Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

Uptown Men's Shelter Saved By Generous Donation From Local Foundation

By Josh McGhee | December 28, 2016 5:56am
 Under the new contract,  city funds will be matched by the Reva and David Logan Foundation.
Under the new contract, city funds will be matched by the Reva and David Logan Foundation.
View Full Caption
DNAinfo/Josh McGhee

UPTOWN — The only emergency shelter for men in Uptown was saved last week in the "11th hour," thanks to a large donation from a local foundation.

The shelter, in the lower level of the Preston Bradley Center, 941 W. Lawrence Ave., received a "large, multiyear donation" from the Reva and David Logan Foundation.

"We stepped in to ensure the future for vital human services transitioning men from homelessness to a life of dignity and hope. With social services in crisis due to the lack of a state budget and with the city's funding unstable, there was no other alternative," the foundation said via email.

"Our contribution is small compared with the value of 72 beds and an excellent support program, and we will continue to look for opportunities where our financial contribution will be a catalyst for positive change," the foundation said.

The donation, along with "renewed support" from the city's Department of Family and Support Services, will keep the shelter from permanently closing as scheduled this year, according to a news release from North Side Housing and Support Services, which ran the Interim Housing program in Uptown.

"Support from the community during this period was overwhelming," said Richard Ducatenzeiler, executive director of the shelter.

"We hope that the interest and financial support remains strong so we can continue to provide these critical services to our community. We will continue to fight to end homelessness in Chicago and hope all Chicagoans will join us," he said in the release.

The shelter operates 365 days a year and served more than 300 men in 2016. Since taking over the shelter in 2012, it has served more than 1,000 men, the release said.

Ducatenzeiler was not available to comment.

The foundation "provides strategic grants to support the arts, investigative journalism, scholarship and social justice," according to its website.

On Thursday, Tressa Feher, 46th Ward Ald. James Cappleman's chief of staff, announced the shelter would remain open. Later that day, Family and Support Services also confirmed the shelter would stay open.

"After months of working closely with the North Side Housing and Support Services on a plan to ensure continuity for their clients, we have arrived at a solution that leverages our continued funding to keep the shelter open this winter and moving forward," a spokeswoman for Family and Support Services said.

The new contract leverages city funds that will be matched by the Reva and David Logan Foundation. The shelter will return to its 72-person capacity, the city said.

For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here.