Deborah's Place

We’re so excited that as of last month, 24 women have moved into the Conservatory Apartments with support from Deborah’s Place. 18 of these residents have come to us directly from the streets as part of the citywide Unsheltered Homeless Initiative.

With so much conversation about how we solve the problem of so many people living unsheltered—on the streets, in public parks, under bridges—we know that the most effective solution is also the simplest: housing + support.

Your support of Deborah’s Place is a support of real solutions, with real impacts on the lives of people in your community.

As Disability Pride Month comes to an end, we want to shout out one of the diverse array of programs that Deborah’s Place has to address the housing and support needs of women with disabilities: Dolores’ Safe Haven!

means the freedom and resources to live life exactly as you are. At Deborah's Place, Health Services help make that possible! Our Health Services staff work with participants to manage their healthcare needs, including accessing preventative care and getting health insurance. Everyone deserves to have their unique needs met!

Did you know that donations for are open til July 26th?
What's more, there's still $455 left in matching funds from the Chicago Community Trust. Every dollar that you give will have double the impact. Don't waste this opportunity!
https://www.hopeforhomesday.org/organizations/deborah-s-place

Feeling so warm and sustained by our community these days 😍 Last week, two representatives from the National Women's Shelter Network came to tour the Rebecca Johnson Apartments and learn about the work we do at Deborah's Place. It was a great reminder that it takes all of us working together—permanent housing organizations like ours, as well as emergency shelters and transitional programs of all sorts—to create an effective web of support for unhoused women.

If you give for today, your gift can go TWICE as far! Thanks to our generous friends at the Chicago Community Trust, the first $2,000 in donations will be matched. That means that if you give $10, Deborah's Place gets $20. If you give $50? Our mission gets $100!
So what are you waiting for? Give here: https://www.hopeforhomesday.org/organizations/deborah-s-place

A very, very happy from us to you!
Our goal is to use the momentum and support of today to raise $10,000 to fuel our work for women experiencing homelessness.
Can you pitch in?
https://www.hopeforhomesday.org/organizations/deborah-s-place

We've been looking forward to this one for a while...
Tomorrow is ! The Giving Tuesday of Illinois housing nonprofits. This is the first one, and we want to make it a big one.
Thank you so much to everyone who has donated early, showing their commitment to keeping hope strong in the face of our country's affordable housing crisis. YOU are making our community a better, safer, more equitable place to live.
And if you aren't one of those early birds...
You can make your gift now, or be part of the wave tomorrow, by donating here: https://www.hopeforhomesday.org/organizations/deborah-s-place
And sharing this post is a great way to win some brownie points too 😉

NPR wants to know: What do you wish people knew about living with a disability? July is Disability Pride Month, an event celebrating the diversity and contributions people with disabilities have made. NPR wants readers to share what they wish other people knew about disabilities.

Thank you so much to for hosting a press conference for ! It was so good to hear from other nonprofit leaders and from elected officials like about our shared goal for this initiative: to fuel housing providers and generate support for affordable housing in our communities.

Be part of this day of generosity by spreading the word or giving at hopeforhomesday.org!

Hope for Homes Day is July 18th, but you can help us get a great start by giving EARLY!

By giving early, you set the example. You set the bar. YOU can be one of the first to show what this is all about: building momentum and support for our community to end homelessness.

So make a contribution, share this post, and help us kickstart a new era of hope.

Your support and generosity give us hope!

https://www.hopeforhomesday.org/organizations/deborah-s-place

July is Disability Pride Month! Did you know that in our on-site housing programs all units are designated for women with disabilities? People with disabilities face exceptionally high rates of homelessness, in part because housing that is both affordable *and* accessible is also exceedingly scarce.
We celebrate Disability Pride every day, and strive to be part of a world where our differences are celebrated and each person has the accessibility and support they need.

Happy Independence Day from Deborah’s Place! In our America, we believe that liberty and justice for all includes housing for all. Thank you for being by our side while we continue to fight for that vision.

*Our offices are closed today so staff can celebrate and enjoy a well-deserved day off—we hope you have the chance to do the same!*

“The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.”
- Maya Angelou
In our housing and supportive services programs, meeting women where they are is a core value that makes Deborah's Place more welcoming and more effective at ending homelessness. Come as you are, and we'll help you get where you want to be.

While the ruling in was disappointing and regressive, we are looking forward.

Now is the time for elected state and federal officials to make policy choices that embrace common-sense, cost-effective strategies.

We offer data-driven, fiscally responsible solutions for state and city leaders who want to shift resources from expensive, temporary fixes to cost-effective and lasting results. For more resources on the better way forward to addressing homelessness in your community, please visit https://hubs.la/Q02DZ99b0

PLEASE READ: CEO Kathy Booton Wilson's statement on the Johnson v Grants Pass Ruling ⬇️

"I am disappointed and disturbed by the growing trend toward the criminalization of people experiencing homelessness, as evidenced by last week’s Supreme Court ruling in the case of Johnson v Grants Pass. These arrests and fines pose a dangerous threat toward not only to those experiencing homelessness but to our society at large. In the midst of an affordable housing crisis, more Americans are experiencing or at risk of homelessness than ever before. To punish them further, rather than seeking to address the root causes of homelessness, is both foolish and cruel.

In our nearly 40 years of work in the field of human services, we’ve had the privilege of implementing evidence-based solutions to homelessness and seeing their powerful impact. The combination of housing and supportive services make it possible for women we serve to build the lives they want to live, and to establish a secure base. Our goal is that once a woman comes to Deborah’s Place, she will never be homeless again—and year after year our success rate in that goal is consistently around 95%, because this approach works.

Now, we consider it our responsibility to continue our work not just for the women we serve, but as a model of real, effective, evidence-based solutions for homelessness. Though we are sad and angry, we are also determined.

If you’d like to help us continue doing this work in this rapidly changing landscape, consider making a donation. Thank you for your ongoing support of the women of Deborah's Place.

Yours in the struggle,
Kathy Booton Wilson, CEO "

Happy Pride from Deborah's Place!
We believe that safe housing means safety to be who you are, and we're incredibly proud of the vibrant tapestry that makes up Deborah's Place: from our Board to our staff to our residents. At the Patty Crowley Apartments, we celebrated with a Rainbow Ice Cream Social!
“Our Rainbow Ice Cream Social included an oral history of how LGBTQ+ rights have grown since Stonewall, a trivia game, and ended with Karaoke where we all were disco divas.”
However you choose to celebrate this weekend, stay safe and stay proud!

June 19th is a celebration of liberation, marking the day that the enslaved people of Texas heard that slavery had ended—nearly two years after President Abraham Lincoln first issued the Emancipation Proclamation.
As historian Mitch Katchun says, there are three goals for this celebration: "to celebrate, to educate, and to agitate." While the slavery that defined the early days of the United States of America is no longer legal, there is still much left to do to truly liberate and empower the descendants of those enslaved early Americans, such as ending the exploitation of incarcerated labor and eliminating housing discrimination.
Happy Juneteenth from Deborah's Place! We're proud to celebrate today, and to be part of the ongoing struggle for liberation, side by side with supporters like you.

We can't wait to be a part of , joining with La Casa Norte and other dedicated Illinois housing nonprofits for a day of giving and community-building. Save the date for July 18th, and join us to make the biggest possible impact! Our vision of ending homelessness is only possible through the strength of our community—and that includes you.

The planters outside of our Old Town apartments look beautiful thanks to the help of our volunteers and some donated annuals! We're so grateful to Lorri, Christine, & Urhausen Greenhouses for helping make Deborah's Place a beautiful haven for rest and healing. 🌱 🌼 🌹

Chicago, summer is HERE 🌞 And since our commitment to housing for women is a year-round thing, we've got summer styles for you to show what you believe in at the gym, the lake, the cookout, or the block party. Plus every purchase contributes necessary support to our mission to end homelessness for women in Chicago. This time, we've got 3 styles and 4 colors 😮 Get yours here: https://www.deborahsplace.org/wear-deborahs-place-on-your-sleeve/

As more cities attempt to ticket, fine, and arrest their way out of the homelessness crisis in our country, we know the truth: it takes a combination of housing and supportive services to end homelessness for individuals and for the communities we live in. When you give someone a citation for sleeping in the park, they remain unhoused, except now they have a fine they can't afford to pay. When you give that same person a key, you open a world of possibilities for the future.
Learn more about the Johnson v Grants Pass Supreme Court case, and what it could mean for the future of our communities, in this excellent article from Invisible People : https://invisiblepeople.tv/understanding-the-potential-impact-of-johnson-v-grants-pass/

Last week, the first five residents moved into their new homes at the Conservatory Apartments. Thanks to this generous donation, each woman has a comfortable bed to sleep in as she heals from homelessness--and there's so much more to come. Thanks, Bob's!

We’re so happy to donate 34 mattresses to Deborah's Place in Chicago, ensuring a good night sleep. Thank you to our dedicated volunteers who made beds and prepared apartments for new residents!

https://mybobs.shop/4e6GyMv

Before you slam that laptop closed til Tuesday, we've got one more thing you should do: sign up for volunteer orientation! May's online orientation is next Wednesday. CEO Kathy will give you a fantastic introduction to our mission and our programs, and you'll learn everything you need to know to start your volunteer journey. Sign up here to get the zoom link:

Volunteer in Chicago - Deborah's Place Volunteer at Deborah's Place to help Chicago women who've experienced homelessness. The gift of your time makes a difference in their lives.

Come laugh with Deborah's Place on June 7th! A portion of every ticket's purchase for this show benefits our mission, and you get the satisfaction of an affordable night out with community impact. Get your tickets here: https://conta.cc/3K6iLyf

Moving in is always better with lots of help! Thanks to everyone who helped us get the Conservatory Apartments ready to welcome thirty-four residents who've experienced homelessness. Thanks to our generous donors and volunteers, these women will have a safe and comfortable place to heal, rest, and pursue their goals. A very special thank you to Bob's Discount Furniture, who in addition to giving their time, also donated all the mattresses for our units in this building! Read more about move-in day on our blog: https://www.deborahsplace.org/2024/05/09/moving-in-at-the-conservatory-apartments/

Want to know more about Opening Doors 2024? Read the full blog post and check out photos from the event here! (Plus, more photos are on the way!) https://www.deborahsplace.org/2024/05/09/opening-doors-2024-event-thank-you/

Deborah's Place 2024 Fundraising Event We gathered to support the Deborah's Place mission to end homelessness for women in Chicago, successfully raising $...