McHenry County volunteers camp out, raise $60,000 to fight homelessness
The unseasonably mild weather May 12 couldn’t have been more welcoming for the more than 500 people who participated in the third annual SleepOut for Shelter.
The event benefited McHenry County PADS, a program of Pioneer Center for Human Services.
Supporters gathered at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Crystal Lake for a one-hour rally in an effort to educate the public on homelessness in McHenry County. Many participants pitched their tents or built a cardboard box shelter at the rally site and spent the entire night outside.
By morning, more than $60,000 in pledges had been raised to help end homelessness in McHenry County.
“It was an awesome experience,” said Christin Kruse, vice president of funding development for Pioneer Center. “So many more young people and families participated this year.”
The event included an Ultimate Team Challenge that pitted local businesses and organizations throughout the county against each other to raise the most money for McHenry County PADS. Team Living Waters, led by the Rev. Carol Gates, made up of more than 40 congregation members from Living Waters Lutheran Church in Crystal Lake, won the challenge, raising more than $5,500. They will display with pride the event’s traveling trophy for the next year.
Pioneer Center for Human Services, 4001 Dayton St. in McHenry, is a 501(c)3, nonprofit charitable organization that provides direct services to more than 2,500 individuals. The organization also provides education and outreach to schools and community organizations, reaching more than 10,000 additional individuals.
Pioneer Center delivers community-based services in the areas of: McHenry County PADS, the countywide homeless program; Youth Service Bureau; autism services; developmental disabilities; mental illness; traumatic brain injury; and VOICE Sexual Assault.
For information on the Pioneer Center for Human Services, visit www.pioneercenter.org or call (815) 344-1230.