CHICAGO HELP INITIATIVE:
'It's given me a reason to be' by Suzanne Hanney
Sitting at the Chicago Help Initiative’s (CHI) Wednesday night dinner, Big Mama, a familiar face on Michigan Avenue, says she is living her best life.
tional card to give to homeless people. Boland also offered CHI the use of the dining hall at Catholic Charities’ 721 N. LaSalle headquarters.
Big Mama was first housed with a cousin and her husband in the south suburbs nine years ago, but she still comes to CHI’s weekly meal program because she connects to her friends and other programs there. She had a poem printed with the Poetry Foundation and prose, “The Age of Coronavirus,” published by Red Line Service. As part of CHI’s Arts & Culture program, she recently went to see “Fannie” and “A Christmas Carol” at the Goodman Theatre.
The idea was to have a regular weeknight site to refer people on the street for a hot meal – and it never would have existed without Hayes, said Donahue Coia, who is now retired acting CEO of Catholic Charities.
“I would never have had this exposure,” she says of the Near North Side dinners. “At this point in my life [her 60s], it’s given me a reason to be.”
COVERSTORY
CHI brings the best of Chicago to people who are homeless or low-income. During the pandemic, CHI expanded its work to assist organizations that were no longer able to serve hot meals. Instead of its usual 130 guests at whiteclothed tables with an additional 70 meals to go, CHI attracted donations from over 500 points of contact – enough to deliver up to 5,000 bag lunches weekly to 22 locations all over the city – churches, shelters and senior meal programs. It received Chicago Innovation Awards’ COVID-19 Response Award on Dec. 7, 2021. Michigan Avenue realtor Jacqueline Hayes founded CHI in 2000, almost immediately after the city closed Lower Wacker Drive and homeless people began sleeping in doorways of buildings she was trying to lease. She wanted them gone – and then immediately felt guilty. As a director of the Greater North Michigan Avenue Association (now known as The Magnificent Mile Association), Hayes went to her business peers and asked, “If I start something, will you back me?” The pastor at Holy Name Cathedral introduced Hayes to Kathy Donahue Coia, who was Catholic Charities vice president of family and parish support at the time. They met monthly for a year with Monsignor Michael Boland, CEO of Catholic Charities, and Ellen Gorney, who was director of programs. Together they produced a two-sided informa-
Catholic Charities and Near North churches share the other weeknights, but CHI’s Wednesday night dinners remained unique, because as Hayes interacted with diners – who are always called “guests’’ – she saw new needs: adult learning, which included computer skills, reading, writing, math, GED preparation, and storytelling. The hour-long sessions usually take place before the meal. Marc Schulman of Eli’s The Place for Steak was the first to donate a meal when CHI began serving dinners in March 2001. Eli’s Cheesecake is still giving a full meal and cheesecake several times a year. Marc’s father, founder Eli Schulman, used to say, “Charity will never break you.” Schulman adds, “The bottom line is, what is the social safety net and what are we doing together to help those people. People saw the benefit of being able to do this because of how the organization is handled: Jackie’s drive and ability. A small not-for-profit over time faces challenges, but Jackie’s passion as a founder has been phenomenal.” Schulman also allowed Hayes to use his name when she approached other restaurants. “I said, 'Marc’s going to do it,’ and they all fell in line,” she said. True Food, Gene & Georgetti, Hyatt, Benny’s Steakhouse, Swissotel, Greek Islands, Max’s Deli, Texas de Brazil have been among the others who have donated food or provided it at discount. Over the 52 Wednesdays in a year, she might connect with 45 restaurants and hotels. Meals from Inspiration Kitchen and CHI Fresh Kitchen were donated by the Feinberg Foundation because Janice Feinberg wanted to involve minority and formerly incarcerated people, Hayes said.
