Hinsdale Community Service strives to help those in need

Eighty years ago, the needs were fairly straightforward. In the summer, you needed ice blocks to keep your food cold; in winter, you needed coal to keep your house warm.

But for some families, the ice and coal were hard to come by so their neighbors pitched in to get them over rough patches.

That's the simple, friends-helping-friends philosophy that founded Hinsdale Community Service.

Today, the not-for-profit agency continues to provide emergency financial support for families that find themselves in an unexpected crisis. But its services - along with its service area - have expanded to help prevent homelessness through a food pantry, life-skills coaching and education.

Executive Director Martina Shera explains the organization's programs.

Q. What is your mission?

A. To provide a lifeline to neighbors in need.

Q. How do you work toward accomplishing that goal?

A. We have four major programs: Family Self-Sufficiency, Homelessness Prevention, Food Pantry and Homeless Transient Services.

We can provide financial support to clients to make one-time rent payments to avoid eviction or pay past due utility bills to avoid shutoffs. With in-kind support we distribute monthly food including frozen meat, fruits and vegetables. Social workers provide case management to help clients set and meet goals to move toward economic self-sufficiency and educational workshops to build skills in financial literacy, health maintenance and life skills for our clients.

Q. Who do you serve?

A. We serve low-income, working poor and seniors who reside in southeast DuPage County. Specifically Oak Brook, Burr Ridge, Clarendon Hills, Darien, Hinsdale, Westmont and Willowbrook and the neighboring unincorporated areas.

Q. When and why did the organization start? How has it grown?

A. Circa 1927, Hinsdale residents noticed that neighbors were struggling to heat their homes in the winter and keep food cold in the summers. The neighbors were visited and given coal for the homes and blocks of ice for the iceboxes. Clothing, blankets, food and medicines were also delivered. In 1937, the grass-roots organization was incorporated and became Hinsdale Community Service.

Today we do this and much more. With a client choice food pantry open five days a week and client services by appointment, we can support those in crisis, with emergencies and requiring general support throughout the year.

Q. What kind of successes have you had?

A. The Family Self-Sufficiency program is a goal-oriented program for clients. By setting attainable goals, the client is supported by the agency via case management and financial support to achieve the goals for economic self-sufficiency.

Last year the program helped an out-of-work divorced dad from Clarendon Hills get his union card to get back to work. The agency helped a single mom who wasn't getting child support get and keep a job by securing day-care services and paying the initial fees and co-payment until the mom received her first full paycheck. The agency helped a couple with twins born prematurely get to and from the hospital every day while the babies were growing stronger to go home. That same family lost wages during the time and the agency was able to pay the family's rent to keep them from becoming homeless.

Q. What challenges does the organization currently face?

A. We have the great in-kind support of the community, but we need financial support to pay our staff who already work full-time hours for part-time wages. We need donations to support our homelessness prevention program. We need at least 3,500 square feet of donated space because we have outgrown our current space and need a training room, a counseling room, additional offices and secure storage space.

Q. What do you wish the community at large knew about the organization?

A. Don't let our name confuse you. We offer services to those in need. Our largest population of clients come from Westmont and Willowbrook. We are one of the few food pantries offering client choice to select foods specific to their cultural and dietary needs. We have a small staff of six who somehow manage to do the work of 12 and we spend less and distribute more than most organizations twice our size because of the wonderful support of in-kind donations and volunteers.

Q. How can readers get involved?

A. Visit our Web site, hinsdalecommunityservice.org, to learn more or visit our office at the Memorial Hall, 19 E. Chicago Ave. in Hinsdale.

Vital statistics Contacts per year: In 2007, 4,700 clients received food, clothing, rent assistance, prescriptions, transportation or holiday help Annual budget: $355,000 total income, $520,000 with in-kind revenues Sources of funding: Foundation grants, individuals, small business, civic and church support; support from United Way Full-time employees: Two Volunteers: More than 40 Current wish list: • Donated facility space of at least 3,500 square feet in Westmont, Burr Ridge, Willowbrook or Hinsdale • Passionate board members who represent Willowbrook, Darien, Oak Brook and Clarendon Hills • New commercial freezer and refrigerator • Computer software expert in Microsoft Office, Excel and Access. • Expert facilitators for education workshops Health Matters and Credit Matters • Adult mentors and literacy assistance for clients who don't speak English • Monetary donations To donate: Hinsdale Community Service, The Memorial Building, 19 E. Chicago Ave., 2nd Floor, Hinsdale, 60521 To volunteer: (630) 323-2500 or hcs@comcast.net Info: (630) 323-2500 or hinsdalecommunityservice.org