In September 2023, Phoenix Foundation,
NFP launched its very first program—the Phoenix Rising Emergency Triage Shelter—with a simple
but bold
commitment: to meet people where they are, with dignity, compassion, and hope. What began as a response to
urgent need has grown into a comprehensive, people-centered continuum of care that reaches individuals and
families at every stage of housing instability.
Today, Phoenix Rising operates as an 85-bed,
non-congregate emergency shelter, meaning guests have individual rooms within an SRO-style
hotel. Privacy,
safety, and dignity are not luxuries—they are foundational to healing and stability. This model allows people to
rest, recover, and begin the work of rebuilding their lives in a setting that honors their humanity.
Since that first launch, our impact has expanded
significantly. Phoenix Foundation now:
- Continues to operate as an Access Point for the
Coordinated Entry System, helping
individuals and families
navigate pathways to housing across Chicago
- Provides Thirty-Eight (38) units of Rapid
Re-Housing, supporting families as they stabilize
and transition
toward long-term housing
- Delivers case management for Sixty (60) families in
Permanent Supportive Housing through the
Flexible
Housing Pool, ensuring
ongoing support for those with the highest needs
And we are still growing.
By February 2026, Phoenix Foundation will
expand our continuum even further with the launch of:
- The Gildersleeve Permanent Supportive Housing
Program, offering long-term housing paired with intensive, person-centered supports
- The Phoenix Southwest Drop-In Center, a
welcoming community space providing connection, resources, and opportunity
- The Earle Residence in Englewood,
developed in partnership with Gorman Development, bringing quality housing and services into a
historic and resilient community
Together, these efforts represent a full continuum of
services—from emergency shelter, to rapid re-housing, to permanent supportive housing—designed to meet people
where they are and walk alongside them toward stability.
But this work is about more than programs or numbers. It is
about breaking cycles.
I have worked in homeless services for over
thirty-five
years, and I have witnessed something that continues to weigh heavily on my heart: the children of
families I
served decades ago returning for services today—now with children of their own. That reality forces an honest
question. What might have made the difference then? What supports, opportunities, or resources could have
changed the trajectory—short of an unforeseen tragedy or natural disaster?
Too often, when we encounter someone experiencing
homelessness, the question becomes, “What is wrong with them?”
Perhaps the better—and more human—question is, “What happened to you?”—a powerful reframing posed in
What
Happened to You?, co-authored by Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Bruce D. Perry. That shift moves us from
judgment to
understanding, and from charity to shared responsibility.
As we step into 2026, we do so fully aware
of the challenges
facing our world—economic uncertainty, housing shortages, and widening inequities. Yet we also choose to focus
on possibility. The vast, collective possibility of what can happen when people come together
with intention and
purpose.
Ending generational homelessness will
require all of us.
It requires people like you.
Corporations that believe in service above
self.
Community members willing to share their time,
talent, and
treasures.
You can be part of this work:
- Bring a group to volunteer at our Drop-In Center
- Cook a meal or teach a life-skills, financial literacy, or
wellness class
- Make a donation that could quite literally change—or save—a
life
At Phoenix Foundation, we believe homelessness is not a
personal failure—it is a systems failure. And systems can be transformed.
Thank you for believing in what is possible. Thank you for
standing with us as we continue this journey—toward dignity, stability, and a future where no child has to
return to homelessness as an adult.
With gratitude and resolve,
Sherri Allen-Reeves
Executive Director
Phoenix Foundation, NFP
