Chance the Rapper Hosts Holiday Party to Help the Homeless

‘Tis the season for giving, and Chance the Rapper is no Scrooge.

The 24-year-old hip hop star hosted a holiday party at The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago last week to raise money for homeless children. According to an analysis by the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (CCH), there are over 82,000 homeless people in the Windy City, while more than 18,000 public school students do not have a home.

“Being the city that has one of the worst and coldest winters in America, I think it’s important to take some time to appreciate and work with and work for the homeless population in Chicago,” Chance told the crowd at the event, reports ABC local affiliate WLS.

In addition to hearing from the Chicago rapper, attendees were treated to dancing and a live performance from the Chicago Children’s Choir, all for $15 per ticket. Needy students, however, were free of charge. The proceeds and goods collected at the event will be donated toward Chicago’s homeless.

The party, which was titled “A Night at the Museum,” was organized by Chance’s non-profit, SocialWorks, in collaboration with several other community groups like Bargains in a Box, which donated hundreds of backpacks full of toys for Chicago families. “It takes a little bit of effort from a lot of people to make a huge impact on a family, to change the way their holiday goes and it’s what the season’s about,” said Bargains in a Box VP of Strategy and Development Brad Nardick, according to Fox 32 Chicago.

“We know that a lot of homelessness isn’t seen, it’s hidden. It’s really important for people to recognize when you see someone on the street that’s just a sliver of the problem,” said CCH Executive Director Doug Schenkelberg.

Chance, who often uses his star power to shine a light on Chicago Public School (CPS) children, recently paid a surprise visit to fifth-graders at Adam Clayton Powell Jr., Paideia Academy. During his visit, the Grammy Award-winning artist revealed that SocialWorks received a $1 million donation from Google’s charity arm to help fund CPS.