Located on Kinzie between Clark and LaSalle, we served daily lunch and dinner for 200, while also offering clothing and free medical assistance with the help of volunteer doctors.

Located in Harvey, Ill, Pilgrim Shelter served an average of 100 meals every weekday to adults and children, while also providing shelter to 30 men each night.

St. Anthony’s was a replacement for the Pilgrim Shelter and the original St. Anthony’s Inn. Transitional shelter, counseling, and training were provided to 20 men at a time, contingent on their completion of a substance use disorder program or recent release from prison. The location was sold in 1997, and became a transitional shelter for women.

Located in North Lawndale, this is Franciscan Outreach’s oldest and largest shelter. There is capacity for 227 men in two dormitories and 45 women in a third dormitory. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served daily. People have access to a dedicated case manager, daily support services, housing programs and specialized services, including medical assistance, mental health counseling, substance use disorder treatment and legal aid.

In the late 1980s, Franciscan Outreach needed a site that could house a soup kitchen, administrative offices, and living space for the Full-Time Volunteer Program. In October of 1990, we found a facility in Wicker Park. In 1995, we added our Case Management Program at this location. In addition to case management, we offered dinner and lunch during the week, showers, a free laundry service and a personal mail service.

Located in the basement of St. Peter’s Church in the Loop, Franciscan Outreach operates a Case Management office to connect guests to critical services, resources, and benefits, including legal services, public assistance, Social Security benefits and veterans’ benefits. Guests also have access to Franciscan Outreach’s shelters, housing programs and specialized services, including medical assistance, mental health counseling and substance use disorder treatment.

Located in the basement of Walls Memorial Church in East Garfield Park, Franciscan Outreach provides shelter to 70 men each night. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served daily. The men who stay at this facility, can go to the shelter on Harrison Street to visit with a dedicated case manager, and access daily support services, housing programs and specialized services, including medical assistance, mental health counseling, substance use disorder treatment and legal aid.

Located at Chicago’s Community Service Center in East Garfield Park, Franciscan Outreach operates a Day Program with case management services to connect guests to critical services, resources, and benefits, including legal aid, public assistance, Social Security benefits and veterans’ benefits. This service site is one of the only Access Points on the West Side for Skilled Assessors in Chicago’s Coordinated Entry System (CES), which connects people experiencing homelessness to housing. Guests also have access to Franciscan Outreach’s shelters, housing programs and specialized services, including medical assistance, mental health counseling and substance use disorder treatment.

Located in the Pilsen community, Franciscan Outreach operates the only shelter in Chicago that is directly focused on addressing the specific needs of men and women who are transitioning from tent-city encampments, including a safe place to sleep, three daily meals, 24-hour shelter access, storage bins and lockers for personal belongings, and a room for personal pets. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served daily. People have access to a dedicated case manager, daily support services, housing programs and specialized services, including medical assistance, mental health counseling and substance use disorder treatment.

In 2018, Franciscan Outreach sold the building in Wicker Park to reinvest in the organization’s shelter operations on Chicago’s West Side where the need is greatest. In 2019, Franciscan Outreach’s administrative office and the Full-Time Volunteer Program administrative services relocated to the Pilsen neighborhood in a building that used to be a rectory for St. Procopius Providence of God church. Franciscan Outreach oversees all program operations from this location.

On March 13, 2020, only two days after COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic, homeless services, and healthcare providers, including Franciscan Outreach, convened to address the impacts of COVID-19 on people experiencing homelessness. 100+ members from healthcare, service, and government agencies across Chicago united to support vulnerable unhoused populations. The collaborative then known as the West Side Homeless COVID-19 Response Group was later renamed the Chicago Homelessness and Health Response Group for Equity (CHHRGE).

As a founding member of CHHRGE, Franciscan Outreach was among the first to implement CDC COVID health and safety protocols to protect our staff and guests from exposure to COVID-19. Recognizing its impact on our vulnerable population, staff identified our highest-risk guests, and helped move them to Hotel Julian and other safe spaces. While operating during this unprecedented pandemic, our staff went above and beyond to provide uninterrupted services, ensure safety, and help our guests navigate past the pandemic.

This same year, Franciscan Outreach made improvements to our Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) practices to create a more inclusive workplace where all employees are respected and accommodated. All frontline essential staff were transitioned to full-time roles and all staff members became eligible for health insurance and paid sick leave, which was crucial during the pandemic. Additionally, frontline essential workers received extra COVID incentive pay due to their increased exposure to pandemic-related risks.

Franciscan Outreach launches Rapid Re-Housing Program (RRH), an evidence-based intervention to support individuals and families who lost their housing to quickly exit homelessness, minimize time in shelters, and quickly secure permanent housing while providing move-in and rental assistance.

As Franciscan Outreach celebrates our 60th anniversary of serving Chicago’s most vulnerable individuals combating homelessness.

In December 2024, FO took over SPARC (Shelter Placement and Resource Connection). It is a 24/7 centralized access point that streamlines access to Chicago’s shelter system and provides immediate support to adults experiencing or at imminent risk of homelessness.

SPARC serves up to 200 individuals daily, with the flexibility to expand capacity as community needs grow.