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Sarah’s circle
Research
ProjectChi Uchendu
Debbie Gleason
Jasmyne Gorrel
Jessica Lundgren
Background/ context-Chi Homelessness since the 1980s has been a
dominant phenomenon that has caused several individuals to be displaced, unsheltered and in need for the basic necessities of life.
Studies have shown that women are the fastest growing group of homeless people in the Americas
In effect there is a need for a proper support and advocacy system
Causes and DangersDomestic violence
Rape
Financial hardships
Abuse (physical, emotional, etc)
Lack of affordable housing
In order to address this issue Sarah's circle combines community action with outside partnerships and alliances to address the immediate needs of the women. Therefore in order to create a safe space for these women and empower them, the community partner plays an important role in supplying the outside resources, and funding needed to carry out the programs. Popular items are toiletries, clothing, feminine products etc.
Brief facts about Sarah’s circle
Created in 1979
Formally known as Harper House
Located in the Chicago institute for
cultural affairs in Uptown Chicago
Offer a range of Physical
Services, Permanent supportive
housing, case management
services, clinical services, and community
space.
Research Questions-ChiDiscover how we can use this project to make a
lasting impact on the organization, the people, and
the community as a whole?
Also we need to figure out the impact our research
will have on the service organization? Our aim is to
make a positive difference.
More importantly we need to also figure out and
determine a way to effectively communicate with
organizations and businesses to create lasting
partnerships with Sarah’s Circle, which will be
beneficial to both clients?
Data Collection
Debbie
Creating Partnerships
Relevant programs for clients
Data collection:
Informal interviews
Research
(Formal) Emails, Phone calls, Visits
Spreadsheet
Created spreadsheet
Kept track of yes’s, no’s, and maybe’s
Seven different categories
Data
Analysis
Debbie
Unexpected Pattern
Religious Organizations
Biggest Trend: can’t help everyone!
Already agreed to partner with
organizations
Reached seasonal quota
Loyola community
Toiletry and Clothing Drive
Creating new Club/Partnering with others
Reach out before the holiday season!
Spread the word: Positive outcome
Presentation
of DataJessica
Data
Seven spreadsheets total
Six categories for potential donations:
hotels, religious organizations, department
stores, dentist offices, grants and other
organizations
One category for educational programs
Potential Hotels For Community Donations
Name of Hotel
Location( Neighborhood) Address Phone number Willing to donate?
The Westin Michigan Avenue
Near North Side/ Streeterville
909 North Michigan Avenue(between
Delaware Pl & Walton St)Chicago, IL 60611 (312) 943-7200
Yes<-- Claudia
Smith & Laura Kane. [email protected]
Hard Rock Hotel The Loop
230 N Michigan Ave(between Lake St & Wacker Pl)
Chicago, IL 60601 (312) 345-1000
Unable to donate toilitries at the moment, but can help with fundraising efforts. Onya Chesser.
Example of Data
Results & Findings Hotels
56 Contacted. One official partnership & one hotel willing to help with fundraising efforts
Most hotels prefer requests in writing as opposed
to phone calls for tax purposes
Obstacles: Some hotels gave us invalid e-mail
addresses to contact or take a long time to
respond to letters
Religious Organizations
12 Contacted. One official partnership
Mostly “maybe” answers due to unanswered calls or the uncertainty of starting a collection.
Results & Findings Cont. Department Stores Two contacted; no potential partnerships as of this
moment Seemed more willing to help out since a group member
went and spoke with them in person
Dentist Offices One contacted; one willing to donate
A group member asked their own dentist and she was interested in the cause
Other Organizations Eight contacted; two official partnerships Obstacles: Mostly paper or online applications, so it takes
awhile to respond
Some organizations only donate to affiliates , had to read fine print of website
Results & Findings Cont.Grants Unable to contact due to time constraints
A list of recommended organizations that can hopefully benefit Sarah’s Circle in the future
Educational Programs Unable to contact due to time constraints
A list of topics that affect homeless women greatly( suggested by community partner) due to the lack of feedback on educational programs by women
Did find that women would enjoy more recreational activities
What We Learned
Harder to obtain donations than we
expected
Easy to obtain personal donations from
friends or family as well as through the
Loyola community
Some organizations do not place a great
deal of emphasis on helping non-profits or
take on more than they can handle
ImplicationsJasmyne
Implications Only 5% of those we
contacted are willing to help.
Why?
The Earlier the Better.
“We need the same type of assistance.”
Larger Corps only offer assistance to organizations in the community of their headquarters.
Or they give to orgs on a National (NOT Local) Level.
Current State of the Economy
Tourism is down.
Church attendance is down.
Willing Not No Reply
Suggestions For Further Research
Whole Foods
Offers two programs to Local organization:
o One Dime at a Time• Donates 10 cents each time a
customer brings one bag back to the store.
o Community 5% Days• The store donates 5% of its
revenues on a designated
day.
Possible partnership could be beneficial, especially with Fruits and Veggies Project.
Suggestions for Further Research Cont.
Overall the women are satisfied with the programs…
However, more interactive programs are requested.
Future possible programs:o Physical Fitness
• Kickboxing• Zumba• Yoga
→ Improve physical and mental health
→ Build self esteem
→ Increase social and team building activities
Journal and/or Poetry Writing• Increase creativity and
individuality• Build social skills• Helps written and verbal
communication skills.
ConclusionWomen are the fastest growing group of
homeless individuals in the United States.
Sarah’s Circle helps the women rebuild
themselves physically and emotionally.
Our initial strategy was to contact religious
organization and hotels.
• We reformed our initial strategy
Too much to accomplish in just one semester.
Reaching out and/or implementing the
physical programs, educational wellness and
corporations will see a positive response.
