Program Schedule:

Food Pantry: This is at the heart of the Ministry. We provide supplemental groceries for up to 400 individuals and families a month. Staff or volunteers interview them to assess their total needs. The food pantry also forms a bridge between the community and our other services. If you're in need of food assistance and need to check for food pantries in your area visit the Greater Chicago Food Depository's website.

Community Hospitality: Our doors are open to provide safe and friendly environment for about 60-65 community members a day, many of whom are homeless or residents of a half way house. Members find the comforts of a warm and friendly environment, coffee, snacks, with additional amenities including local telephone services, the only community restroom in the area, a place to receive mail, acupuncture, and hair cuts. Most community members consider us their second home or their only home.

Counseling, Referrals, Advocacy: We provide general counseling, crisis intervention, help with housing and job placement, family problems, physical abuse, alcohol and drug addiction, medical needs and other personal traumas. We also refer people to specialized agencies as needed. Since January of 2000, our substance abuse counselor has seen over 8,000 clients, inducting over 1,000 into treatment. Our staff advocates for our clients, accompanying them to the social security administration, doctor’s appointments, addiction rehabilitation programs, public schools, immigration offices, among others. We intervene on their behalf with government officers, and sometimes with landlords. We interpret documents and letters from other social service and government agencies.

Programs: We have numerous programs for specific age groups, including Pre School/Mother’s group, the after school program for grade school children called Juntos, Vacation Bible School for all ages, and a program for older adults called Our Gang. These programs provide an opportunity for friendship, sharing, creativity, learning, and building community, with a special emphasis on the Christian way of life.

Self Help Groups: We encourage self help through several mutual support groups.

• Twelve-Step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon.

• Grow: We also have a group for mental health and spiritual growth.

• Women, Power, and Action is an ESL program designed to also develop life skills, provide opportunities for socialization, and generate paths for advancement.

Spiritual Nurture: Because we are a church, we are free to share our faith and deal with spiritual issues in all we do. We also offer midweek and Sunday religious services, and individual spiritual companionship.

Outreach: Staff and board members visit congregations to forge a link between other communities and ours. Chicago Uptown Ministry helps university and seminary students with internships in urban ministry.

Community Health: Parish nursing services provide health counseling, educational programs, blood screenings, referrals to community agencies, health advocacy, and spiritual companionship. The parish nurse position is part of a program sponsored by Advocate Healthcare.

Special Events: Our ministry brings the community together in times of joy and sorrow with dinners, burials, and holiday celebrations. Our events include Martha Dinners, where a supporting congregation prepares a sit down dinner for community guests and provides an entertainment program. Click here to learn how to get involved.

We offer burial services for those who are members of the Chicago Uptown Ministry family. We also have a designated burial fund for community members who cannot afford funeral and cemetery expenses.

Holiday Programs:

Before Thanksgiving, we give out special Thanksgiving Food Baskets to selected families at a special Thanksgiving service. During Christmas we have three major programs:

 A Toy Store where parents can select brand new toys supplied by our friends.

· A Wish List program enables supporters to adopt a family or individual for Christmas. They purchase furniture, clothing, a Christmas dinner, and other items which would otherwise be unattainable.

We give out Christmas Food Baskets to special individuals and families at an early Christmas service.