing of the year it was great to see good things happening every day.
January Highlights
Our families started 2010 with the traditional New Year’s meal of ham, black-eyed peas (the eyes of God upon you),
and cornbread. Truly, we feel the loving eyes of God upon us all.
January brought harsh weather in which the call was put forth to bring in those who had been sleeping outside on the frozen pavement. The dining room became a temporary warming center and pillows were passed out to grateful recipients. We began talking with our new arrivals to see how we could best help them.
Also in January we celebrated the one-year anniversary of managing our 65-bed men’s shelter program. What a privilege that has been! More volunteers came to work for us on Martin Luther King Day, sorting and hauling clothing in our Free Store. Then we got ready to host another four-week job-preparedness training on-site for so many of our people who are trying to find employment. A late Christmas present to all of us involved Sean getting his own apartment. Watching him go up the walk to his own front door and put the key in the lock has already been a highlight of our year.
Another blessing in our life is past President Emeritus of the Evangelical Covenant Church, Glenn Palmberg, and his friends, who have been working closely with us on major projects such as completing our much-needed elevator. Great excitement there, but more details later.
Finally, this year we ask you to join us as we celebrate 20 years of Cornerstone Community Outreach providing shelter to thousands of homeless people. What an amazing privilege and responsibility it has been for us, with all of you at our side. We could not do this without your support and encouragement. We will keep you posted on our progress as we continue to find jobs and housing for so many people. Please feel free to come and visit us whenever you can.
Sincerely,
Sandra J. Ramsey
Executive Director
Cornerstone Community Outreach
check out our website: www.ccolife.org • or facebook: www.facebook.com/cornerstonecommunityoutreach
Resumes… Resumes…. Resumes.. We have started the procedure to help people get ahead. First we set up an account in gmail. Next we send an email with a template resume. We uploaded that to google docs. The client gives us access to the resume and this allows the job counselor, John Koons, to help edit the resume right on line with client. Helping people takes a small army of people who reach out to those who need help.
Our process teaches people how to go to a computer and check email, edit documents, and send the documents to perspective employers. In today’s world you can live without a phone but not email…
Yesterday we were thrilled to have our new Chicago Department of Family and Support Services Commissioner, Mary Ellen Caron, and Deputy Commissioner of Homeless Services, Jim LoBianco, visit us at our Sylvia Building here on Clifton Avenue. Also present was Brady Harden, Jr., President of Inner Voice and Bobby Roberson, Director of Facilities at Inner Voice. We enjoyed touring Commissoner Caron and Deputy Commissioner LoBianco through our entire Sylvia building with its Emergency Response Programs for Families and For Women, as well as touring the Day Time Drop In located on the first floor. Then we all met again at Epworth United Methodist Church where our program for 65 single men was just getting under way for the evening. Commissioner Caron was very interested in all that we were doing and extended her support to us in our programs. Thank you Commissioner Caron and Deputy Commissioner LoBianco! We really appreciate you both!
Bobbie Roberson, Commissioner Mary Ellen Caron, Brady Harden, Sandra Ramsey, Deputy Commissioner Jim LoBianco
What a wonderful treat our residents had when the Robert Morris Culinary students prepared and served appetizers before dinner last Thursday evening. They arrived dressed in full chef uniforms and served our families trays and trays of beautifully prepared appetizers. Thank you Robert Morris students and head chef instructor for this wonderfully, creative idea!
Shown on WTTW on May 27th,” The Life of a Homeless CPS Student”
We look into the life and challenges of a homeless 11-year-old Chicago Public School student, and learn what the city’s school system does to help.
Courtesy of Chicago Tonight.
What?! Yes , come out on June 20th to the Hunger Walk .
The Hunger walk helps raise funds for Cornerstone Community Outreach ( CCO) and the Greater Chicago Food Depository. The Hunger walk is a 2.5 mile walk along Beautiful lake Michigan leaving from Montrose Harbor. And by participating in the Hunger walk you can help feed CCO’s homeless people.
You can help in two main ways;
- first sign up to walk- make sure you sign up as a walker for CCO,
- second – give. Our goal is to raise $6,000.
We spend over $200,000 a year in maintaining and feeding over 400 people daily. We spend $40,000 yearly on food purchased just from the Greater Food Depository. If we can get 31 walkers and raise at least $1,000 we will get bonus points , which translates into credits for food for our homeless women, men, and children.
Every dollar we raise is credited to our account. So we need you to come and walk or give but be sure to sign up specifically with CCO so that our account is given credit for your participation. Below is the link for more information and for easy access to sign up and/or give. Thank you for caring for the homeless.
-Eve
There will be more info on the way…
Congressman Rush, a long time supporter for social justice in Illinois, scheduled time to visit Cornerstone Community Outreach today.
Welcomed by Sandy Ramsey, Executive Director of CCO, Lyda Jackson, Volunteer Coordinator, and Susan Heiss, Office Administrator, they gave Congressman Rush a tour of the facilities.
Along the way, Congressman Rush was able to meet and talk to residents and staff from the shelter. Getting a look at where the families, women, and men stay, there were great opportunities to chat with Congressman Rush. Even the children, who were waiting for lunch with their parents, enjoyed a moment with him.
Congressman Rush with Sandy Ramsey at Cornerstone Community Outreach
We are very thankful that Congressman Rush was able to visit Cornerstone, and we look forward to the ongoing relationship with him.
On Wednesday more than 24 Marines came and helped out at Cornerstone Community Outreach, as a part of Marine Week 2009.
Talking with the residents, playing with the children, serving meals, and sorting mountains of donations kept them busy all day. The hauling of over 200 bags of donated clothing and bedding up six flights of stairs showed what great shape the Marines were in.
The Sylvia Center doesn’t have and elevator, and both the residents, and the supplies, go up and down the stairs all day long.
One Marine mentioned that he hoped that people know the need for an elevator, and that everyone would help raise the money for it.
CCO greatly appreciates the efforts of the Marines and the support staff to make this event happen, and be so much fun.
US Marine Corp, 24 amazing men and women.
Check out the Marines official news story on their website here.
