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- Who We Serve
- What We Do
- About Us
- Insights & Research
Affordable Housing
Whether people lack affordable housing due to financial constraints or social issues, we work with organizations that help ensure their safety and shelter.
Covenant House Illinois—Chicago
Covenant House Illinois believes “no young person deserves to be homeless; that every young person in Illinois deserves shelter, food, clothing, education, and most importantly, opportunity.” Through Northern Trust’s support, Covenant House Illinois, one of the largest youth-specific shelters in the state, was able to provide nearly 9,000 nights of safe shelter and a continuum of trauma-informed wraparound supportive services such as providing meals, nutritional education and mental health assistance to some of Chicago’s most vulnerable populations. These services support youth on their path to independence.
“We know that success with young people is not always linear, and it looks different for everyone,” said Covenant House Illinois CEO Susan Reyna-Guerrero. “We’re partnering with each youth to identify their goals and then work together to help them achieve their dreams. The biggest global success is having young people see a brighter future for themselves.”
PeriFerry Foundation—Bangalore, India
PeriFerry Foundation protects one of the biggest at-risk populations in India: trans people. The organization runs a short-stay home for runaway and distressed trans people seeking support. There, residents can find safe accommodation, food, peer support and professional upskilling with the aim of securing sustainable livelihoods whether through mainstream corporate jobs or entrepreneurial ventures. In addition to Northern Trust’s volunteer work, which included mock interviews, resume building, email etiquette, basics of financial services and more, the bank’s grant provided funding for 23 individuals, as well as food, medical needs, workshops, transition support, travel expenses and administrative costs.
“Being a trans woman in this society isn't easy,” said Devanshi, a PeriFerry Foundation alum. “Wherever we stay, the people around us always assume we are sex workers—this escalates to a point where every knock on our door is scary. To top it off, every time we were forced to shift, the possibility of being homeless was always on our mind. Kudos to PeriFerry for managing such terrible situations and helping us keep our heads high.”
The Childhood Trust—London
The Childhood Trust’s Decorate A Child’s Life program helps kids be kids. It works to redecorate disadvantaged children's bedrooms, as well as local youth clubs and community centers that children rely on for support. They aim to alleviate the effects of poverty by providing safe environments where children living in substandard accommodations can learn, play, grow and prepare for a successful life. The organization supported 68,000 children over the course of the year with help from donors like Northern Trust.
"The children were absolutely ecstatic with the results! They could not wait to get into their beds and play with their toys in their rooms. Your support has helped make mum's life whole again,” a referral partner said.