Homeless get extra help for the holidays in NW suburbs
With the weakened economy strained by increased unemployment and mounting foreclosures, officials at Journeys from PADS to Hope in Palatine are seeing more demand than ever for their services.
The nonprofit agency provides comprehensive services for the homeless in Northwest suburban Cook County, and those at risk of becoming homeless. Its center has drawn 43 percent more visitors than last year and 20 percent more guests at their PADS emergency shelter sites, says staff member Peggy Dickson.
So what's the good news in all of this?
The army of volunteers and area church members, or "angels" as PADS officials call them, working behind the scenes to provide holiday cheer for even the most discouraged of guests.
As it is, these volunteers cover shifts weekly shifts throughout the night on their site's designated day, providing warm shelter, food and support on cold winter nights.
But during the holiday season, they seem to go beyond the call of duty.
"These angels come through their faith communities, businesses and civic organizations," says Pat Harrington, PADS site volunteer director, "but they all share in wanting to let another person's hopes and dreams stay alive, and thrive."
On Christmas Eve, guests will find shelter at United Church of Christ in Arlington Heights and at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, before they will be transported by van to Holy Family Catholic Church in Inverness.
There, members of the Knights of Columbus and their Ladies Auxiliary will open the church campus to them and welcome them for a day of relaxation, complete with a special lunch and watching football on TV.
"There are few public places open to them on Christmas Day," says Sue Geegan, director of the parish's Service, Justice and Peace Commission. "The Knights try and provide a place where they can relax, in a safe and warm environment."
That night, three more churches will be hosting Christmas dinners at their PADS sites, including Trinity United Methodist Church in Mount Prospect, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Schaumburg and St. Mary's Catholic Church in Des Plaines.
"We are opening two hours earlier, at 5, so that we make sure they have a place to go all day," says Charlotte Sneed McCall, site director at Trinity United Methodist Church. "We have a get together in the beginning with some hors d'oeuvres, before dinner at 7."
Harrington adds that the response to shelter the homeless has become an ecumenical movement, but that local businesses also pitch in, working quietly behind the scenes.
She points to Northwest Community Hospital, where staff members clean laundry for 14 of the PADS sites and offer medical assistance to those who have nowhere else to turn.
Likewise, Healthcare Laundry Systems in Wheeling provides laundry for three PADS sites, while Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village provides laundry services for the remaining two sites.
Harrington also credits medical staff from Heartland Health Outreach with providing primary care that guests no longer can afford, as well as the many donors who have dropped off groceries and other donations at the Hope Center.
"They are all angels," Harrington says, "sharing their compassion, care and concern."