THE CRIB

Once a month, Bethany volunteers serve a meal at The Crib, an overnight shelter for LGBTQ+ youth. Volunteers provide food on Saturdays and Sundays. You can learn more and sign up here.  Bethany can support you by delivering your meal if you cannot or reimbursing groceries used to make your meal. 

The Night Ministry’s overnight youth shelter, The Crib, first opened in January 2011 as a 4-month pilot program funded by the City of Chicago. The pilot project was a result of meetings between The Night Ministry’s youth advocacy group, H.E.L.L.O. (Homeless Experts Living Life’s Obstacles), and former Mayor Richard Daley. The Crib was the only overnight shelter for homeless youth ages 18 to 24 in Chicago, and the only program of its kind in the Midwest. Named by youth working with The Night Ministry, The Crib provided over 150 youth with safe shelter, warm meals, and supportive programming during the pilot phase. It has become a model for youth shelters in Chicago and is recognized for its LGBTQ-competent services.

Please reach out to Johnny Buranosky at johnny.buranosky@gmail.com for questions about volunteering with The Crib.

THE NIGHT MINISTRY

On a regular basis, Bethany volunteers with The Night Ministry, a local organization who prepares and serves meals for those in need around the Chicagoland area. Small groups of four to six individuals age 14 and older can provide and serve hot dogs, soup, or sack lunches alongside the Health Outreach Bus for 60 to 200 people, depending on the stop. (We serve in Uptown.) You can get a sense of what's required here (although we partner with Ravenswood UCC and are not solely responsible for all of what's included there).

To learn more, contact Pastor Rebecca Anderson at rebecca@bethanychicago.com