Top 10 LPCS Moments

As our 25th year celebrations wind down, we asked several staff, volunteers, and board members to share their top 10 memories--good and bad--of LPCS.  Here is what current Executive Director Erin Ryan had to say...

Last September, I celebrated a decade at LPCS with a surprise party full of friends, co-workers past and present, and the LPCS Board. This started me reflecting on all I’ve learned and experienced in these 10 years. Boiled down, here are my Top 10 LPCS Moments:

1.      I remember my interview at LPCS in August 1999 for a volunteer coordinator position. It was my first job out of college, and I had just moved to Chicago. I really had no idea what I was getting myself into! When I asked why the position had been open for over a year, I was told, “This is a special place, and we need a special person to fill it.” When I was offered the position and started at LPCS, it became immediately apparent that this IS a special place, and I felt honored to have been welcomed into the LPCS family and determined to make it proud.

2.      One of the best parts of working at LPCS is being able to help someone move into their new apartment. One of the first people I helped move was LaVance. Over his 7 months at LPCS, we had established an easy rapport, and I learned a lot from him about recovery and how hard it is to start over in mid-life, reconciling years of disconnectedness from his family and addiction with this new leaf. As we loaded my car with his few possessions and drove to his new apartment – his first in over a decade – LaVance said, “I never thought that at the age of 50, my best friend would be a 23-year-old white woman.” I was so touched that he thought of me as a friend, and that he had learned as much from me as I had from him. This showed me that despite our differences, we all have something to offer each other, and LPCS had allowed that to happen. LaVance is still one of our greatest success stories, 9 years later!

3.      After two years at LPCS, I decided to pursue a master’s degree in social work to improve my skills and prepare me for other roles at the organization. In school, I took an internship with another agency that served women in recovery. The first day of my internship was Sept. 11, 2001. I was introduced immediately to my first client: a woman who was skeptical, at best, about my ability to understand her situation or help her. As we sat, though, watching the TV in awe at the events unfolding, she said, “for the first time, I feel really connected to something bigger than myself.” Joyce taught me the power of community. Those who are on the margins of society are often disconnected from community, and those of us with it usually take it for granted. I have ALWAYS felt a part of something bigger than myself, and I realized that I could help bring that sense of community to the guests at LPCS, and that would be more powerful than anything.

4.      Advances in technology - when I started, we had one computer and no email or website! We did all our volunteer scheduling via phone trees. Our main office was on the 2^nd floor of the church, and the case management office was in the basement. Every time our social worker Evan got a phone call, we had to walk the cordless phone down 5-something steps! Things are so much more efficient now!

5.      Testifying during Zoning Board of Appeals hearings (to get a special use permit and start our renovation); I have never felt so nervous…the reputation and future of the organization was at stake. I felt very alone at the front of the room, being cross-examined about the need for LPCS programs and hoping desperately to make a case. But as I exited the city council chambers and saw over 400 people standing there in support of LPCS and our mission, my confidence was bolstered and I knew that we would win the permit.

6.      Laughing with staff about strange donations: from wedding dress crinoline to gas masks, we’ve seen it all! We’re so appreciative of all the in-kind support we receive, but some things that are not very practical for use by homeless people slip by from time to time!

7.      Waiting up at St. Pauls with Barb, Evan, or Amy for a notoriously late overnight volunteer. We didn’t need two people to stay, but some of our best conversations about the programs and guests happened in the St. Pauls kitchen at 10:30 pm!

8.      Trying desperately to avoid earning the “marshmallow award” – given to staff when we are “soft” on enforcing the rules, then growing into the realization that being compassionate and responsive to an individual’s needs is not necessarily being “soft,” and that sometimes, being “soft” is the best approach.

9.      Celebrating the open house of our newly renovated facility, then watching it flood two weeks later. In a torrential downpour, we had several inches of water all throughout the facility. However, we also had dozens of guests, staff, and personnel from Lincoln Park Presbyterian and St. Pauls down the street furiously mopping and vacuuming up water to save the floors and furniture. I’ve never seen so many people come together so quickly! One guest remarked, ”I didn’t know we were getting a swimming pool!”

10.  Sitting vigil with Mike, a graduate of LPCS who was in hospice at Lincoln Park Hospital. Mike was estranged from his family, and his LPCS family was all he had at the end. Fellow staff members Betsy, Anna, and I took turns sleeping on the couch and sitting with him, and volunteers and even guests who didn’t know Mike joined the rotation to keep him company until he passed away.

There are plenty of sad/confounding moments as well over the years. But these are the 10 I’ll choose to remember because of their lessons and inspiration. Thank you to everyone who has made the last 10 years fly by as I’ve grown and learned so much about the world and my place in it!

 --Erin Ryan, LPCS Executive Director

Update on Ryan

In the last issue of Transisitons, LPCS' print newsletter, we spotlighted a guest names Ryan.  Since we printed that article, Ryan has since moved out.  He recently sent an email updating the staff on how things were going.  Here is what he had to say:

"I want you to know I greatly appreciated the opportunity at LPCS. I thank all the volunteers and their efforts. Especially those who helped me prepare my resume. I thank [the staff] and the board members who make this possible for those who struggle in this time of need. I know, nobody was harder on myself than me...Through this experience I learned alot about myself and life. I value this experience and I hope you all reach the success that you strive for in each and every individual you bring there!
I am doing very well, I am an office manager in a doctors office. I left Illinois Masonic Medical Center after they did cutbacks, but because I did a good job as a volunteer, being hired as an employee, my manager referred me to a couple of doctors who were looking for an office manager, and I landed [my current] job. There is hope for everyone. I will be the first to say, I had alot of doubts, but it all worked out...I thank you again!"

My enlightening experience at LPCS

My perception of the homeless and homeless shelters has changed dramatically since I started volunteering at LPCS in August. It was kind of a revelation to meet such a wide range of people classified as "homeless." There are history buffs, yoga fanatics -- people with whom I can easily relate. Before stepping into LPCS, I thought shelters looked kind of like POW camps, with dark, vast sleeping areas full of creaky twin beds. I'd never heard of extended-stay shelters, in which guests take a wide range of classes to get their lives back on track.

As a front-desk volunteer, there is a lot of sitting around and talking to guests/employees/cooks. For me, it's a nice way to wind down after a day of work. I've made some good friends during my time at LPCS, and I'm hoping to get more involved as long as my schedule allows it.

-- Emile Dawisha

Thank You

"I did not want to leave on Saturday without thanking you for helping me find my way back. When I first came to LPCS, I didn't know how I'd get back on my feet again, I was not sure witch way to turn or where to go, but somehow you helped me find it.
I learned things I never knew I'd have to learn, but I did, and that has now added something to the way I see life. I truly understand what being homeless is, and how we all affect each other's life.
I didn't expect, that it would take 5 months to complete my journey at LPCS, but again, it did, and I'm grateful for the guidance and understanding you have given me so that I could move on, and start a new life journey.
I'll never forget any of you, or the time I spent here. Thank you, for being in my life, and helping me change my life."
--Peggy, LPCS Graduate

Thea graduates!

In the last issue of Transitions (LPCS's print newsletter), you may have read a story about Thea. We wanted to update you on where Thea is today. On March 30th, Thea was finally able to move into her very own one-bedroom apartment! Thea is very grateful for all of the help she received while at LPCS. She has promised to come back and volunteer once she gets settled in. Congratulations, Thea!

After working in homeless services for many years, I’ve come to see that homelessness is truly cyclical. Too many of our guests are trapped in a cycle of underemployment and precarious housing – 40% of guests last year had been homeless several times in their adult lives. Our programs are designed to break that cycle for good, by providing access to the resources that help overcome the barriers of poor health, low-paying jobs, and costly housing. In fact, more than 80% of those who graduate our programs – after connecting with health care and job training – remain stable in housing they can afford for more than six months.

We’re so encouraged by this statistic that this year we will start to measure the success of our graduates past the six-month mark, ensuring that they are able to maintain employment and housing for a year or more. Many LPCS graduates stay in contact with our staff for years after leaving our facility, maintaining some level of case management with our staff, attending groups or classes, or just stopping by for dinner; some even become volunteers. In fact, we’re able to stay in contact with 94% of graduates, a task made easier because of the strength of the relationships that are built while they are here. Each month, we make an effort to keep in touch with graduates through a printed newsletter, and simple phone calls or emails to check in. In doing this, we maintain a strong connection that continues to support people as they strike out on their own.

This outreach creates a new, positive “cycle” – one that gives back to current LPCS guests. You may remember the story of Dan, who was profiled in this newsletter about four years ago. At the time, he was working hard to stay sober, addressing some health concerns, and fighting for custody of his baby daughter, Jennifer. Skilled in the construction trades, he was unable to do heavy work until he received knee surgery, but couldn’t wait to pay the legal bills. He humbled himself and took a cash-paying job passing out flyers at intersections and around neighborhoods. Once healthy enough, Dan took off running, contracting himself out for small renovation jobs and building a base of customers. When he moved out of the LPCS into his own apartment, he had a room waiting for Jennifer.

Today, Dan owns his own booming construction business, and has done several jobs at LPCS! He helped to paint the entire facility during our renovation, donating his time and many supplies. He was married in 2007, and shortly thereafter he and his wife Tracy bought a house in Orland Park. Jennifer will turn five in June, and they are even expecting a new addition to their family soon!

Dan’s success is inspirational, of course, but even more so is his desire to give back to LPCS. He leads bi-weekly recovery groups for current guests. His hard work and good fortune have truly come full circle – as he is now in a position to hire our guests – to pass out flyers for his business, or as skilled laborers.

At LPCS, it is our goal to change the cycle of homelessness – from the hopeless cycle of poverty to the hopeful cycle of receiving and giving back, continuing to strengthen our community and the network of support that our guests and graduates need to become – and stay – successful.