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Elgin stepping up again to serve forgotten

Once again, the Elgin community is stepping up to serve the forgotten during Thanksgiving.

In addition to the Community Crisis Center of Elgin, which through 100 volunteers and generous donors is planning to serve 450 pounds of turkey dinner to 1,000 people at the Hemmens Cultural Center in downtown Elgin, the Wayside Center is planning another, possibly quieter gathering.

The nonprofit group, which moved from the east side of Elgin to a renovated facility on the west side it shares with Public Action to Deliver Shelter or PADS more than one year ago, is extending its hours and has 25 volunteers lined up to serve nearly 30 people on Thanksgiving. As the economy worsens, some of the recipients may not fit the stereotype of the chronically mentally ill and homeless, said Joshua Bray, operations manager of Wayside.

"More of the people we talk to we end up wondering, 'Now, why are you here?'" said Bray. "Some of these people have a quicker turnaround, meaning that when they hit bottom, they bounce back more quickly. Sometimes within two months, someone can find a job, save some money and move back into a place of their own."

"We're seeing joblessness as a reason for homelessness rather than chronic mental illness or because of an addiction."

Although the Wayside Center normally closes at 4 p.m., it is extending its hours from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thanksgiving to allow some clients to go directly to PADS in the same building. PADS has room for at least 40 people to sleep overnight.

"Most places shut down on Thanksgiving," said Bray. "There aren't any public places for these people to go to, had we closed at 4 p.m."

Volunteers from several large local churches, such as Harvest Bible, Willow Creek Community and Christ Community will bring side dishes of mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and vegetables to go along with turkey given by an anonymous donor. The day will consist of board games such as Trivial Pursuit, several games of cards and friendly conversation among the volunteers and guests.

Bray said his staff has promoted the Thanksgiving Day festivities as a lunch and asked each of the volunteers to eat with the clients to promote a warm, family atmosphere.

"If the weather is bad, we could have 40 people here," said Bray. "A lot of our guests have family in the area who don't want to see them on any other day than a holiday. So, some of our regulars will not be there."

This past year, the Wayside Center used a grant from a local church to refurbish one of its rooms with new flat-screen computer monitors. A worker's union representing a suburban post office donated expensive weight room equipment. The donations help guests stay in shape while searching for jobs and communicating to family and friends by e-mail, said Bray.

For more information about the Wayside Center, call Bray at (847) 695-4575.

Although the 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Thanksgiving Day servings hosted by the Community Crisis Center are free, guests are encouraged to secure a ticket by calling (847) 697-2380. Tickets are also available through most major social service nonprofits in Elgin.

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