For the last 30 years, Facing Forward to End Homelessness has been transforming the lives of Chicago’s most chronically homeless single women, families, and veterans by empowering them with the stability of a real home and the tools they need to go from powerless to confidently independent. We are currently providing housing, help and hope to 64 single women and 57 families. Our first step in assisting these clients in achieving self-sufficiency is to ensure they are in quality and safe homes. However, we know that in order to ensure progression our clients need a partnership and not merely a handout. Therefore, we prepare families for the costs and responsibilities of self-sufficiency by providing our clients with wraparound supportive services. Clients are assigned a case manager who works with them to identify and address the root causes of their homelessness. An individualized action plan is created and clients work to stabilize their health, gain and advance employment, further their education, and enhance their professional and general life skills with special attention given to budgeting. As clients work with their case managers, they continually increase their income—progressing towards market-rate rent—and become more confident in their independence. Facing Forward helps communities thrive by partnering with individuals in their transformation from “takers” to “givers.”