If you’ve ever wished you could give those who are homeless something more impactful than your spare change—we’ve got just the thing for you: a Better Card for the Homeless.
This card lists organizations vetted by Better (formerly Make It Better) that will provide food, shelter, or other helpful services in the Chicago region.
In other words, now you can hand someone homeless a direct route to an authentically more hopeful future. All they need to do is walk through the front door at one of the institutions listed. It’s that simple.
Our Better Cards for the Homeless are available free to you if you email info@better.net or call 847-256-4642. You can also download the card here or use the list below to create your own version of cards for the homeless.
To our knowledge, this is the first time this concept has been implemented in Chicago. Something similar has been done in other nearby communities and across the country, including Oak Park, Illinois; Houston; Cleveland; and organizations such as The Gift Card Project with plans for 2025 to have gift card vouchers that give the homeless access to their nationwide vending machines filled with basic goods like food, blankets, toiletries, pre-paid cell phones, etc. Lake County has established their one-call 2-1-1 call center for referrals to an array of human services.
We hope that other organizations will join Better to enhance this activity, providing additional support that gives help and hope.
We also recommend that you support these nonprofits as another way to help the homeless.
- A Just Harvest Community Kitchen
- Breakthrough Urban Ministries
- Catholic Charities St. Vincent Center
- Connections for the Homeless
- Fourth Presbyterian Church
- Breaking Bread Ministries
- Good News Partners
- Sarah’s Circle
- A Safe Haven
- The Night Ministry
- Lakeview Pantry
- Pacific Garden Mission
- Franciscan House
- Ignite
- Lincoln Park Community Services
- Olive Branch Mission
