http://ccolife.org

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LetterfromtheExecutiveDirector

DearFriends:AnotheryearhasflownbyandthestaffatCornerstonehavehadafrontrowseattosomanyvictoriesandsuccesses!Wegettowitnessthereliefonpeople’sfaceswhentheyfinallysecurekeystotheirhomeonceagain,orforsome,forthefirsttimeever.Weexperiencefirsthandthejoyofsomeonegettingajobbecausetheyknowthatisamajorstepinsecuringtheirhousing.BeingabletosecurebirthcertificatesandIDshelpseachpersonfeelliketheyexistandareimportantinthisworld.Wewitnessthestrengthandtenacityofourresidentstimeandtimeagainandwonderhowwewoulddoifwewereexperiencinghomelessnessourselves.Welookforwardtothisyearof2017withevenhigherhopesandgreateranticipationofthemanyfamiliesandindividualswewillmeet,hearingtheirstories,andhelpingthemmoveforwardwiththeirgoals.OurmissionatCCOistohelppeoplerecoverfromthehardshipsofhomelessnesswithdignitywhilehelpingthemrestoretheirGod-givenworthandself-esteem.Sincerely,SandraRamsey,ExecutiveDirector

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269HomelesstoHoused!

FindingHome“Thankyou,Cornerstone,forallyourhelp!Notonlyforthehelpofshelterandhousingbutforlifeingeneral.Thankyouandkeepupthegoodwork!”–Lisa,maintainedemploymentandfoundhousingwhileshelteredatCCO.Everysinglepersonwhomovesfromhomelessnesstohousingisacauseforcelebration.Werejoicewitheveryoneofourresidentswhoareabletoturnakeyandentertheirhome,whetheritisamomordadwithchildren,singleseniorcitizen,couplewithchildren,three-generationalfamily,oryoungadult.“Findinghome’isthenextstepinanewphaseoflife.OftenthepathtohousingisfullofbarriersanddelaysbutwearegratefultoourcasemanagementteamwhohelpeveryoneshelteredatCCOnavigatethecomplexitiesoffindingasafeplacetolive.In2016,269peoplewhostayedinoneofCCO’ssheltersorwashelpedthroughouroutreachprogrammovedfromhomelessnesstohousing.Itwasarecord-breakingyear!

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48Employed

ImprovingThroughEmployment“Neverevergiveup.Nomatterhowbadthingsare.IcametoChicagoandIdidn’tknowanybody.IfoundshelteratCornerstoneandnevergaveup.Ifyou’rehomelessrightnow,don’tgiveup!”–Katie,obtainedemploymentandhousingwhileshelteredatCCOIn2016,48CCOshelterguestsfoundemployment!Theeffortanddeterminationneededtosecureajobwhilehomelesscannotbeoverstated.Weareproudofeachandeverypersonwhoobtainedemployment.CCOwasprivilegedtohelpwithtraining,transportation,anduniformcostsformanywhowereintheprocessofjobtrainingorwhofoundwork.SomeoutstandingshelterguestsweregivenemploymentatCCO.OfCCO’s50employees,30haveexperiencedhomelessnessandhavemovedfromhomelessnesstohousingthroughoneofCCO’sshelterprograms.Weareproudtosay60%ofCCO’semployeeshave‘livedexperience’andcanbringtheseinsights,compassion,andunderstandingtotheirwork.Theyfillcriticalrolessuchascasemanagers,securityguards,maintenancestaff,chefs,janitorialworkers,programsassistants,andeveningstaff.

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200,000+PlatesofFood

FightingHungerThroughNutritionEachplateoffoodservedintheCCOdiningroomhelptobringnutrition,energy,andwell-beingtothechildren,adults,andseniorcitizenswhodinewithus.Nutrient-rich,balancedmealsarecentraltoCCO’sservices.Tomanyofus,foodissucharoutineandexpectedprovisionthatweforgetit’simportance.Butforthosewhoarehungry,itisnosmallmatter.Consistent,nutritiousmealshelptostabilizemoodsandfocusattentiononimportanttasks.Itcanhelpbreakpeoplefreeofasurvivalmentality.In2016,over200,000mealsareservedintheCCOdiningroom.Wearegratefultoprovidethiscoreservice.

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331BirthCertificates&StateID’s

EssentialIdentificationOftensomethingassimpleasidentificationcanstandinthewayofjobtraining,education,employment,andhousing.CCOcasemanagersworkhardtogetessentialidentificationsothatgoalscanbemet.Asaresult,familiesandsingleadultsarebroughtonestepclosertostabilityand“findinghome.”In2016,331BirthCertificatesandStateID’swereobtainedbythoseshelteredatCCO.ManypeopleenteringCCOhavenoidentificationorincome.StaffworkwithsheltergueststosecureIDsothattheycanaccesshousinglists,jobtraining,schooling,medicalassistance,andmore.Withoutidentification,itisimpossibletomoveforwardtosecurehousing.

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2,920VisitstotheFreeStore

FreeClothingandHouseholdItems“AlotofpeoplewhovisittheFreeStorecomefromdirecircumstances.Theyoftendon’thaveenoughclothes,maybejustafewthingsinabag.OrtheycometoCCOwithnothing.We’vehadlotsoffirevictims,peoplefleeingbadsituations,orfolkslivingonthestreets,whoonlyhavewhattheycouldcarry.Theyarewelcometocomeandgetwhattheyneed.”–HarmonyCanfield,FreeStoreSupervisorDonatedclothesandhouseholditemsaredisplayedintheCCOFreeStore.Oncethere,shelterguestsandourneighborsareabletochooseclothingessentials.TheFreeStoreistrulyavitalservicetoourshelterguestswhoarriveatCCOwithnomoneyorincome.Itisablessingtofamilies,singleadults,andourneighborsinneed.

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22,500BagsofGroceries

FoodSharing“Wedoitbecauseweseetheneed.Therearealotoflow-incomeandneedy,elderlypeopleintheUptownarea.ThereisalotoffoodinAmericaandhungrypeoplewhoneedit.Wehaveagreatsupplyofgoodfoodandweareblessedtoshareit.”–ChrisRamsey,CCOFoodPantrySupervisorEveryWednesdayover150peoplegatherintheCCOdiningroomto“shop”fornutritiousfood.Cannedvegetables,meat,pasta,grains,nuts,boxedfood,andmore,awidevarietyofgroceriesareofferedeachweekandover25%consistofnutritious,freshfruitsandvegetables.ThemajorityofCCOfoodpantrypatronsareseniorcitizens.Thebagsofgroceriestheytakehomeprovidesthefinancialreliefneededtopayrent,obtainimportantprescriptionmedications,orothernecessities,onafixedincome.In2016,22,500bagsofgrocerieswenttohungryChicagoansthroughtheCCOFoodPantryprogram.WearegratefultoplayapartinthefightagainsthungerinUptown.

CornerstoneCommunityOutreach2016FinancialContributors

Accidentalomissionsdohappen,andweapologizeifyouweremissed.Letusknowandwe’llmakeacorrection!

StevenAdellDanielAlesiaBruceAllenStephenAllisonReneAlvaradoRoyApplequistVirgilApplequistJohnArthurAlischeArthurBruceBakerMaryBarnes-GingrichMichaelBarrickWalterBaumannDavidBealsDennisBeardAnna&AndrewBenderPaulBengtsonMatthewBennettDonnaBiskupicTimBluttChristopherBohlenToddBordersGregoryBorkTeresaBouskyJohnBozemanLeeBrainerdshaunBravJedBrewerDeborahBriggsJulieBronskiRobertBuckLaneBurkittAnastasiaBurnettPatriciaBushKathleenBusseyJosephCappoLeroyCarlsonBettyCarlsonJamesCarrPaulCassidySandraCherryGregoryCilekPaulCiscoJr.CarolClark

SandraClayMs.AnnaCleboneDavidClemensShannonClemensRachaelClementeDavidCohenDonnaColemanGailColvinGeorgeCombsMs.IreneCompraRichardConserMaryCooganDanielCookThomasCooperRaymondCoutuLaurelCravensMaryAnneD'AndreaJamesDalesandroJoanDavisOrbertDavisMrs.MichelleDavisMichaelDavisSteveDawsonMichaelDutcherJackieEdensJeannetteElliottAnnaEngPeterEscueMr.RalphEscueNancyEscueEmmanuelFasorantiHansFetzerFelixFigueroaJosephineFinleyJaniceFinneyDr.KentFishelEricFisherJimFitzLeeFossettThomasFranczykWilliamFrankJr.DonFraserCarolGardipeeFredGartner

ByronGayDanGillilandDanielGingrichThomasG.GlennonHowardGoldmanRichardGoldsteinEdgarGomezJohnGoodrichCraigGordonEricGordonJarieGrantonPaulGravesJr.CynthiaGrayAnnaGroverMattGuidaraRev.BruceHaightTracyHallAlanaHansonElizabethHarrisGregoryHarrisSuzanneHarveyKathrynHaugheyLisaHawthorneJulieHeleniusPhoebeHelmDavidHillChrisHookerH.LilandHortenBrendaHowardNickHuggettRobertHutchinsMike&CharleneHutchisonJenniferIngersonJasonInmanCharlesIsenhartLydaJacksonPaulJalovickLindaJindrichChristopherJohnsonDaveJohnsonJerryJohnsonLillieJohnsonKatherineJohnsonLoisJury

NormKaesebergKarinaKalamariaWilliamKamberisMr.JimKenaKatherineKentLeneKielWescomKristiKijowskiJosephineKishkunasTimothyKlassenAlyciaKluenenbergMichaelKohnPaulKoptakRonaldKuhnJohnKurthElijahLandenJuliaLarsonDavidLawsonGaleLeeMrs.JillLeeEllenLembergPierreLeonardKenLesnowskyMatthewLetourneauJillLeviWilliamLiftonNicholeLinhardtThomasLithioAmyLittleMr.RobertLivingstonRonaldLongDanielLoomerChristinaLoTempioMr.MacarioLulloMichaelMaddiganSilviaManciniMichaelMarinoElizabethMartinSallyMatsonTorrenceMatthewsLauraMaynardThomasMcCurleyKevinMcGinnisThomasMcGrathMeganMcKenney

GrahamMeyerBillMichalskiLindaMiddlebrookElhamMirzaeiLelaMontfortMelindaMullerAlecaMurphyAnneNathanMichaelNearyJamesNestorRobbinNestorEllenC.NewcomerBrianNewsomeThuNguyenAleahNoonanCamiNyquistMassisAntranikOhanesianLesOharaDennisOjaLoisOlsonMs.MeganPadgettJ.PeterPaganGlennPalmbergAllisonParkerRobertPetersonSethPomeroyKathrynPorterJohnPovlinskiLarryPusateriDougRaarupChristineRaarupDr.CliffordRandallMr.MichaelRatajElsterRatliffCourtneyRehderJoyceReidAmyReynaldoReneReynaldoAimeeRicciDeirdreM.RiceMr.JamesRiceRobinRiceLucyRinerPatriciaRivera

StephanieRollinsMichael&KimberlyRoselandThomasRosenofRuthRostDaniel&DaleRublaitusAndreaSamuelsMr.RobertSaundersJeffSchachtThomasSchminkeJoyceSchoenhardMichaelSchwartzJenniferSchwarzkopfTomSeelyTeriSegaRachelShawBrianShipkinDonSiemensJuneSklenarMarjorieSkottLennySmithLeonardSmith,Jr.MichaelSorensonZacSpicerDavidStaffordLaShawnStantonMartin&DebraStephensonJulieSternMaryStewartLoisStoneLawrenceStoneMarkStoufferIsabellaStralkaJamesStrnadMargaretSullivanJamesSweeneyCarleenSzafraniecLorysDonaldTanisLorieLTetzlerCarynThorMaryThunHarrietTropKristinaTrottKathleenTschaenAndreaTunick

JeanneUnderwoodGaryUremovichMs.DorothyValinJohnVassalAnneVassalKathyVaughtEvaViziRichardWaglerLorettaWagnerAnnWalkerCarolaWallsMichelleWaltersMichaelWaltersCourtneyWelschMichaelWelshDarleneWernerAndyWestbyChristineWhiteRonnyWhiteDanielleWhiteConstanceWhiteJodiWhitlockPhyllisWierCliffordWilliamsThomasWilliamsonMr.CharlesWoodsKenyonWoolleyBettyWraySarahE.WrightJoanZahorikJohnZibernaDonaldZylstraBoneRoofingSupply,Inc.CalvaryChapelofSchaumburgCongregationalUnitedChurchofChristCPA+AssociatesLTDDesmondandAhernLTD.NorthShoreBaptistChurchProtectionRoofServicesLLCR.M.LucasCo.TheWaltDisneyCompanyFoundationWinnetkaCovenantChurch

WinnetkaCovenantWomenBeachBreezeVacationRentalsVerizonFoundationIndianaUniversityStudentOrganizationYamhillCountyGospelRescueMissionBenevityCommunityImpactFundBridgeviewBankGroupEverybody'sCoffeeSalesforceCAUSECASTMission:USAACNNiagaraFrontierConference,LuthernYouthOrganizationR.H.LarsonFamilyFoundationThomasFranczykTrustsGlenviewCommunityChurchCBREFoundationHolyApostleGreekOrthodoxChurchOracleAmerica,Inc.BethanyLutheranChurchSalemLutheranChurchFirstBaptistChurchFirstUnitedMethodistChurchSt.Andrew'sLutheranChurchPowerOneSupply,Inc.FirstUnitedMethodistChurchofElmhurstNewFriendlyTowersDedicatedConnections,IncCrainCommunicationsMariaIIWomen'sMissionGroupWalmartCommonwealthEdisonCo.HeartfeltCraftStevenABraunDeclarationTrBjorkmanFoundationMcMaster-CarrSupplyCompanySchwabCharitableBurgessComputerDecisions,Inc.SchaumburgCovenantWomen