Inclusive Community
Central to the HNPCA's mission is making
our community inclusive and safe for everyone.
A Warmer Welcome
[updated November 2024]
Approximately 500 people are currently living in the shelter on Foster Avenue in our neighborhood. The City is closing other shelters and consolidating its shelter system; this means that our shelter is filling up again. Families currently at the shelter are very recent arrivals who are legally seeking asylum and a new start here in the United States. Many have work permits; their kids attend local schools. They are hoping to find jobs and apartments. The need for assistance is great. For the past year and a half, our neighborhood has already risen to the challenge in dramatic fashion; please join us as we continue to meet the needs of this community.
We are committed to supporting the dignity, safety, and health of the families who reside at the shelters.
WE NEED VOLUNTEERS!
We are hosting a welcoming meal for families who live at the shelter on Saturday, December 7, from 2 to 6 p.m. We will serve food, distribute winter gear, and connect people to community resources like healthcare and childcare. We need community members to fill a variety of volunteers roles. Please sign up
here:
Items purchased from the Amazon Wish List should be shipped to the gift registry address. This will ensure shipment to the Alderperson's Office; their staff will then take the items directly to shelter families.
In collaboration with Alderperson Samantha Nugent, State Senator Ram Villivalam, neighborhood volunteers, and community organizations, we have coordinated a variety of efforts:
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collected approximately 50 carloads of new and used clothing for children and adults of all ages;
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hosted a weekly gathering in a local park to socialize, share food, and distribute needed items;
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completed a donation drive in the fall of 2023 with local schools and community institutions that gathered over 800 blankets and hundreds of needed items like highchairs, baby-changing stations, clothes, shoes, diapers, toys, and hygiene products; and
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convened a group of community stakeholders to support the operation of the shelter and to improve the care of our recently arrived neighbors. The working group has included City officials, 39th Ward Alderman Samantha Nugent, Swedish Hospital, North Park Covenant Church, North Park University, Chicago Public Schools, community volunteers, and leadership of the Hollywood-North Park Community Association.
Please make your contribution today!
In 2020, we launched a series of community conversations to address race, policing, and safety. In 2021, we created a multimedia project called "People of North Park" designed to celebrate the diverse people and stories in our neighborhood.
