Pride Month Spotlight: The Night Ministry

To celebrate Pride Month, the Trust will spotlight LGBTQ-serving organizations that contribute to fostering a safe and inclusive community by responding to the most pressing needs of Chicago’s LGBTQ community. Check back throughout the month for more profiles.

Serving the needs of Chicago’s homeless population since 1976, The Night Ministry provides human connection, housing support, and health care for those who are unhoused or experiencing poverty. 

The organization began with Rev. Tom Behrens, a minister of the United Church of Christ, helping homeless individuals out of the trunk of his car.

Throughout the organization’s history, The Night Ministry has provided hope for unhoused and unstably housed youth, adults and families.

The Night Ministry advocated for legislation permitting youth shelters in 1989, which, until that time, state law prohibited, leaving an estimated 10,000 youth without a safe place to sleep at night. Passage of the legislation paved the way for The Night Ministry to open one of Chicago’s first shelters for young people who were not wards of the state.

In 1990, the organization launched its health outreach program, utilizing a mobile approach to provide free primary medical care, including HIV education and prevention, on the streets of Chicago. The program, which pioneered the use of rapid HIV tests in the early 2000s, has expanded its reach over the past three decades, bringing free health care, food, and supportive services to neighborhoods across the city.

The Chicago Community Trust has continued to provide grant support to The Night Ministry, most recently to address trauma for children and youth, as well as general operating support of The Crib, an emergency overnight shelter program for young adults between the ages of 18-24. The Crib is recognized for its LGBTQ-competent services.

“The Night Ministry is a leader in the field of youth homelessness both locally and nationally. They use evidence-based data to shape programs and utilize trauma informed interventions and restorative justice practices to support clients and allow them to thrive. Their inter-generational approach for providing support to trauma impacted children and youth is unparalleled.”