PADS receives $5,000 donation from Grainger group

PADS of Elgin has received a $5,000 donation from The Grainger Foundation, based upon the recommendation of Stacy Chupeyda, branch manager of Grainger's Elgin location.

The donation will help PADS provide shelter and case management to homeless individuals in the Elgin area. This donation is especially exciting as PADS celebrates its 20th year of serving the needy in the community.

"As we celebrate 20 years of pursuing our mission, it is so wonderful to see the support the people and businesses in our community provide," said Brittany Mitchell, PADS of Elgin special projects coordinator. "With this donation, Grainger has shown that fighting homelessness is something they care about and are a part of."

PADS of Elgin Inc. is a nonprofit, community-based organization which provides emergency, overnight shelter to homeless men, women and children within Elgin, Dundee and Hanover townships. PADS is a catalyst in fostering community and social service agency partnerships, which effectively and efficiently provide coordinated services for short- and intermediate-term customized care, targeting client growth, development and self-sufficiency.

"We're proud to offer support to PADS of Elgin especially during these unprecedented times," Chupeyda said. "Every dollar is critical to help those in need and I'm proud to work for a company that is doing its part to make a difference in the community."

Since opening the Douglas L Hoeft Resource Center in 2007, PADS has transitioned from a seasonal emergency shelter to a year-round facility, providing emergency shelter to a growing number of area residents. The increasing costs associated with operating a full-time facility, has sometimes made it difficult to secure enough funding to provide all necessary services.

"This donation will help ensure that everyone in our community has the opportunity to access shelter and services that they need," Mitchell said.

W.W. Grainger Inc., with headquarters in Lake Forest, with 2008 sales of $6.9 billion, is the leading broad line supplier of facilities maintenance products serving businesses and institutions in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China and Panama. Through a highly integrated network including more than 600 branches, 18 distribution centers and multiple Web sites, Grainger's employees help customers get the job done.