February: Gimme Shelter

Salem Family to address homelessness during February

The Salem Family is excited to be a part of Gimme Shelter, an event hosted by Phoenix Community Development Services. This event will give us the opportunity to help in the fight to end homelessness in Central Illinois and to raise awareness of the challenges faced by those without homes.

The pandemic has been devastating for those experiencing homelessness in our community. Gimme Shelter is an event hosted by Phoenix Community Development Services to give Peoria area citizens an opportunity to help in the fight to end homelessness in Central Illinois and to raise awareness of the challenges faced by those without homes.

Gimme Shelter will be held the evening of Friday, Feb 25, 2022. Salem will be participating in fundraising for this event throughout the month of February. The Salem Gimme Shelter Team will have participants at the in-person, outdoor overnight event at the RiverPlex from 6pm Friday evening until 6am Saturday morning and in other locations – some even virtually from their home or garage. Some will stay in a cardboard box or a vehicle.

All to experience a bit of what it might be like to be outside, overnight, in the Central Illinois cold. Proceeds from Gimme Shelter will benefit Phoenix Community Development Services and support our continuing efforts to provide permanent supportive housing and homeless outreach services to end homelessness in our community.

Gimme Shelter will:
• Bring our community together
• Raise awareness of the plight of those with nowhere to call home
• Provide a powerful opportunity to learn
more about homelessness.

Can You Imagine?

· Not having a mailbox to receive mail?

· Trying to prepare a nutritious meal without a stove or a refrigerator?

· Not having a way to wash your clothing or a take a bath?

· Not knowing where you will sleep at night?

For those who are fortunate enough to have always had these basic things, it is so easy to take them for granted.

But for so many homeless families and individuals in our community, the everyday things we take for granted are things they can only dream about.

Think about your home and how it contributes to the well-being of your family. It provides safety and security, enables you to be self-sufficient and financial independent and it contributes significantly to your mental and physical health.

Now think about how different your life would be without your home.

Phoenix Community Development Services is dedicated to helping our neighbors without homes find the safe, affordable housing they need to reach their full potential.

Learn More About Homelessness: About the Peoria Area

·    The most recent point in time count conducted by the local Homeless Continuum of Care identified 311 people in in Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford and Fulton counties.

· Many of those who are homeless have some type of disabling condition that prevents them from both securing and maintaining housing and nearly half of the homeless population has a mental illness or substance abuse disorder that contributes to their homelessness. Physical health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease are also found at high rates among the homeless. Children who have been homeless have a much higher risk of academic failure. Largest growing segment of homeless population is young people – kids under the age of 18 and those aged 18-24.

· One of the primary causes is lack of affordable housing – no one should pay more than 30% of adjusted gross income for housing (including rent, utilities, insurance etc.) 20% of all renter households are paying over half of their income for housing due to the fair market value of rental housing.

Phoenix Community Development Working to END Homelessness

Phoenix’s model is to take people off the streets, put them into permanent housing and then offer whatever level of service of support that family or individual needs to stay housed. For many of our neighbors the assistance provided is help managing a mental illness or substance abuse issue. People are much better equipped to deal with whatever challenges they’re faced when they have a roof over their heads.

·  Homeless outreach program began in 2015 and has been growing continuously. Phoenix has a team of full-time people who do nothing but outreach to the street population. Seeing what they can do to improve their lives in the short term with the long term goal of identifying their barriers to housing and getting them housed. Tremendously successful 80% of unsheltered persons engaged by the program are placed into housing.

· Supportive housing is affordable housing paired supportive services so individuals and families can maintain their housing. It is the most cost-effective way to end homelessness – costs approximately 1/3 of institutional care and emergency services.

· Homelessness is a drain on our community resources. When we move people off the streets and into permanent homes, our community becomes a stronger, healthier place

· Phoenix CDS programs are effective – 97% of those housed do not return to homelessness!

· Manage more units of supportive housing for individuals, veterans and families in the area – 174 total. Between supportive housing and homeless outreach programs we have housed 433 people in the last year.

· Phoenix’s newest housing development, Madison North Apartments will be opening in February and provide 24 more units of housing for people experiencing homelessness in our community!

Pandemic Effect

The consequences of the pandemic on those experiencing homelessness have been devastating. Food insecurity is widespread.

Phoenix CDS has stepped up to provide the critical services needed during this demanding time. They are:

· Meeting the physical and mental health needs of our supportive housing residents – a group medically high risk for COVID-19.

· Helping as many people as we can secure the housing they need to end their homelessness and improve their well-being.

· Providing assistance to households who are struggling financially to prevent them from losing their homes in the future.

Phoenix CDS has distributed over 19,300 meals, provided over $404,000 in assistance to families, and have brought a mobile laundry and shower vehicle, HOWIE, to our community to meet the health and hygiene needs of our homeless neighbors.

SALEM FAMILY

OPPORTUNITY TO HELP

Friday, February 25 at 6pm until Saturday, February 26 at 6am.

Proceeds from Gimme Shelter will benefit Phoenix CDS and support our continuing efforts to provide permanent supportive housing and homeless outreach services to end homelessness in our community.

The Salem Family will make emergency resource kits to give to the Phoenix Development Center to distribute to the homeless during the month of February. Please sign up through a sign up genius link here or in the atrium for what you plan to donate, and have all donated items at church by the end of worship on Sunday, February 20.

You may also bring a donation to the church office or place it in the offering box. Please put Gimme Shelter in the memo line. If you have any questions please contact Jill Goldhammer.