WHO WE ARE
At Hitting the Streets, we believe in the power of community and compassion. Our services go beyond just providing physical supplies; we aim to create a sense of inclusion and support for individuals experiencing homelessness. Learn more about our team, our values, and the ways you can contribute to our cause. Hitting the Streets is committed to making a difference in the lives of the homeless population. Our team is passionate about providing support and resources to those in need. This is a platform where you can learn more about our organization, our mission, and the impact we strive to create. Join us in our journey to bring hope and assistance to the homeless community.
OUR MISSION
Hitting the Streets is a non-profit organization dedicated to supplying homeless individuals with lunches and essential supplies to help meet their basic needs. Our reach extends to various areas around the city of Chicago.
OUR HISTORY
In 2013, Gretchen asked me what I wanted for my 50th birthday and I responded let’s go to a shelter and cook dinner and celebrate with our homeless friends which was the beginning of Billy Burgers. We continued Billy Burgers at the Boulevards Shelter for 3 more years then one night we met Patrick Daniels who had the same mission as ours. We decided to do more than serve one shelter and in September of 2018 we formed “Hitting the Streets”.
From our kitchen in Chicago, Billy and Gretchen started preparing and serving meals to the hungry and less fortunate communities in the city working with Patrick on street locations and then eventually shelters. Joe and Trish Siok along with Ralph Scozzafava, Raksha, Bryan Yager, Lawrence Jospeh Billelo and Patrick Daniels, Jeneane Ally, Wilson Fong, Jessika Chechenia, John Redell, Justin Lindahl and Steve Colello formed our original gangsters.
In 2020, the pandemic prevented us from serving meals directly to our less fortunate friends and we transitioned to bag lunches which also allowed us to grow from serving 500 meals in one day to over 5,000.
Our original gangsters has grown to include Gus Zografopoulos, Tim “Mac” McNamara, Oscar Rodriguez, Christina Attalla, Dana Floberg, Angel North, Robin Murphy and Melvin “Smalls” Little.
We have now prepared and delivered over 200,000 meals to 28 shelters across Chicago, and we are growing. Sarasota started in January 2024
