Interfaith Action of Evanston's overnight shelter already has a waiting list for its 30 beds, and the doors haven't opened yet.

Executive Director Sue Murphy Berube shared the news at IAE's annual meeting Tuesday, Oct. 6, at Reba Place Church. The shelter is set to open Sunday, Oct. 18 at Grace Lutheran Church.

IAE's soup kitchens are also seeing rising numbers and will need new food preparation teams by 2027, according to the organization.

"You are the reason we are able to do the work to help the homeless and hunger," Berube told the assembly of delegates. "Because of you, we can say yes, you make the 'yeses' possible."

Twenty-one of IAE's 38 member faith communities sent delegates to the meeting. Before the main session, representatives from Evanston Community Fridges, Evanston Grows, the Youth Job Center, the James B. Moran Center for Youth Advocacy, Indivisible Evanston and Crossroads addressed the group.

Growing need, limited capacity

IAE currently provides at least one hot meal per day, most of them lunches. Ad hoc committees are now exploring whether the organization can expand both its shelter and soup kitchen services. One option under consideration: adding a dinner service.

The organization runs 11 soup kitchens, with at least one open every day of the week. As of July, those kitchens were serving between 50 and 90 people per week, Berube told the Evanston RoundTable in July. About two-thirds of those guests were experiencing homelessness; the rest were community members who could not afford a meal.

IAE does not receive federal funding, the Daily Northwestern reported in April. Berube said in April that cuts to other social service organizations would push more people toward IAE's kitchens.

The shelter rotates among eight faith congregations and operates nightly from 9 p.m. to 6:45 a.m., according to the Evanston RoundTable. When the 2025-2026 season opened in October 2025, 65 people had already signed up for those same 30 beds.

New board members, outreach goals

The assembly elected three new board members to three-year terms: Joyce Davidson, Mike Sehr and Dan Noonan.

Board President Donna Richardson told delegates the board has spent the past year attending community events and spreading the word about IAE's work. She said there is still more to do, particularly in reaching college and high school students.

Residents interested in volunteering can contact IAE at [email protected].