Sister Therese O'Sullivan, I.B.V.M.
Sister Connie Driscoll, M.S.P

This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior, all the day long.

We Care....We Love.... We Shelter
We Speak...We Listen...We Give Hope...

Sister Connie reached her dream.

Her dream was simple.
One that seemed unreachable and unrealistic.
One that seemed unimaginable.
One that required great fortitude.
One that most deemed impossible.

Her dream was simple.
One that was reached and became real.
One that was imagined.
One that was fortified.
One that was possible.

Sister Connie Driscoll’s dream:
She wished in her lifetime she could save one person from desperation, failure, poverty, and self-degradation.”
Sister Connie reached her dream.... She spoke, she listened, she gave hope.

She is sadly missed, but will always be someone’s angel.

INTRODUCTION

St. Martin de Porres House of Hope, a private, non-profit, Christian shelter for homeless women and recovering substance abuse women and their children and pregnant teens located at 6423 S. Woodlawn Ave, has instituted a comprehensive plan for effectively addressing the needs of addicted homeless women in the city of Chicago. Our primary aim is to enable each resident to leave the shelter with a renewed sense of dignity through personal responsibility, and re-enter her community as a postive force and remain stabilized.

With our dedicated and professional staff we reach out to homeless addicted women, their children and pregnant teenagers to provide both basic human needs and long-term assistance. Services provided at the House of Hope include: food and shelter, individual, group, and family counseling, health care, alcohol and drug abuse recovery, educational and life skills training for adults and pre-school children, personal development, individual case management assistance, parenting and family life instruction, computer training, housing placement, and outreach services for residents after they leave the shelter.

The House of Hope is nationally and internationally recognized for its superior quality of services, tough love policies, and very high success rate.

For the 2003-2004 fiscal year our expenses totaled $519,736 or $13.31 per person per day. The per person per day figure should be compared with the national and city average of $31.00 per day for shelter and food for a homeless person. Such a very favorable comparison is made possible through regular donations of food, infant formula, and other related items and through the encouragement of active volunteers, who share their skills and talents, and efficient management of the shelter. Increase from previous years was due to extraordinary expenses of replacing our boiler and hot water tank because of the separation of St. Gelasius and the House of Hope and increase in utility costs.

To fund our programs St. Martin de Porres seeks support from private foundations, corporations, and individuals.

The House of Hope maintains a completely open admissions policy and prohibits discrimination on any basis, including religious belief or sexual orentation.

St. Martin de Porres is administered by a 26 member Board of Directors. Members include representatives from the religious, professional, and business communities, local area residents, and the Officers of St. Martin de Porres. Responsibility for performance standards and fiscal matters rests solely with St. Martin de Porres House of Hope.