Our HistoryWhen Norman H. Stone, the founder of Stone Container Corporation, discovered a hole in the safety net provided for Chicago’s neediest residents, it didn’t take him long to plug it. After learning that there was no agency in the social service network which was prepared to offer quick assistance to someone in a crisis situation except during the holiday season, he established the Emergency Fund for Needy People. It was chartered in 1973 as a nonprofit corporation with a simple mission: to respond all year round, with compassion and without red tape, to the emergency needs of low-income Chicago residents. It started when Mr. Stone enlisted the help of fellow businessmen in providing financial support and also raising funds that three volunteers – themselves recipients of public aid – would distribute as needed. These volunteers, then called field workers, each disbursed $100 per month toward the purchase of medications, food, or CTA tokens that would enable someone to look for a job or get to a doctor’s appointment. From the beginning, they also worked on their clients’ behalf - often cutting through the red tape of a public agency and negotiating with a landlord or utility company. In July 2004, The Emergency Fund for Needy People merged with My Brother’s Keeper, an organization founded by Tom Owens. My Brother’s Keeper was also providing financial assistance to low-income Chicago area families but they had placed an emphasis on supporting people to become self sufficient. The Emergency Fund embraced this focus. We welcomed Tom Owens as a co-Chairman of the Board, along with Alan Stone and together with the staff, volunteers and board, the organization grew to become the largest provider of homelessness prevention funds in the Chicago area. It was at this time the Fund shortened our name to Emergency Fund. Today, we label the field workers and case managers who distribute our funds as our volunteer Fund Managers. We now have 60 Fund Managers who are employed at the Emergency Fund’s partner agencies. These partnerships are the very heart of the organization, and they allow financial assistance to be available in every neighborhood throughout Chicago. Together with our partners, the Emergency Fund provides financial assistance as well as other resources, as needed, to help families and individuals in need avert crises. Support for the Emergency Fund is reaching new heights. More than 100 volunteers share a commitment to the organization’s mission by serving on the Board, Honorary Council, or Associate Board. In addition, we receive contributions each year from thousands of individuals, corporations, foundations, and government support. In 2005, we had the distinction of being selected to house the Chicago Homeless Prevention Fund, as part of Mayor Richard M. Daley’s Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness. Since then, we have continued to build our reputation as a leader in homelessness prevention. Most recently, the Emergency Fund has been awarded a $3.2 million grant from the Illinois Department of Human Services to provide homelessness prevention funds to residents of Chicago beginning mid 2007. We are grateful that the state recognizes the importance of providing financial assistance to families in need. While these are not new funds to the community, we are excited to receive this commendation from the state - to be chosen as the new steward of these funds. Since 1973, the Emergency Fund has helped tens of thousands of individuals who had nowhere else to go for assistance. It is our vision to be a national leader in providing financial assistance with community resources. |
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