By: Ashmar Mandou

Despite lower temperatures, Chicago residents will brave the bitter cold for an honorable cause, Covenant House Illinois’ annual Sleep Out Chicago event. Thursday evening, the Chicago community will show their love and concern to over 12,000 youth facing homelessness every night by highlighting their bleak reality of sleeping outdoors.
“November is National Homeless Youth Awareness Month, and as a number of prominent politicians and community leaders called out earlier this month, Chicago cannot forget about this most vulnerable community as it responds to the larger crisis of homelessness,” said Susan Reyna-Guererro, LCSW, CEO of Covenant House Illinois. “Sleep Out Chicago was created for this purpose, to provide a platform for local allies and advocates to show their support for this invisible population and raise funds to transform their lives and futures.”

According to the Covenant House Illinois, the Sleep Out Chicago event is an inspiring act of unity, “these committed volunteers are giving up their beds to shine a light on the very serious problem of youth homelessness, and raise donations to fund critical support for this threatened population.”
Beginning at 8p.m., the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) Center and Rivers Restaurant will host more than a hundred Sleep Out Chicago volunteers Thursday night. The event will include meaningful activities, life testimonies and reflections from program recipients, keeping Sleep Out focused on the event’s purpose – ensuring that Chicago’s youth facing homelessness can sleep safely. 

Covenant House Illinois program alumni, Sonmontez, fled to Chicago after violence that took his sister at a young age. He arrived without clear direction or a network of support, but found a community he could depend on at Covenant House. “I found Covenant House, and it changed my life around. They helped me with housing, they helped me with getting a job, they helped me with going to school … they welcomed me with open arms,” he said.

Thousands of Chicagoans will lend their support to the event this week. Sleep Out Chicago makes it possible for Covenant House Illinois to annually provide more than 60,000 meals, and 10,000 secure nights of housing every year. Many expanded services are possible due to renovations of Covenant House’s west side campus – completed just six months ago. With a new kitchen, more residential beds, health office and classroom space, Covenant House Illinois can provide more safe shelter, nourishing meals, education and career programming, and comprehensive services for youth experiencing homelessness. Individuals or businesses interested in joining this community-wide effort can learn more and give at covenanthouseil.org/sleepoutchicago.

Photo Credit: Covenant House Illinois