South Suburban Pads – http://sspads.org – operates a Wellness Center in which Residents, benefit from the Community offering them various workshops. Among them is United Way hosts workshops on “Overcoming Life’s Challenges.” Residents are given basic knowledge on how to cope and deal with Life’s Obstacles.
The Charity employees a Case-Management Team helping Residents on developing and achieving success in basic life skills, cleanliness, self care, good time management, and their goals. They are also assisted by a Life-Skill Instructor.
The Valued Staff connects Residents with health services, educational needs, and employment needs are ongoing for participants in the Organization’s programs.
Are you aware South Suburban Pads Families first Program helps increase the income and skills of the Families participating in this program? http://sspads.org
Emergency Shelter An Entry Point to Restoration
Volunteer or Host - Always a Critical Need!
We have plenty of volunteer opportunities available at each of the 30- shelter sites in our network. There are also volunteer site manager opportunities as well. Volunteers play an integral role in our agency and programs, not only lending a physical helping hand, but encouraging, supporting and cheering for our participants as well. For more information on how you can volunteer, please call Kim Christmas at (708) 332-7700 ext. 131
Operations
Our Emergency Shelter Network (ESN) is a program that provides emergency, overnight shelter from October 1, through April 30th. Men, women and children seek refuge in safe, warm locations (30-sites) where they are able to connect with SSPADS' intensive case managers who work diligently to help our participants make the transition from homelessness to becoming social and economic investors in the communities where they live and work.
CRITICAL NEED FOR THE HOMELESS PREVENTION/RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAM
The Charity has exhausted the funds for Homeless prevention program. Please consider donating your spare change to the South Suburban Pads Homeless Prevention Fund – http://sspads.org.
The Organization’s Rapid-Rehousing fund is now less than $2200.00. You will be amazed at what just sharing your spare change can accomplish in the work to end Homelessness. Please donate now.
Did you know your financial help even helps Individuals formerly incarcerated with numerous services including rental assistance if needed? http://sspads.org
Please help the South Suburban Pads Valued Staff with continuing to give housing referrals, bus passes, advocacy, phone calls to the right resources, housing options, medical benefits, food pantry, utility assistance, shelter referrals, state wide referral network, gas cards, and pharmacy cards for the chronically homeless, chronically homeless Veterans, and families with a disability.
Donations may be delivered or mailed to the
Office of the Chief Operating Officer c/o
South Suburban Pads – CCHills Wellness Center,
4411 W Gatling Blvd, Country Club Hills, Il 60478
Your immediate attention and kind consideration is so appreciated, and know the good you make happen for others will be made to happen for you!
South Suburban Pads Emergency Shelter Network
Our Emergency Shelter Network (ESN) provides hospitality, compassion service and dignity to men, women and children experiencing homelessness. The ESN provides warm, secure overnight lodging, meals and hospitality at 24 local churches throughout south and far south Cook County region during the cold weather months. Shelter is provided between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. from October 1 to April 30.
SSPADS has provided emergency overnight shelter in the south and southwest suburbs of Chicago since 1990 that includes socialization and support, a hot dinner, breakfast and sack lunch. The ESN is managed and administered by SSPADS staff, but is coordinated and operated by a vast group of dedicated volunteers who staff the 24 shelter sites during hours of operation.
SSPADS contracts with bus services to transport participants every night from its supportive services center to the ESN sites and then return them back to the program and administration in Chicago Heights.every morning. Many guests then go to work, school, work with their case manager, search for jobs, and go to medical and other appointments, among other activities.
If you are interested in getting your congregation and site involved in our Emergency Shelter Network please contact Kim Christmas at (708) 332-7700 ext. 131
South Suburban Pads core values fall under three themes:
1) Empowering Others
- Giving people the tools they need to succeed
- Encouragement
- Fostering self-esteem
2) Compassion
- Empathy in action
- Love in action
-Nonjudgmental acceptance
3) Respect for all
- Listening to the ideas and opinions of others
- Being inclusive
- Open communication
-Truthfulness
South Suburban Pads OPERATING COMMITMENTS
"South Suburban PADS' commitment is act out of "charity" or love towards our fellow human beings, particularly those who are struggling from social and spiritual oppression including homelessness and hopelessness.
We support Mead (2011) in his premise that helping those less fortunate is a priority, but 'helping' primarily means to restore those less fortunate to community rather than simply to subsidize or liberate. (p. 62). The community is based on mutual expectations about good behavior. Poverty, Mead argues represents system failure where normally, society has neglected those in need. But, the answer to alleviating poverty is not necessarily redistribution, but the building of relationships through transformed lives, where both sides give and receive.
In essence our work strives not to spend more or less on those we help, but to do what our program participants require most. Practical assistance is needed, everyone needs something tangible, but it also requires challenging them to think differently, advocate for themselves and extend compassion, to the best of their ability to others as well."
Housing
.jpg)
Transitional and Permanent Supportive Housing
With appropriate assistance, families and individuals experiencing homelessness, can quickly get themselves back on their feet and progress to self-sufficiency. Through transitional housing individuals and families are stabilized and provided wrap-around services that include case management, recovery services and counseling and out-patient treatment, employment, life skills training including financial management, among other skills training to build their capacity to secure and retain permanent housing.
Families First Transitional (FFT) housing program combines special on-site programs with interim-housing and supportive services for families with children under the age of 18. Funded primarily by Housing and Urban Development (HUD), this program is in partnership with Together We Cope (TWC) and has a total of 8 units.
Project WISH provides 12-units of transitional and permanent supportive housing. The program is funded by Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Veterans Administration (VA) and is a partnership with SSPADS and Housing Forward (formerly West Suburban PADS). SSPADS serves as the lead and fiscal agent on the collaborative.
Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH)
Families First Permanent (FFP) supportive housing program is designed to serve families where the head of household has a mental or physical disability and in need of long-term rental subsidies of both housing and services. This program is also in partnership with Together We Cope (TWC) and has 6 units.
Project W-Chance offers long term housing assistance and case management for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness. This is a collaborative partnership with Pillars and has 7 units.
Country Club Hills Wellness Center (CCHWC) is a 77-unit permanent supportive housing development located in County Club Hills, Illinois and opened by SSPADS in 2012. The development holds project-based rental subsidies to house individuals and families in studio, one and two-bedroom apartments. CCHWC features a full commercial kitchen for our culinary arts program, computer lab, community room, class room space and a conference room. CCHWC is a partnership between SSPADS and Turnstone Development Corporation.
Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) serves families and individuals. SSPADS assumed ownership from IFF of 2 multi-unit buildings with 6 units in order to provide affordable housing to families and individuals experiencing homelessness.
Project WIN has transitioned from a medical program to a PSH program specifically for individuals and families coming from a medical or mental health facility. Permanent housing is provided in conjunction with supportive services. The program is a collaboration with South Suburban PADS, Housing Forward (who serves as the lead agency) and BEDS Plus.
South Suburban Pads Supportive Services
Culinary Arts/Employment Services
Intensive Case Management
Behavioral/Mental Health Services
Health & Wellness Program (Redesigning program--stay in touch).
Referrals
Children and Youth Services
Life Skills Training & Coaching
The HUB
Homeless Prevention
It is critical to provide intervention services for individuals and families when they become homeless, but it is also imperative that we work to prevent homelessness. Preventing homelessness happens in a number of ways, through rapid rehousing and homeless prevention funding, but also intervention in the lives of youth and children before they transition into adulthood.
SSPADS is proud to be the South Suburban Rapid Re-Housing provider for the Homeless Prevention Rapid-Re-Housing Program as a subrecipient of the Alliance to End Homelessness - Cook County, along with a number of other agencies. In December of 2009, we place our first tenant through Rapid Re-Housing funding and over the next three years of the grant, we were able to secure housing for 100 households! In 2012, SSPADS was awarded funds from Cook County under the new Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) under the Rapid Re-Housing component. Under this funding we were able to assist 13 families in securing housing. In FY2013, we assisted 59 households including several veterans.
While there is no doubt that providing funding to rapidly re-house individuals and families is critical, SSPADS also knows its important to try and prevent future generations of youth and children from becoming homeless as well. The time is now to work diligently to ensure they have equal education, medical care and other social needs met.
Now you know What South Suburban Pads Offer and How the Charity Accomplish theirr Mission won't you please donate just your disposable spare change? Donations can also be delivered to the South Suburban Pads Chicago Heights office at 414 w Lincoln hwy, Chicago heights, Il 60411
Comments(0)