About COOL

COOL (Christian Outreach of Lutherans), a 501(c)(3), was founded by people from six Lutheran Churches in the Waukegan/North Chicago area in 1982 and incorporated as a not-for-profit organization in 1983. The First program was the COOL Food Pantry, opening its doors in January 1983.

The pantry has grown each year and is supported by the entire Lake County community including churches, individuals, government, corporate and foundation grants. In 1991, we were selected to become a recipient program of United Way of Lake County

Our pantry is open Monday from 1:00 until 5:00 pm and Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm. The Pantry is located at 123 W. Water Street in Waukegan. We receive help from volunteers daily who distribute food at the pantry and assist the pantry staff. Call our Volunteer Coordinator at 847-662-1340 for a time to volunteer.

In 2005 the pantry served 23,821 individuals with food enough for 285,852 balanced meals. The highest number of individuals served was 27,000 in 2002. The pantry provides food for breakfast, lunch and dinner along with specialty foods for cardiac and diabetic diets. We offer ethnic foods and foods for those with allergies.

COOL began the Transitional Housing Program in October of 1988. The purpose of the program is to provide case management to homeless families in need of life re-structuring. Along with case management, we provide a clean, safe place to live, counseling, life skills training and other support services which collectively work to enable guest families to transform their lives and make a smooth progression toward self-sufficient living. COOL provides Phase I rent and utility paid housing for up to 12 months while families work to save enough money for a home down payment or first and last months rent upon leaving the program. Phase II is the same as Phase I with the additional of a low monthly rental payment.

Guest families must be motivated to follow their individual goals plan in order to reach success in every category of their lives. Families must maintain a job, save money, receive counseling, attend money management classes, and acquire better domestic skills and parenting skills. Following the policies and guidelines is mandatory and enables families to achieve successful problem solving skills, such as attaining dependable transportation and adequate childcare, allowing them to progress more quickly and achieve goals more rapidly.

The COOL Program Manager visits and phones each family regularly to determine on-going needs and monitor progress. A domestic budget is established and regular deposits must be made into a savings account.

Our member churches provide for special holiday and birthday needs of our families and nurture relationships, which sometimes last long after the family has graduated from the COOL program.

Guest families are referred from a number of social service agencies throughout Lake County. A Safe Place, Catholic Charities, Staben House for Women, PADS, DHS, LC Health Dept., LC Fair Housing. Area schools, churches and individuals regularly recommend families to our program. Any family (one or two parent) who is homeless or about to become homeless can ask for an application by calling the Transitional Housing Program Manager at 847-661-1340. COOL Transitional Housing is not an emergency housing program.

Since 1988, 14 families have become first time homeowners upon leaving the COOL program. COOL received the “Non-Profit Developer of the Year” award in 1997 from the Lake County Affordable Housing Commission in recognition of our Phase II 4-unit building development.

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