Our story
A Century of Showing Up.
In 1909, Reverend George Kilbey opened a mission in a rented warehouse at 12 East 12th Street, in an area of Chicago then known for concentrated poverty and homelessness. He had almost nothing but a belief that work is the way out of poverty. That belief built CCIL into one of the oldest social service agencies in Chicago.
1909
Rev. George Kilbey founds CCIL in an area known for concentrated poverty and homelessness.
1900s – 1990s
Decades of direct service: shelter, meals, job training, and recovery support.
2000s
Relocation to a purpose-built West Side campus, with hundreds of housing beds and wraparound services under one roof.
Today
A dual mission: direct service to clients, and financial backing for partner agencies across Chicago.
