Business
On any given night in Chicago, there are more than 2,000 women who are homeless. Sarah’s Circle is a nonprofit organization located in Chicago's Uptown community with a mission of serving women who are homeless or in need of a safe space. Sarah's Circle currently has a Daytime Support Center open to any woman in need, a 50-bed interim housing (shelter) program for women who are currently homeless, and permanent supportive housing for women who have a disabling condition and have been chronically homeless. The organization is in the process of constructing a new building to house their programs and operations, with Skender serving as the general contractor for the project. Skender has broken ground on the new, 42,000-SF supportive housing facility in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood for Sarah’s Circle. Located at the intersection of Sheridan and Leland, the six-story steel and precast building will include a basement, 38 units for long-term housing and emergency overnight space for 50 nonpermanent beds. The shelter will also feature a food hall, walk-in commercial freezer and hot room.Executive Director Kathy Ragnar sits down with Senior Project Manager Sean Moran, who is coordinating the Sarah’s Circle construction project, to talk about the project, the organization and why this project matters so much to the women of Chicago. Click here to learn more about Skender’s in-progress project with Sarah’s Circle. About Kathy RagnarKathy Ragnar, MBA is the Executive Director of Sarah’s Circle. Kathy received her Bachelor of Science in Economics and MBA in Finance and Economics from DePaul University. She joined Sarah’s Circle in October 2006 as Executive Director. Prior to her position with Sarah's Circle, Kathy served as the Executive Director of Infant Welfare in Evanston where she worked to renovate the agency’s facilities and expand programming for women and children residing in shelters. Kathy started her career in banking with Northern Trust. After Northern Trust, she moved to Price Waterhouse as a manager in the financial services consulting group.