The "Hearts for the Homeless Families in Transition" annual fund raising event, now in its 24th year, supports the needs of the New Hope Apartments program.

Catholic Charities’ New Hope Apartments is an innovative supportive housing program designed to help end the cycle of homelessness for families in the north and northwest suburbs of Chicago.

The program is designed to place homeless families into permanent housing as quickly as possible. It provides rent-subsidized scattered site housing and supportive services at 18 apartments currently located in Des Plaines, Glenview, Arlington Heights, Schaumburg, Hoffman Estates, Elk Grove Village, Mount Prospect, Evanston, and Skokie.

New Hope Apartments provides clients with housing, while they follow an individualized plan towards self-sufficiency. An Intake Specialist assists prospective clients with the application process and provides an orientation to the program. Participating families are assigned a Case Manager to provide them with comprehensive services in order to reach their goal of self-sufficiency. During the program, clients are referred to employment and educational training; money management skills are addressed through monthly savings, budgeting, and debt reduction groups facilitated by volunteers from the banking industry; and any psychological barriers to self-sufficiency are addressed through clinical case management, and/or access to individual counseling. Through this combination of housing and supportive services, New Hope Apartments staff members strongly encourage participants to address any educational barriers to job success, build strong community relationships, raise healthy children, and participate in the program fully in order to overcome any future challenges.