Our model is based on the 27 religious congregations providing lodging and meals. The congregations have closed. We are hearing that they don’t know
when they will host our families due to the age and subsequent vulnerabilities
of many of those who serve.
Typically nearly all of our current and former guests are employed. Even those who held onto their jobs in the downturn, find that with the schools and day care closed or unaffordable there is no one to care for their children when they are at work. As jobs are lost how do they pay their rent which can consume 30-40% of their now non- existent pay?
Now. We paid to house our families at a hotel. Our congregational partners participated in bringing meals. Later, the hotel charges were paid by the city of Evanston. In July our families moved to our Day Center. They are housed there through August.
We continue to run our program. We have recently graduated 2 families, finding them housing. We immediately took in two new families. Our congregational partners continue to help by providing dinners.
We need to address:
more negotiating with landlords to keep our families housed
increasing family homelessness
loss of jobs
lack of child care so they can work
the added tension and stress on our families
staff to add to the increasing demand and its complexity.
What we need most. Finding housing our families from September 1 through the end of December. We are looking for housing for up to one month at a time, ideally even longer. Our families would be dropped off at 8:00PM and picked up at 7:00AM. Their spaces will be sanitized. We will provide overnight supervision.
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