Assistant director for community relations
PADS of Kendall County, IL
Steve and Karen Allred are greatly looking forward to the next
several months, when their church will be providing meals and overnight
stays to the homeless. The Allreds are site coordinators at Harvest New
Beginnings in Oswego, one of seven area churches that will again be
hosting the homeless from mid-April to mid-October in partnership with
Public Action to Deliver Shelter (PADS) of Kendall County, in west
suburban Chicago.
“We have been blessed and this is a great way to give back,” said
Steve Allred, who has been volunteering for PADS along with his wife
since the shelter sites began operating in Kendall County in October
2010.
“It’s very fulfilling,” said Karen. “I always look forward to PADS night at the church.”
About 600 volunteers will be needed to operate the seven shelter
sites, according to Anne Engelhardt, executive director of Kendall
County PADS. Each volunteer is asked to serve 4 1/2 hours one day per
month, as part of an overnight shift or by serving on the food team.
Kendall County PADS will be holding a new volunteer training session
at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, September 28, at Yorkville Congregational Church
of Christ, 409 Center Parkway.
Several presenters will provide an overview of the local picture of
homelessness; describe how the shelter program operates; talk about the
roles and responsibilities of various volunteer positions; and cover the
topics of safe food handling and safety in general.
“People may come and listen, without making a commitment,” Engelhardt
said. “All interested men and women, ages 18 and older, are invited to
find out what it means to be a volunteer with PADS.”
For Karen Allred, it means living out her Christian faith. “We know the Lord loves us so we want to show His love to others.”
Adds her husband Steve: “You want to give back––and what a better way
to do it! It’s at your church. It’s a safe place to volunteer.”
The Oswego couple have been married for 37 years, have three adult
children and four grandchildren, and own their own business. Serving at
PADS is a labor of love for them.
“I don’t consider it a sacrifice,” Karen explains. “It’s doing something very important for people. We get so much out of it.”
PADS also helps to solve the long-term challenges of homelessness,
offering counseling, employment assistance, and referrals to local
social services.
Since 2010, Kendall County PADS has assisted more than 300 men,
women, and children, Engelhardt stated. That translates into 5,794
overnight stays and 17,369 meals served to the program’s “guests.”
From Oct. 18, 2015, through April 16, 2016, Kendall County PADS will
provide homeless shelters from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. at these sites on the
following days:
Sundays: Cross Lutheran Church, 8609 Route 47, Yorkville.
Mondays: Yorkville Congregational United Church of Christ, 409 Center Parkway, Yorkville.
Tuesdays: Harvest New Beginnings, 5315 Douglas Road, Oswego.
Wednesdays: United Methodist Church of Plano, 219 North Hale Street, Plano.
Thursdays: Trinity United Methodist Church, 2505 Boomer Lane, Yorkville.
Fridays: Church of the Good Shepherd, 5 West Washington Street, Oswego.
Saturdays: St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, 53 Fernwood Road, Boulder Hill.
Overnight guests at PADS receive a hot meal, a safe place to sleep, breakfast, and a packaged lunch to go.
Volunteers may register in person at the training session or online at http://www.kendallcountypads.org. For further information, call 331-207-8903.
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