COVID-19 Response

Renaissance’s COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Response

To reduce the risk of exposure for our participants & staff, most staff will be working remotely until further notice. Participants needing assistance from their case managers should call them directly. We are still available during normal work hours via email and phone, and we will continue our work to support our participants during this challenging time.

Prevention & Housing Assistance: Click here for links to Prevention and Housing Assistance:

How You Can Help Renaissance: Because of the need to maximize social distance, Renaissance has cancelled all fundraising events until at least the summer. This, combined with expected shifts in institutional funding, means that Renaissance needs to raise money to support our ongoing efforts to respond to the crisis.

Support our work to keep clients and communities stay safe by clicking here:

Resources About COVID-19:

Read more about Renaissance's work during this outbreak and why we need financial support to help our participants:

Track how we are addressing this crisis:

Renaissance is so very grateful to Koval Distillery for its much-needed donation of hand sanitizer to our agency! We will use this for our participants to help them stay healthy!

Koval Distillery makes whiskey, liqueurs, and specialty spirits, and has re-tooled their manufacturing capacity to make hand sanitizer for Chicagoan's in need during this crisis. OUTSTANDING!!!

Renaissance staff continue to make packages of food, supplies, and even medicines for our participants, purchased with donations from our wonderful community of supporters! You're making a real difference in the lives of other Chicagoans!

"A HUGE thank you to

Tom Ochs

for the donation of 3,000 masks! Our participants and staff are all made safer because of his generosity!"

Erica checks on folx in a viaduct encampment. She provides them with information about COVID-19, and assesses them for symptoms with disposable thermometers and a pulse ox.

She distributes water, hygiene supplies, socks, food, wound care and safer use supplies. Trust takes a long time to build with folx who have been rejected by most. erica has known this individual for 3 years. He reports feeling more safe on the street than in a shelter.

Erica talks to folx in an encampment near the highway. She screens them for COVID-19, and distributes tangible goods including new shirts, and a sleeping bag. This person has been unable to get a state ID due to the pandemic. This has lead to them not being able to cash their benefit check. They have been homeless in Chicago since 2017. In a recent shelter stay they were mis-gendered and not allowed to come and go.

These are masks made by Charlotte Blome (donated by Laura Cinat) and masks made by Hannah Allen.