AFFORDABLE HOUSING

DID YOU KNOW? 1.6 billion people worldwide live in inadequate housing. — Stable housing can serve as the foundation for a safe and secure future.

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AREAS OF FOCUS

→ Affordable Housing
→ Food Security
→ Accessible Healthcare
→ Educational Excellence

SOS
Children’s
VillagesPune, India

7-year-old Shovik and his brother outside of SOS Children’s Villages.

THE ORGANIZATION

When children can no longer live with their families, SOS Children’s Villages works with the communities and state partners to provide children with loving and supportive alternative care, prevent family breakdown and ensure children’s rights are met.

Many households in Pune are headed by single women living in poor and vulnerable conditions. Government statistics estimate a third of the population lives with inadequate access to basic services or infrastructure. As a result, the prevention of poverty and abandonment is a high priority for SOS Children’s Villages.

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One boy’s future reimagined

In 2018, 7-year-old Shovik was begging on the streets of Jammu, India. He and his younger brother, Shaurya, 6, were helped to get off the streets, and now live in the SOS Children’s Village in Jammu, while attending the SOS Hermann Gmeiner School in the city. The love and care they have received has helped them let go of the past and begin their lives anew, and inspired Shovik to plan for a bright future where he, too, gives back to the community. He has dreams of becoming a doctor who works pro bono so that every family is able to afford healthcare.

Northern Trust helped fund many initiatives for SOS Children’s Villages, including:

_{Home, healthcare, education, nutrition, parental care, family and community living, emotional well-being for 20 parentless children and livelihood creation for two SOS mothers}
_{Educational support for 58 parentless children}
_{Nutritional support and health

check-ups for 23 parentless children}
_{50 smart tablet devices for children living below the poverty line}
_{Urgent repair and maintenance

work for children staying at the Children’s Village}
_{Women’s empowerment and

child education for 75 children and their mothers}

Child Crisis
Arizona

Phoenix, Arizona

THE ORGANIZATION

Child Crisis Arizona provides children and youth with a safe environment, free from abuse and neglect, by helping to create strong and successful families. In 2021, the organization provided Arizona children and youth with a combined total of nearly 60,000 nights of safe sleep, along with the provision of basic food, clothing, shelter, healthcare and education.

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The early education program provides nutritious meals daily for children who may otherwise face food insecurity.

Learning to be self-sufficient

Shaylynn is one the youth who needed a safer environment. She entered foster care at 14 due to neglect. “I’ve seen stuff I should not have as a kid,” she says.

As a teenager, Shaylynn lived in eight foster and group homes and attended six high schools before participating in one of Child Crisis Arizona’s Independent Living Programs following graduation. “I’ve had successes in the Independent Living Program by beginning college and starting a career … I learned skills while in the program, like how to budget money and just life skills in general. It was a good, safe program for kids in the system. Without this program a lot of us wouldn’t be where we are today.”

Helping the most vulnerable

“I am proud to be associated with Child Crisis Arizona, and the reputation they have in the community for excellent services. I feel that my contributions of time and resources are valued, and make a difference in young people’s lives. They serve the most vulnerable in our communities, giving children a safe place from abuse and neglect.”

Doug Diehl
_{SVP, Senior Wealth Strategist, Northern Trust

Board Member, Child Crisis Arizona

Scottsdale, Arizona}

Ignite

Chicago, Illinois

Belfort House is a transitional living program for clients ages 18-22. More than just a safe place to stay, Ignite utilizes a comprehensive model with supportive services and action plans to ensure youth are on a path that includes personal and economic growth.

THE ORGANIZATION

Working toward a world where all young people can be defined by their potential, not their circumstances, Ignite offers a continuum of services to young people between the ages of 14 and 26 who are unstably housed or experiencing homelessness. In addition to housing, they provide access to employment and education opportunities, primary and mental health services, lasting connections with caring adults and the skills to live a healthy and independent life.

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Lending a hand to those who feel unseen

Northern Trust’s grants helped provide supportive services for 339 youth, including transitional and independent living programs, with 81 percent of youth in fiscal year 2021 exiting the program to safe and stable housing.

“We anticipate that there are at least 16,000 young people in the city of Chicago who are experiencing homelessness every year,” says Ignite CEO Stephanie Piccirilli. “The young people we serve are flying under the radar. A lot people don’t know the trauma they’re going through and the violence they are experiencing, living on the street or living from house to house, couch to couch … if we haven’t helped them prepare to live beyond Ignite, then we haven’t solved the problem that exists for this young person. I think that’s always at the forefront of how we make choices as an organization, how we build as an organization and how we grow.”

Assuring Safe Shelter

Northern Trust volunteers share why they put their time and energy behind a variety of organizations that support individuals experiencing homelessness or who are unstably housed.

Creating a ripple effect of good works

“For a shelter that welcomes the transgender community, I act as a upskilling trainer to trans members. What motivates me to give my time is the happiness of spreading awareness and making an impact. If I can make one life easier, my work here is done.

"I enjoy how good work is contagious, and it creates a ripple effect of support! During my volunteering I had a lot of people reaching out. I have noticed that many people want to contribute but don’t know how. Being a conduit to several people was very refreshing. The trans members that I could help and whose lives I touched keep inspiring."

Providing more than shelter—giving time

“I have been volunteering with a shelter since 1998. I serve as a weekly site coordinator, overseeing the nightly operation of providing food, clothing, showers, etc. to our homeless guests. Time is such a small thing to offer to someone who literally has nothing, or anyone. I never forget that my life, job, finances, home, family and everything else I have are simply blessings that I NEVER take for granted. This could have been me.

“There are so many things to support in this world and all are important. There really is no one issue more important than another issue when the goal is to better something. For me, I choose to be a part of something that is greater than myself. When there is a true passion to better the people and places around you, it isn’t volunteering – it’s love for those people, places and causes that let you do it with a smile."

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