Breakthrough Urban Ministries was founded in 1992 by Arloa Sutterand members of the First Evangelical Free Church as a response to homeless persons in the Edgewater and Uptown neighborhoods who were seeking assistance.

At first, Breakthrough focused on meeting a very basic need of homeless persons by serving coffee and daily lunches in a small storefront room. By the end of the year, Breakthrough received its non-profit status.

Even in the early days, however, it was clear that it was far better to empower homeless individuals by engaging them in productive activity, than to let them remain passive recipients of service. This was the original impetus for the Cleanstreet Program, in which Breakthrough’s participants provide street cleaning and window washing services for neighborhood businesses. Through this program homeless people can re-establish a connection with the work force, build work experience and earn a paycheck while providing a needed community service.

The first Cleanstreet contract was with the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce in 1993. Cleanstreet has grown to include twenty-three contracts for service throughout the city from Rogers Park on the far north side to Hyde Park on the south side. Contracted services include window washing, street cleaning, snow removal, and landscaping.

As the organization began to grow and develop, additional programs became part of the service mix. In 1995, Breakthrough opened the Dwelling Place, an overnight shelter for 30 men, and hired a full time social worker to provide basic case management services. The following year, a full time job trainer came on staff. By 1999, Breakthrough was able to hire a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and an Addictions Counselor, who opened an Intensive Outpatient Treatment Program for those struggling with substance abuse. The strategy behind each new service component was to empower homeless individuals with the capacity to improve their situation by finding stable employment and housing, conquering addictions and progressing toward improved mental, spiritual and emotional well-being.

With the development of a wider array of services for homeless persons over the years came a consensus among agency management, board and staff that a homelessness prevention strategy was a crucial corollary to existing services. Outreach to disadvantaged youths was determined to be the optimal focus for this effort. Youth programs were initiated in 1996, but remained of limited scope until the most significant expansion in the history of Breakthrough occurred in 2000. This expansion came about through an unlikely convergence of circumstances involving a police officer, a west-side Baptist church and an affluent congregation in the northwest suburbs.

For most of the 1990’s, the Joshua Missionary Baptist Church operated a shelter and food pantry out of a former brake shoe factory building that had been donated to the church. In 1999, the shelter closed and the building was put up for sale because the roof had caved in. A local police officer initially made Breakthrough aware of the fact that the building was available. Breakthrough had been looking for a facility in which to open a shelter for women to complement the men’s shelter in Edgewater. The Village Church of Barrington, longtime friends and supporters of Breakthrough, agreed to fund the renovations of the building with the understanding that Breakthrough would manage the operation of community services from that location. Breakthrough secured a twenty-year lease on the building owned by Joshua Missionary Baptist Church and opened the doors of the Joshua Center in December 2000.

This center, located in East Garfield Park, not only provides services for women complementary to those offered to men in Edgewater, but it also houses the offices for Breakthrough’s Youth & Family Services program which is perhaps the fastest growing program offered by Breakthrough. Services provided for community children and youth include: after school tutoring, summer education programs, bible studies, and year round sports leagues. These programs involve up to 250 community youth.

Another corollary outreach to women in crisis is our Street Outreach program, which is also headquartered at the Joshua Center. The Center for Impact Research estimates that there are a minimum of 16,000 girls and women involved in prostitution in the Chicago area. Since April 2000, Breakthrough staff members and volunteers have been reaching out to women one night per week, engaging in follow-up and assisting women who are ready to get to a safe and stable place where they can begin to make a life change. A converted RV “mobile coffee room” now in operation represents an effort to provide an accessible facility for women who wouldn’t normally come through Breakthrough’s doors.

In 2004 a capital campaign went underway to finance the rehab of the Breakthrough Ministry Center. Our goal was to raise over $5 million for the renovation of the Breakthrough Ministry Center and for reserves to support operations. The campaign successfully concluded in 2007 thanks to the generous support of individual donors as well as grants from foundations, corporations and government agencies.  In early 2008 the Breakthrough Ministry Center became fully operational. 

TODAY, Breakthrough is situated in one community:

Location                  Program                                  Neighborhood

402 N. St. Louis Administrative Offices                 East Garfield Park

402 N. St. Louis Men’s Services                            East Garfield Park

3330 W. Carroll Ave.Women’s Services                East Garfield Park

3330 W. Carroll Ave.Youth & Family Services        East Garfield Park

Men’s Services/Women’s Services:  Basic need services focus on food and emergency shelter delivered through our homeless centers and food pantry programs. The current center for homeless men is located in the Edgewater neighborhood on the north side of Chicago. At the Breakthrough Joshua Center, care and support is given for homeless women. Additionally, healthcare, counseling, supportive housing, employment training and referrals are services provided at both centers.

Youth & Family Services:  Neighborhood children face severe pressures from gangs and the constant temptations toward violence, drug use and sexual experimentation. We meet these threats with a program of recreation, academic and spiritual enrichment for over 250 youth. We strive to partner with families to surround young people with role models and a caring environment encompassing the whole age range from toddlers to teenagers.

East Garfield Park

The East Garfield Park neighborhood of Chicago is a community plagued by poverty, drug dealing and gang violence. There is a homogenous minority population (98% African American).Median income is at 30% of the overall City of Chicago average.The age distribution is skewed to the younger end of the range with 40% of inhabitants under age 19.The unemployment rate is triple the city average.Community schools have low achievement scores.A high proportion of families are headed by single females.Poverty and lack of education are core problems underlying a myriad of issues manifested in the physical deterioration and social disorganization of the community.

In spite of community problems, people have talent and energy.  Breakthrough builds on these existing assets, helping them develop better skills, and instilling self-confidence through constant support and positive feedback.  We are committed to helping them improve the quality of their lives, both now and for the long-term.