Goodbye, Katie!

After two years at LPCS, Katie McNamara is moving on to another organization.  She wanted to take the time to say "Goodbye and thank you LPCS guests, volunteers, and staff!" 

When I was a junior in high school, our Humanities teacher gave us the homework assignment to: Intentionally put yourself in a new and uncomfortable position for a day and report back. My friend and I decided to “be homeless for a day”. We went to the thrift store and bought “homeless looking” clothes, allocated only enough money for the train ride from the suburbs into Chicago, left our wallets at home, perched ourselves in front of the train station at Madison and Canal, and begged for change so that we could get back home at the end of the day and maybe get a bite to eat. Looking back, I realize how ghastly naive this was, but I see what my 16 year old self was trying to accomplish. I was searching for some kind of understanding around what it meant to be homeless; what was the day to day experience of these mysterious folks I saw on the streets of Chicago?; is it easy to be homeless?; is it hard?; what are these people like?; should I feel bad for them?; should I help them?

Now, almost 10 years later, and having worked at the Lincoln Park Community Shelter for two years, these answers are coming into focus. Mostly, the answer is “it depends.” It’s no surprise that this is not something one can discover from a one day high school homework project, in which we received an A for effort and an F at “being homeless.” These days, as a graduate student receiving a Master of Arts in Social Work and taking on the role of Case Manager at LPCS, my “assignments” are more sophisticated, but sometimes still as uncomfortable and new. There are serious emotional, physical, financial, and spiritual challenges that our guests face; however, the most surprising aspect of my time at LPCS was that, despite the heart-wrenching stories that come through the door, it is generally a happy, loose, comfortable place to be. I’ve appreciated that our On Track Program sticks to the philosophy of empowering homeless individuals to make life changes; this fosters an environment where the infamous “burn out” of social service providers is largely avoided. LPCS was also a wonderful place to be because of our volunteers. As Volunteer Coordinator, I would often say that opening up my work email absolutely restored my faith in humanity. It was consistently filled with messages from enthusiastic, creative people asking how they can help out.

My next position will be as a social work intern at the Jesse Brown Veterans Administration Medical Center in their Addiction Treatment Program. It is frightening sometimes to consider the countless new challenges I will face in this and future jobs. However, I am comforted by my firm confidence that there is nowhere else I would have rather begun my career than at LPCS. Thank you LPCS guests, volunteers, and staff for an unforgettable learning experience.

--Katie McNamara, Case Manager and former Volunteer Coordinator

A little bit of inspiration...

Every day while working at the LPCS, I am reminded of the reasons I’m here. Beyond the desire to assist people as they improve their lives and end their homeless situation, the guests I work with constantly inspire me with they way they are making progress.

Like many guests, Dee has overcome some odds to improve herself.  She recognizes the need to take the steps to get to where she wants to be, even though a leap or jump is preferable.  We referred Dee to the CARA Program for job readiness and job training, where she has excelled in the classroom and in self discovery.  At the CARA program, the class participates in daily inspiration, where someone will share about themselves with the group.  One of these inspiring assignments was to write a letter to yourself.  Here is what Dee wrote:

“Dear Dee,

Guess what girl, I just love you.  You have really made me proud.  You have [come] a long way. You have really shown me that if you put your mind on something that Dee wants to do, that she can accomplish it.  When you said that you [were] going to quit using drugs, you succeeded, regardless of how you did it. No only that, you also stopped smoking cigarettes. Dee, where things went wrong and you thought there wasn’t hope, you stuck in there and you never gave up, even when you had to move from staying with your significant other because he left you after you had been in a 25 year relationship. I thought you were not going to make it, just coming out of recovery.  After the death of mother and grandmother, you’re still keeping your feet on the right path. After staying with daughter did not work out, Dee, you know that you are a strong lady.  Girl, you just don’t know how strong and determined you are....

Dee, I love you just for who you are. I even love you for making a change in your life. Staying at a shelter is a big step, but you have to start somewhere to get somewhere.  All you have to do is to get out of your own way and do the right thing....

Dee, I am proud of you.  Now you are at this program called CARA, and you have been staying motivated. You have been transformed all over again.  Girl, you make me want to cry everyday because I see you doing something positive with your life.”

Dee's story serves as inspiration not only to herself, but to those around her.  Keep up the good work, Dee.  It will all pay off in the end!

--Brianne Spresser, Case Manager

Community Impact

Working the morning Interim Housing shift often includes interacting with breakfast volunteers.  On several occasions this summer, high school youth groups participating in short term mission trips cooked and served breakfast.  The students are often timid and unsure of what to expect at a homeless shelter, but eventually realize that homeless adults aren’t so scary, and most are even willing to have a conversation similar to any other adults with whom they interact.

I was once one of those students, later an adult chaperon, away for a week with my church youth group, trying to see what impact I could make.  These experiences are often eye opening and challenging.  They also create lifetime memories and change one’s heart.

When someone asks what my “life changing event” was, or why I want to work at a homeless shelter, I think of one such trip to New York while I was in college.  One of the ministries during the week was to cook food at the facility where we stayed, and bring it to Tompkins Park (of RENT fame) along with clothing to pass out.  Hanging out with homeless people who slept in the park sure was intimidating, until I discovered that as humans, we are all able to connect and to learn from each other.  Seeing the effects of systems of oppression in that park, I began to feel like this one week wasn’t enough for me.  I began to feel as though focusing on social justice would be my life’s work.

Fast forward 10 years.  I have been working at the Lincoln Park Community Shelter for almost a year now through Lutheran Volunteer Corps (LVC).  LVC’s core values include Community, Simplicity/Sustainability, and Social Justice.  My job placement with the LPCS is primarily the social justice function, by walking alongside and finding ways to empower individuals to make life changes. 

I also see the other two core values of LVC reflected at work.  This interim housing shelter is a community of adults working to better themselves and each other, existing within and being supported by the community in Lincoln Park.  My experience living in an intentional community as part of LVC has allowed me a bit of understanding about community living within a shelter: it is challenging, and requires both patience and compromise. At the LPCS we encourage guests to learn about “Living Green,” while we also try to reduce environmental impacts (sustainability) and well as unnecessary spending (simplicity). 

I’ve found that the little things make an impact.  Maybe you have the time and resources to cook a hot breakfast and eat alongside the people for whom you cooked.  Maybe you can share your skills through teaching a class. Perhaps you have some household goods that someone who finally has their own space could use in their new home.  For some of us it’s a week long mission trip to serve, or a year long volunteer commitment; at the LPCS, our daily mission is serving and walking with fellow members of our community.

--Brianne Spresser, LVC, Case Manager

Meet an LPCS Graduate!

We love to share to good news when someone graduates from LPCS.  Here is the story of one individual who recently graduated:

 

Robert* entered the shelter only a few months ago.  He had a long  work history doing primarily maintenance type of work.  He was very concerned about whether he would ever be able to become employed again because he had not worked for almost 2 years, was in his late-50’s, and had virtually no computer knowledge.  Notwithstanding his initial reluctance, he attended a computer class and regularly saw a volunteer computer tutor who came to work with the guests at LPCS.  As a result, he learned how to use email and apply for jobs online.  Attending a job readiness program helped Robert put together a resume and gave him practice with mock job interviews.  Last month he applied for a full-time maintenance position at a new supermarket.  Even though there were over 300 initial applicants, he interviewed extremely well and got the job. LPCS provided CTA passes so he could get to and from work until he got paid.  He has now moved into his own permanent residence and will be financially independent as a fully functioning member of society once again!

*Name has been changed to protect anonymity.

Ending Homelessness Nationally

Earlier this month I attended the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) conference in Washington, D.C.  While there, I learned that despite the fact that many service budgets have been cut at the federal and state levels, the American economy is not “out of the woods” in regard to homeless services across the country.  Nan Roman, president of the NAEH, reported the impressive fact that homelessness has remained steady—that is, it has not risen—during the recession.  This fact is partly a result that homelessness is a lagging indicator of society’s economic woes.  For agencies providing homeless services, the recession may have yet to hit. 

LPCS has begun to see this trend through an upswing in the number of people that are homeless for the first time (33%) and episodically (40%).  In the past, higher education was thought to be a safety net against homelessness, but is no longer true.  Last year more than 50% of our guests attended or graduated from college. Several guests over the past year reported that they were foreclosed upon or last experienced homelessness several years ago, and were unable to find living-wage work quickly after being laid off.  Additionally, the cost of renting in Chicago continues to rise.  One out of four guests who moved in to LPCS in the last year had an income; however, they were unable to afford housing. 

Despite the reality check from the NEAH conference that our work is far from extinction, we realized that LPCS is on the cutting edge of programming in many ways.  First, we work with agencies throughout the Chicago area to follow a “housing first” approach.  Guests begin to work with case managers to identify and sign up for housing opportunities from the day they move in—and often before.  Community clients who join our waiting list meet with a case manager and are encouraged to begin working on goals right away. 

As a part of the Interim Housing Community, our case managers are working intensively with guests through an increasing average length of stay; although this results in fewer guests moving through our programs overall, it means that the work with those guests is deeper and successes are more likely to have a lasting impact.  This longer stay and more intensive work with case managers is making an impact: over 70% of On Track Program participants found permanent housing. After one year, at least 66% of graduates remain housed.
 
Finally, we know that a contributing factor to this housing retention is a continued connection to LPCS. Approximately 2/3 of graduates continue to remain involved at LPCS, touching base with staff members on the trials and tribulations of their lives and participating in case management and referrals when needed.  We have long believed in the power of community, and our Graduate Community is a demonstration of that.  Many become involved as volunteers, and others join our new Graduate Council, offering feedback to program staff on new programming, planning events for current guests, and speaking to community groups about their experiences with homelessness and LPCS. 

LPCS is looking forward to another year of community and collaboration with our neighbors, our volunteers, our supporters, our guests, and our graduates.  Stay tuned for updates on ways you can be involved in our newest ventures via our e-newsletter and our print newsletter, Transitions.  To sign up to receive either of these, please visit the News section of our website.  

--Betsy Carlson, Program Director

Educating Our Aldermen

As a community-based agency serving people who have often been disenfranchised, LPCS takes its role as an advocate seriously. We are members of Lakeview Action Coalition, and as such LPCS staff members, guests, and graduates stay involved in systems issues such as affordable housing, access to health care, and livable wage employment.

On Thursday, July 7, I had the privilege of co-moderating the first-ever People’s City Council meeting, organized by LAC and nearly 20 other community groups across the city. The Meeting was a chance to educate our actual City Council (where many members are new) on issues that directly affect our guests.

20 of 50 Alderman attended the meeting, where the “People’s City Council” engaged in a debate about fair jobs, affordable housing, education, and public safety. Over 1,500 people consistently “voted” in favor of creating new revenue streams that will enhance services, establishing accountability for large corporations and banks, and otherwise prioritizing strengthening communities through investing in working class families.

It was an excited and energetic crowd! LPCS guests reported feeling very powerful in influencing our elected officials to act on their behalf. All 20 Alderman signed on in support of our “resolution,” and another 10 have expressed their support since the meeting. Taking part in collective action is just one way that LPCS guests are able to regain control of their lives, re-connect with support systems, and achieve their goals.

For more info about the People’s City Council meeting, check out these links:

http://www.thegatenewspaper.com/2011/07/people%E2%80%99s-city-council-drafts-new-resolution/

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/07/08/activists-take-stand-at-peoples-city-council-meeting/#.ThdUcT1UZuc.facebook

http://www.progressillinois.com/quick-hits/content/2011/07/13/peoples-city-council-get-aldermen-board-meeting-and-beyond

 --Erin Ryan, LPCS Executive Director

6th Graders Support Hawthorne while Helping Others

We received an email shortly after a group of Hawthorne students made dinner at LPCS.  The following is an article that appeared in their school newspaper.  We thought it was so nice we wanted to share it with you!  Happy reading!

On Sunday, May 22, the participants of the 6th Grade Help Hawthorne, Help Others Signature Event volunteered at The Lincoln Park Community Shelter (LPCS) to cook a savory meal of turkey chili, cornbread and coleslaw for its residents.  LPCS is a social service agency that has been in existence for 25 years and serves adult men and women who are experiencing homelessness.

The 6th graders enjoyed working together to prepare a delicious dinner that served 40 residents. Together they diligently chopped vegetables, mixed batter and stirred the chili pot to create a memorable dining experience. After 90 minutes of preparation, the Hawthorne students and the residents of LPCS sat down together to share a meal and talk about common interests, although baseball seemed to be the main subject. The kids and residents truly enjoyed each others company, and the 6th graders learned a valuable lesson about giving back and gained a new perspective on homelessness.  At the end of the evening, the children received a standing ovation for a job well done, and many residents asked them to return for another visit. The experience was very rewarding and uplifting for everyone.

The Lincoln Park Community Shelter relies on the support of volunteers throughout the community. To learn more about the shelter and how you may become involved, please visit lpcsonline.org.