It's getting dark and cold out quickly, and there is speculation that this year will bring even more people to places like BEDS Plus. Serving far western Cook County, BEDS Plus is starting up its October-April season, providing a meal and a place to stay for homeless for more than 20 years. Volunteer Coordinator Cheryl Walsh is giving another round of volunteer orientations this week, after already presenting a dozen this fall.
Volunteers must number in the hundreds as there can be upwards of 150 homeless per season. For an individual volunteer this means taking one four-hour shift once per month during one of four time slots in the evening, overnight and breakfast category. Or you can sign up to be part of a cook team or a laundry team, contributing a portion of either of those preparational tasks and drop them off as part of a group effort on your day once a month.
You can sign up the training for Thurs., Oct. 8, at 7 p.m. by calling Walsh at BEDS, 708-354-0858 or e-mail volunteer@bedsonline.org. Read more about how to help out BEDS Plus at their
website where you'll find information about donating, wish lists and events such as the upcoming Harvest Moon Night, Oct. 24.
On the
BEDS Plus website, during an interview with Mike Kara on the Eye on the Community radio show, BEDS Plus Executive Director Molly Salisbury elaborates on the operation's transition from basic "eats and sheets" sheltering originated in the late '80's into what Kara describes as today's "homeless empowerment center," an idea that has been implemented since the late '90's. Those who come under one of the eight roofs of the seven-night, two-day site rotation receive breakfasts, lunches, dinners and fresh bed sheets to sleep on, plus case management services provided through nursing, case worker and substance abuse counseling, made available to help them formulate an individual plan and set goals to end the cycle of homelessness.
Some of the homeless had been coming year after year after year, as people are welcomed and referred by word-of-mouth, hospitals, police and churches, but they are now more enabled to get on with their lives and into a housing situatiion, with opportunities such as anonymous client contact lines and the above services, Walsh said. Salisbury pointed out in the radio interview that this change in culture is patterned after other organizations serving the homeless, such as DuPage PADS, and that directors work together while facilitating different areas and working with local service agencies.
