About Us
Since 1992, we have provided employment to more than 3,600 homeless men and women, enabling them to secure housing and buy food, clothing and personal necessities. Most importantly, StreetWise has served as the opportunity for their journey back to self-sufficiency. Since the first edition of our paper was issued on the streets of Chicago, we have relied on the support of the community's businesses, philanthropic organizations and volunteers to create a successful program. At the heart of it all is the motivation of our vendors to help expand and evolve our offerings. For these vendors, we are a bridge to full-time employment, economic stability and self-respect. StreetWise has created and delivered a unified voice that has expanded awareness of homeless issues to a diverse Chicagoland readership.
Milestones, key dates and achievements chart our success. They include:
1992 Opened our doors and developed vendor ID badges.
1993 Hosted first annual vendor picnic and hired first full-time staff.
1994 Established vendor services and orientation programs.
1995 Formed United Airlines partnership and produced first color edition of the paper.
1996 Expanded to bi-weekly publication and established advertising department.
1997 Purchased new offices and hosted first annual StreetWise gala.
1998 Launched Work Empowerment Center.