WINTER IN CHICAGO CAN BE BRUTAL AND EVEN WORSE FOR THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS THAT THEY KNOW MUSLIM ORGANIZATION IS WORKING TO HELP THOSE IN NEED ON THE CITY'S SOUTHWEST SIDE.

IT'S A FRIGID NIGHT IN GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS WORK TOGETHER TO PACK UP WARM CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP.

>> WE'RE GOING TO BE OUT HERE FOR A FEW MAKE MAYBE 2 HOURS.

WE'RE GOING TO BE FREEZING AND WE GET TO GO BACK INTO OUR CAR AND FEEL THE WARMTH.

>> BUT IT'S THE REALIZATION THAT THESE FOLKS THAT ARE OUT HERE, THEY DON'T HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO JUST GO GETTING A WARM CAR OR GET UNDER WARM BLANKETS.

>> IT'S AN INITIATIVE OPERATED BY THE LATINO MUSLIM OHIO FOUNDATION.

THE NEIGHBOR LEAD EACH CAME ABOUT WITH IN MY KITCHEN.

WE STARTED OUT MAKING PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY SANDWICHES.

WE WENT ON.

WE HAVE THAT OUT AND WE RAN OUT OF FOOD.

WE ALWAYS WENT OUT OF BECAUSE THAT THE NEED IS SO BIG.

WE'LL BE BACK NEXT WE HAVE A LOT TO THEM.

WOULD YOU FOR UPDATE?

>> YOU TAKE SOMETHING HOME TO EVERY TIME THAT YOU COME THE FIRST STOP IS AN ENCAMPMENT UNDER A BRIDGE.

THAT'S WHERE WE NEED.

61 YEAR-OLD YOLANDA VELASQUEZ.

>> I WAS DOING SO GOOD BEFORE MY FATHER PASSED AWAY, WORKING LEAST I LOST MY JOB.

I WENT A DEPRESSION.

I LOST MY APARTMENT.

SLEEPING IN A TENT HOMELESS FOR THE LAST 5 MONTHS.

THE CHICAGO NATIVE SAYS SHE'S BEEN SLEEPING ON THE STREETS.

>> AND GETTING HELP HAS BEEN CHALLENGING THAT THEY'RE TELLING ME THAT I'M NOT NON-QUALIFIED ANYMORE BECAUSE THE GIVEN ALL THE BENEFITS OF BULLETS, WILLIAMS, I UNDERSTAND THEY NEED HELP, BUT THE FORGETTING ABOUT THE PEOPLE THEY PAY TAXES IN CHICAGO LIVE HERE AND WE ARE HOME IS JUST LIKE THEY ARE WITH TEMPERATURES DROPPING INTO ALASKA SAYS SHE'S DESPERATE TO FIND A WARM SPACE SO I LOOK FORWARD EVERY FLIGHT TO BE HERE AND THIS TO GET WHATEVER I ANYTHING HELPS ME RIGHT IT'S A CALLING CLOSE TO ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE FOUNDATION.

>> FIRST SOME OF THE CLOSEST PEOPLE YOU KNOW, THEY THEY FOUND THEMSELVES IN THIS SITUATION DIDN'T QUITE MAKE >> THAT GONZALEZ DOESN'T SHY AWAY FROM TELLING HIS STORY ABOUT HOW HE FELT HIS DEVOTION TO ISLAM.

A JOURNEY HE SAYS HAS LED HIM TO GET I A HARD PASS VERY, HARD PAST.

>> AND I NEEDED WAS ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, INTO ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS INTO TROUBLE.

I WENT TO THE PENITENTIARY.

>> YOU KNOW A LOT OF TIME IN PRISON ALWAYS ANGRY, ALWAYS LOOKING FOR FAMILY.

THAT'S MY FAMILY.

FOUNDATION.

>> EVERY FRIDAY YOU'LL FIND GONZALEZ AND A GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS NOT ONLY PASSING OUT A WARM MEAL BUT ALSO SPREADING THE FAITH OF THESE PROVIDE NO DIFFERENT.

>> THIS COULD BE ANY ONE OF US.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL LIKE ONE BAD DAY AWAY FROM FINDING THEMSELVES IN SUCH A DESPERATE THE NEIGHBORLY NEEDS INITIATIVE HAS BEEN RUNNING