Volunteers do what they can for homeless guests at holidays

It has been 20 years since the emergency shelter system known as Public Action to Deliver Shelter, or PADS, formed in the Northwest suburbs.

This holiday season, PADS officials want to reaffirm the agency's driving force: its volunteers.

Pat Harrington, PADS director at Journeys from PADS to Hope in Palatine, says more than 3,000 volunteers work at the 18 Northwest suburban shelters. On any given night, they provide hospitality, food, and emergency shelter to their guests for the night.

The volunteers who give up their own family celebrations to keep the shelters running through the holidays best represent the agency's mission, Harrington said.

"These are our special angels, who walk among the homeless during the holiday season," Harrington says. "Not even snowstorms can keep them from coming. No matter how bad the weather is, there is never a shift uncovered."

This week, Our Lady of the Wayside and St. James churches in Arlington Heights hosted guests on Christmas Eve, while the Congregational United Church of Christ in Arlington Heights, and Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, hosted them on Christmas Day.

Holy Family Catholic Parish in Inverness opened its doors early on Christmas Day to give homeless people a place to go to spend the day.

Harrington says each center chooses how to spend the holiday with their guests, but most observances are subdued.

While there may be a tree up, or a special meal, or possibly some presents, they try not to be too exuberant in their holiday wishes. That only underscores their homelessness, Harrington adds.

Instead, when residents have called to donate items, Harrington always tells them to be pragmatic.

"These are homeless people, and they need things like thermal underwear, socks and boots," Harrington says. "We also encourage fast food gift cards, in $5 increments."

She says the numbers of homeless are rising. Suburban shelters are seeing 14 percent more guests this year, while Journeys, the day center for the homeless, is drawing 33 percent more clients than last year.

"These are people from the Northwest suburbs, who lived here, grew up here and went to school here," Harrington adds. "We're not seeing anyone from outside the region."