Did you know World Homelessness Day was today, October 12, 2024?

My husband & I currently attend The Chapel-McHenry, a non-denominational church with nine campuses in Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin. Our campus is in a refurbished warehouse, and we have allocated more than 10,000 SF of our space to McHenry County PADS (see below). Because of our relationship, we were asked to host their 2024 World Homelessness Day Event. I have highlighted each of the sponsors below, and as such, the verbiage was taken directly from their perspective websites.

The Public (2018)

“An act of civil disobedience turns into a standoff with police when homeless people in Cincinnati take over the public library to seek shelter from the bitter cold.”

McHenry County PADS (Public Action to Deliver Shelter)

“Our Vision…
To end homelessness in McHenry County, one person at a time.

Our Mission…
To reconnect homeless men, women, and children with the community by providing emergency, transitional, and preventive services and to raise public understanding regarding homelessness in McHenry County.”

Pioneer Center

“Pioneer Center for Human Services is a private, non-profit charitable organization providing programs for individuals with developmental disabilities, behavioral health challenges, and homeless shelter needs throughout McHenry County.

Now celebrating over 65 years of service, we help our clients live dignified lives of well-being, independence, and inclusion. Their growth, health, and safety are foremost in every decision we make. Each client is treated with the utmost respect and dignity at all times.”

McHenry County Continuum of Care Mission to End Homelessness

“Working together to End Homelessness in McHenry County by bringing together the McHenry County community, creating a community-wide response, and strategically allocating and using resources.

Continuum of Care (CoC) is a community planning group formed under the regulations of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in order to organize and deliver housing and services for people who are homeless. A community must develop a Continuum of Care in order to receive homeless funding from HUD for the purpose of addressing local homeless needs.

​There are more than 400 CoCs in the U.S. Most CoCs were formed in the 1990s, along with the McHenry County CoC, when HUD introduced incentives and program changes designed to encourage a community-wide response to homelessness.”

Steven’s Home

“We give dignity, love and respect, with no expectations, to every human being. Our target area of assistance is that of engagement and trust building with the home challenged friends of Steven’s Home. We uphold and respect the privacy of the friends of Steven’s Home.

We share our faith in God, encourage faith in God and share our beliefs in successful recovery and treatment programs, however, these are not requirements to obtain dignity, respect and love from Steven’s Home.

We, as a resource outreach, strive for all human beings to have a home to call their own, sobriety and gainful employment.

We are the voice and cornerstone for the least among us. Providing immediate, basic needs, in terms of food, clothing, camp gear, resources and loyal friendship. 

We seek to fulfill the mission to be a supporting voice, with those as they speak for themselves, who are  experiencing home challenges. We support them through  their struggle for self growth, self-worth, reconnecting with family members, housing, adequate income, and accessible services. We encourage and support goal setting and achievement. We believe in self choice, self-pacing and self-decision making. 

We educate and inform the community about the many complexities of being home challenged.

We are equipped and connected  with professional resources to provide and guide our friends to live in healthy, supportive relationships, which provide for spiritual, emotional and physical support while engaging in behaviors of responsibility and personal accountability.

 We go out to the encampments and streets to find and meet those in need where they are at, as well as meeting them in our space and their homes if requested. “