According to its Web site at www.lpcsonline.org, the mission of the Lincoln Park Community Shelter is to empower homeless individuals to make life changes.
Its vision statement includes: We will contribute to the effort to break the cycle of homelessness in Chicago by providing our guests with comprehensive social services, resources and tools to attain self-sufficiency. Consistent with the plan to end homelessness, "Getting Housed, Staying Housed", we will focus on helping people to secure and retain safe, appropriate, permanent housing.
In 1985, the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless estimated that 25,000 people would be homeless in Chicago. A group of concerned neighbors in the Lincoln Park area of Chicago got together to discuss a way to help homeless people in their community.
To establish the Lincoln Park Community Shelter, a partnership was formed with three neighboring churches: the Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church, St. Clement Catholic Church, and St. Pauls United Church of Christ. On Feb. 12, 1985, the Lincoln Park Community Shelter opened its doors to a handful of homeless neighbors. The LPCS is not religiously affiliated, and is completely privately funded. Operating on a modest budget, LPCS relies largely on the support of volunteers. Truly a community-based organization, the LPCS has always been operated by an annual pool of more than 1500 volunteers who serve as meal providers and overnight supervisors.
Since its inception, the LPCS has grown in many ways. The churches provide not only sleeping facilities, but kitchen facilities, showers, storage rooms, laundry areas, and offices. In October, 1996 a comprehensive social service program (On Track Program) was added to address barriers to housing and to work with individuals to overcome these obstacles.
In 1999, the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless estimated that 80,000 people would be homeless in Chicago in the course of one year, a 300 percent increase from 1985. In May, 1999 the LPCS made the transition from a seasonal shelter (operating only during the months of October-May) to a year-round facility, offering continuous support throughout the entire year! However, capacity in the Transitional Housing Program was reduced from 40 to 20 during the summer months.
In the summer of 2004, the LPCS remained at a capacity of 40 guests throughout the summer months for the first time. This expansion of the Transitional Housing Program allowed the LPCS to offer over 3,000 additional nights of shelter to guests.
The Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce selected the LPCS as recipient of the 2004 Community Contributor to Lincoln Park Award.
The LPCS Staff is comprised of Executive Director Elizabeth Burgess; Program Director Erin Ryan, MSW; Community Support Manager Daniel Stalilonis; Transitional Housing Coordinator Fred Kowalski; Transitional Housing Coordinator Rebekah Nguyen; and Volunteer Coordinator Berenice Neri.
Transitional Housing Program: Last year, the LPCS provided safe, structured transitional housing and two nutritious meals per day to over 260 guests. The Transitional Housing Program serves up to 40 guests each night year-round. In addition to meals and safe living space, the Transitional Housing Program provides storage space, showers, and laundry facilities for guests. The average length of stay is seven weeks, although there is no time limit as long as guests are making progress toward their goals.
On Track Program: All guests of the Transitional Housing Program are also enrolled in the On Track Program. The On Track Program challenges guests to address the reasons for homelessness and barriers to self-sufficiency by setting general guidelines along each Track. The On Track Program allows guests to see beyond the present and beyond immediate, basic needs to planning for the future, one in which the cycle of homelessness is broken...Designed to address individual needs, each guest selects from the following Tracks, which indicate the primary goals a person will be working on while a guest of the LPCS — Track 1: Substance Abuse Recovery, Track 2: Mental & Physical Health, and Track 3: Job Training & Employment.
The On Track Program offers many services to help achieve these goals:
-- Intensive Case Management provides referrals to job training, substance abuse treatment, and mental health services.
-- Community Support Program, providing educational and personal enhancement opportunities to guests. Group activities promote a healthy community, and include daily educational and support groups on topics including job search, healthy lifestyles, and daily living skills enhancement, individual tutoring
-- Medical and mental health evaluations, and referrals to treatment as needed.
-- Savings Program, in which each guest must save at least 50% of all income.
-- Technical Services that aid guests in job search, including use of mailing address, computers, telephone, and fax machines.
Neighborhood Outreach Program: LPCS offers drop-in hours for anyone in need, Monday through Thursday, 2:00 - 5:00 PM, at 600 West Fullerton (the basement of Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church). Services available include clothing closet, food pantry, toiletries, phone, and case management.
The One on One Program provides direct financial assistance to people moving out of homelessness and into permanent housing by partially supporting a security deposit or rent payment. |
