Giving Campaign: Supportive Aide for Families in Economic Distress (SAFE-D)

The social worker watched as the door closed slowly behind the woman and her two children. The last two hours had been very stressful for everyone. This woman and her children had less than a month before the lease on their apartment expired. They would be put out on the street for two months before they could move into their new home. The nights were no longer cold, but the mother had expressed worry about being able to keep her children safe on the street. Watching through the window as the mother led her children away by the hand, the social worker had a heavy heart. She knew that the local homeless shelter had closed, and that, no matter how many times she paged through all of the resources she had at hand, there was literally no place for them to go. Furthermore, this little family was not the only one in trouble; throughout the past few weeks, she had been bombarded with similar cases. She was frustrated that she cared so much about the well-being of these people, but she could not herself provide for them everything they needed in their time of great need.

This is a reality that the staff at the Family First Center of Lake County experiences daily, especially during the past few. The employees, interns, and volunteers all work their hardest to be that stepping stone for those who need it. At times, though, some necessary services are not available to be provided. The FFC is proud to be a part of this community and we want to provide for as many people as possible! However, this is the time of year when the local homeless center, PADS, closes for the season. The Family Center at PADS is the only emergency shelter site open year-round, but there are a very limited number of beds in total. As a referral service, the seasonal closure of PADS also affects the ability of staff at the FFC to provide service or helpful information to those who are or will soon be homeless.

Because of this, FFC is launching "Supportive Aid for Families in Economic Distress" (SAFE-D), a giving campaign to help support these families at times when there is a deficit in available social services. Donations will be used for various services such as providing transportation (e.g. bus passes, train tickets, taxis), emergency one-night hotel stays, vouchers to get a state ID, copies of birth certificate, PO boxes, toiletries, and clothes. Below is an example list of prices for most of these items:

• Bus fare: [1-ride $3.00, 10-ride $17.50, 1-Day Pass $10, 3-Day Pass $20, 7-Day Pass $28.00]
• MetraRail (Chicago-Kenosha): [One zone $2.75, Two zones $3.00, Three zones $4.25... Ten zones, $8.25]
• Taxi (example, 303 Taxi): [First mile: $4.00, Each additional 1/10 mile: $0.20, Waiting time/hour: $24.00]
• Emergency one-night hotel stays: [$65.00 - $75.00]
• Voucher for State ID: [Under-65, $20.00]
• Copy of Birth Certificate: [First copy, $15.00; Each additional copy, $2.00]
• PO Box (example, Waukegan, 3in x 5.5in): [3mo: $18.00, 6mo: $30.00, 12mo: $60.00]

The Family First Center of Lake County hopes that you will consider donating to SAFE-D to help us make a difference in our community! To donate, you may visit us on the second floor of our building at 202 S. Genesee Street, Waukegan 60085 or mail a donation to this address. Please feel free to enclose a note to express how you feel about your donation! We would love to hear what you have to say! Rest assured that we will maintain a detailed record of donations received, as well as the use of those funds. As we provide services that are supported by your donations, I will share stories of our victories! 

(Unless expressly told otherwise, I will never use names or other personal information on our blog)

Also, if you ever have any suggestions, questions, or comments, please feel free to comment on this blog, write on our Facebook page, or email me personally! I would be delighted to hear from our readers :)

Remember, stay positive, and support our giving campaign SAFE-D!!! 

“Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, or worn. It is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace & gratitude.” - Denis Waitley