1976
Our Founding
A coalition of diverse North Side congregations hires Rev. Tom Behrens to reach out to people where they gather at night in response to isolation, despair, and homelessness among individuals on the streets. Tom’s first office is the trunk of his car.
1982
Addressing Youth Homelessness
Tom meets a young person experiencing homelessness, raising his awareness of the issues faced by homeless youth. He begins working to improve services for them.
1984
Volunteers Come On Board
We begin recruiting volunteers to help with street outreach and hire a staff member to begin outreach with homeless youth.
1988-89
Outreach and Health Ministry Program
We acquire a mobile home vehicle and begin our Outreach and Health Ministry Program to bring free basic medical care to locations where services are needed most.
1992
Open Door Shelter
Our Open Door Shelter in Lakeview begins housing homeless youth ages 14 to 21.
2003
Rapid HIV-Testing
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awards us a grant to pilot rapid HIV-testing on the Health Outreach Bus, one of the first non-clinical mobile settings for the new test.
2011
The Crib
We open The Crib, an emergency overnight shelter for young adults ages 18 to 24. It becomes a model for youth shelters in Chicago and is recognized for its LGBTQ-competent services.
2014
New Health Outreach Bus
A new, custom-designed 38-foot Health Outreach Bus allows us to more effectively deliver health care and expand our services on the streets of Chicago.
2015
Street Medicine
We launch the Street Medicine Pilot Project to serve the hardest-to-reach homeless individuals in encampments across Chicago.
2018
Health Outreach Expands
Street Medicine becomes a permanent part of our Health Outreach and Ministry Program.
2020
A New Home
The Night Ministry moves into its new headquarters in Bucktown. In addition to housing our central administration, the facility is the new home of The Crib overnight shelter and Health Outreach Program.
2022
New Youth Programs
The Night Ministry expands housing options for unhoused young adults with new programs that offer more longer-term and independent living situations coupled with supportive services.