A Safe Haven Foundation is a leader in the nonprofit community, and on the forefront of helping address the fastest growing challenges facing our communities – homelessness, workforce development, substance use disorder, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
ASHF is led by a diverse board of directors with the experience and expertise to effectively lead an ever-growing human services organization responding to the needs of Chicago’s most vulnerable citizens. We employ a skilled team of nearly 200 program managers, case managers, case aides, counselors, and administrators who serve over 5,000 individuals annually. With broad community support, A Safe Haven has grown to become one of the largest social services providers in the region, serving over 130,000 individuals since its founding. ASHF has grown through assuming the operations of social service agencies whose services would have otherwise ceased without ASHF’s intervention. We are also the largest provider of housing and supportive services to military veterans in the Chicagoland area.
ASHF has thrived under Mark Mulroe, President’s leadership which blends performance-driven program offerings with a compassionate social purpose. His goal is to correct the inefficiencies inherent in social services by creating a holistic behavioral health model which operates as a conglomerate, while providing a comprehensive continuum of care for vulnerable individuals in crisis.
Located on Chicago’s West Side in the North Lawndale community, ASHF began as a small shelter committed to helping those struggling with homelessness and substance use. Soon after inception, ASHF realized that in order for individuals in crisis to reach independence, they require stable housing, living-wage employment, physical and mental healthcare, and supportive services. Therefore, in addition to substance use treatment ASHF began providing: Interim, Permanent Supportive, and Affordable Housing; Individualized Case Management; Adult and Life Skills Education, Workforce Development, Youth Development, Behavioral Health and Healthcare services.
A Safe Haven is also a trailblazer in the field of Social Business Enterprise, which provide work opportunities for residents with barriers to employment while providing a source of unrestricted income to support the foundation. We currently operate five social businesses: Catering, Landscaping, Pest Control, Maintenance, and Civic Staffing. A Safe Haven’s unique, public/private partnership model helps up put our residents back to work and on track to living proud, productive lives.
A Safe Haven provides an individualized, holistic approach to break the cycle of homelessness, joblessness, incarceration, addiction and urban poverty – one that combines the best attributes of the private, public and non-profit sectors, while achieving both a business and social mission. ASHF’s leadership adapted the social enterprise business model, backed by their expertise and background in finance. Operating from a demand-driven mission, with a balanced portfolio of public and private funding, ASHF’s model integrates transformative client services, measured by cost-benefit metrics and performance-driven solutions.
ASHF Social Business Enterprises are social purpose for-profit businesses, developed to generate earned income while creating job and employment opportunities for people facing the greatest barriers to work—like young adults who’ve dropped out of school, homeless men, women and veterans, ex-offender, those who live with mental health disabilities and substance use disorder. We believe the opportunity to work should be available to everyone, everywhere, and we know the power jobs can have in transforming lives and communities.
Civic Staffing is one of four of ASHF’s social enterprise, an alternative staffing company which offers companies a low-risk, hassle-free transitional job placement and temp-to-hire partner for light manufacturing industrial staffing needs. Our experienced team provides reliable, well-trained and motivated workers at competitive rates. From start to finish, our socially responsible staffing service is reliable, affordable and easy to use. Civic Staffing currently employs and manages payroll for up to 200 individuals daily who rely on us for their hiring needs, and in some cases back-office functions.
A Safe Haven Catering is a Social Business Enterprise non-for-profit, that provides valuable job experience and career opportunities for dozens of culinary art/food service students re-entering the workforce. Graduates develop skills to succeed in any professional food service or hospitality environment. A Safe Haven Catering sustains our culinary food service job training program, which supports the important work of creating a strong workforce and rebuilding lives.
Marshall Galbreath, Executive Chef and Food Service Director at A Safe Haven is responsible for supervising and managing all aspects of A Safe Haven’s Catering business. He oversees the Catering, Foodservice, and Culinary Arts job training program, which includes managing efficient staffing, employee development and training, performance management, and policy enforcement. Marshall participates in food preparation for Catering orders and during meal periods for A Safe Haven’s homeless population, where he prepares meals for 1,400 individuals daily. He processes all Catering orders and is responsible for ensuring clean and sanitary food preparation and storage areas in accordance with state and local sanitation requirements and codes. He also makes purchasing decisions (food, paper goods, and supplies) for the catering orders and ensures budgetary considerations. Marshall promotes and maintains the highest level of customer service for all residents, trainees, and catering clients and responds effectively to inquiries related to A Safe Haven’s current catering clients and potential new business opportunities.
By visiting our web site, organizations can go online and complete the online Order Request Form which is immediately directed to the Executive Administrator for processing. The Executive Administrator will follow-up immediately to confirm the order. Patrons can also place orders by phone or e-mail by contacting the Administrator directly with special order requests or to have questions answered concerning their order. Patrons simply visit the A Safe Haven website/catering page and complete the online order form http://www.asafehaven.org/catering/.
Safe Haven’s highly trained and certified chefs are competent in preparing alternative meals and menu items for individuals with special dietary restrictions.
Low carb? No meat? No problem: A Safe Haven Catering gives customers the options they need to live an active and healthy lifestyle. Our menu options are nutrition-driven, low-carb, vegetarian, gluten free, and easily adaptable to any of our client’s needs.
Allergens: We recognize that allergens can often hinder our food choices. To that end, we take proper care to ensure there is no cross-contamination of potential allergens, including thoroughly cleaning all food prep after a single use and never handling more than one food type at a time. We are able to build practically any menu item to adhere to allergen needs.
Vegan & Vegetarian: Being vegan or vegetarian often means having limited options. A Safe Haven can make practically any menu item vegetarian or vegan and keep veganism in mind when choosing our ingredients. For example, we specially selected our wraps because they do not contain honey, a common ingredient found in many wraps for its sweetening capabilities. We stock items specifically for vegans and vegetarians such as vegan cheese, almond milk, and quinoa, and substitute tofu for meat in any menu item. We also provide full platters of Vegan dishes or family-style bowls of vegan salads and can individually label foods in mixed orders for easy serving.
Gluten-free: Gluten is the protein found in wheat, barley, and rye, that many people find difficult to digest. As such, A Safe Haven is fully equipped to accommodate gluten-free individuals by swapping gluten-free products in any of our menu items.
Pricing: Prices and quantities vary based on the food selection.
A Safe Haven Top Catering Clients
American Red Cross
FGMK Tax and Advisory Services
Harold Washington College
Illinois Network for Chartered Schools
Institute of Medicine of Chicago
Negocios Now Magazine
Republican National Committee
YMCA Conference Center
University of Chicago Crime Lab
Chicago Housing Authority
City of Chicago Office of the City Treasurer
Cook County Health and Hospital Systems
Illinois Chamber of Commerce
Small Business Advocacy Council
ComEd An Exelon Company
Hyatt Hotel Corporation
Northwestern University
Social Enterprise Alliance Chicago Chapter
United Parcel Service (UPS)
Pelstar LLC/Health o meter
At Civic Staffing, we leverage partnerships with many different training organizations that are supported by the United Way, as well as workforce development initiatives and private foundations. After receiving referrals for employment from one of our Civic Partner Network corporate partners, we carefully assess candidates, and, when possible assign them to the worksite of an appropriate-fit business customer. In doing so, Civic Staffing helps to maximize the impact of community investments in training and workforce development, while ensuring quick trainee transitions from learning to earning.
The ASHF Civic Staffing program model was built on providing transitional jobs as placement opportunities for its trainees to address multiple barriers to successful employment, acquire new skills, and learn how to become a worker in the context of a real, wage-paid, time-limited job. As reflected earlier in the proposal, ASHF incubated Civic Staffing and seeks to scale its offerings to provide more sustainable opportunities for trainees over the long-term which will directly contribute to their ability to secure and sustain independent living.
For ASHF homeless resident population, successful placement into unsubsidized employment is the program’s principal goal. The program’s long-term goals include stabilizing individuals and families with earned income, addressing barriers to successful employment, helping trainees acquire new skills and moving them into permanent jobs with benefits.
It is important to note here that we realize that subsidized employment is more than an opportunity to just earn a paycheck for many of our clients. It is also an opportunity to build workplace skills Workers benefit from more transparent and successful career pathways, including new opportunities for economic mobility for low-income and disadvantaged youth and adults who have been increasingly left behind in the new economy.