There is an important development in the PADS ministry in Park Ridge. St. Paul of the Cross Catholic Church has volunteered to host PADS in Park Ridge. This location addresses well the needs of the homeless as well as the Park Ridge community with a modern, up-to-date facility; easy access to public transit; on-site parking for volunteers and guests; good outdoor lighting; a less-residential setting with only one single-family home and one condominium building in the immediate vicinity; as well as ample room for 20 overnight homeless guests.
St. Mary's thanks the people of St. Paul of the Cross for their wondeful hospitality. We look forward to working with every congregation in Park Ridge to serve the homeless in our community.
While the location of the PADS ministry is changing, much about PADS in Park Ridge is remaining the same:
The Park Ridge Ministerial Association—which includes 15 supporting organizations including 12 churches in Park Ridge—has agreed to enter into a partnership with Journey from PADS to Hope to establish a site in our community.
As discussion around the proposed PADS site continues, we would like to offer the following information:
- The Park Ridge PADS site will not be a traditional “homeless shelter,” per se. Rather, it will be open one day a week (currently proposed for Sunday), from October through April, to provide a hot meal, a place to sleep, breakfast, and a sack lunch.
- PADS currently operates 18 sites located in the Northwest Suburbs, all of which are hosted at churches.
- The Park Ridge PADS site will operate one day a week, from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. All guests must arrive no later on 7 p.m. and must remain on the site premises until they are ready to leave. Once a guest leaves, he/she cannot re-enter. Guests must leave the premises and the area as soon as the site hours end.
- A site at St. Paul of the Cross would be able to accommodate 20 overnight guests. Site occupancy will be determined by the Fire Department and other municipal inspections.
- PADS conducts background checks on all guests, and each guest must have a PADS ID card to be able to access a PADS shelter. Additionally, all PADS clients must be involved in various social services offered through the PADS Hope Center program. Experience at other PADS sites shows that guests come from the local area within a close radius.
- PADS sites are staffed by trained volunteers and overseen by PADS. Trained volunteers are on premises before, during, and after the site hours. Local police departments patrol the PADS site area during site hours and maintain a presence in the neighborhood after the site closes in the morning.
We look forward to ongoing open discussions about the PADS site and the needs and concerns of all people in the community.
