A Hand Up, Not a Handout - Homeless Assistance at the Rock River Chapter

Red Cross volunteers plant flowers outside the Rock River Chapter's homeless shelter.

The Rock River Chapter of the American Red Cross began serving the homeless of Rockford, IL, when the city realized it could not meet the need on its own. First opened in 1988 and relocated four times, the chapter's homeless shelter provides guests with a place to stay when they have nowhere else to go.

Although the number of guests varies greatly during the year, with summer heat and winter cold driving guests inward, the shelter provides up to 48 individuals with a bed, laundry facilities and case management services every night and weekly visits from a medical professional. The shelter is open 12 hours every evening and accepts men, women and families. Guests find assistance through case management sessions that evaluate the individual as a whole, rather than just fulfilling their need for housing. Through case management, clients regain confidence and skills needed to maintain self-sufficiency. The shelter has housed 6606 unduplicated clients since they opened. Since 1995, over 1500 people have found permanent housing with assistance from the chapter.

The shelter has also received a grant that provides funding for children's clothing and activities. The shelter was able to purchase passes to the local Boys & Girls Club of America for youth staying at the facility. Because homeless children often miss out on their childhood and end up as homeless adults, the shelter seeks to give youth the tools needed to avoid long-term life on the streets. By providing recreational activities, new clothes and mentoring, the shelter hopes to raise the children's self-esteem and instill a sense of pride.

"I see the benefits of this program everyday," said Leticia Escamilla, homeless shelter director. "When a woman has a place to wash her clothing, when a man has the opportunity to come in from the cold and when a family finds a place willing to take them in with open arms, that is when I know we have made a difference."

If you would like to find out more about this program, please visit the The Rock River Chapter's Web site.

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