Hull House staffers surprised by early closing

Hull House staffers surprised by early closing

The Hull House Preschool Program provides services for more than 1,000 children and families each year.

Photo Courtesy of the Jane Addams Hull House Association
Hull House staffers surprised by early closing

The Hull House Preschool Program provides services for more than 1,000 children and families each year.

Photo Courtesy of the Jane Addams Hull House Association

Hull House staffers surprised by early closing

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Friday evening will mark the end of an era in Chicago, when The Jane Addams Hull House will officially close its doors at 5:00 p.m. In 1889 Jane Addams created Hull House. According to Addams, the purpose of Hull House was to, “aid in the solutions of life in a great city, [and] to help our neighbors build responsible, self-sufficient lives for themselves and their families.”

Addams received a lot of help—monetarily speaking and otherwise—throughout the years. However, after years of declining donations, Hull House has been forced to shut its doors. Eight Forty-Eight was joined by the Hull House Association’s board chairman, Stephen Saunders, to find out what is next for Hull House. But before addressing the future, Hull House volunteer coordinator Mark Tisdahl joined the conversation to ask Saunders—what happened? Many employees said they, like many community members, were surprised to learn that Hull House would be closing its doors earlier than expected.