I am a student at Loyola University Chicago, and I first learned of the Coalition as a first year student when they sent two formerly homeless individuals to speak during an Urban Immersion retreat I was attending. I was deeply struck by the stories of these individuals. I heard similar stories during my third year at Loyola at a campus speakers' bureau sponsored by the Coalition, and that event drove me to join the Loyola Coalition for the Homeless as a student activist. We work directly with the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless as a sort of student branch, and the Coalition has given us training in community organizing and encourages our efforts to attend City Council meetings, call and meet with local aldermen, and visit shelters to collect letters of support for the Sweet Home Chicago measure. I have learned so much about political activism and getting involved in democracy. I have also had an incredible experience meeting formerly and currently homeless individuals. Employees of the Coalition have been nothing short of generous and kind to me and other students.