Dressed in his full gear, Assistant Fire Chief Richard Mikel bent down to touch his toes a few times so he could stretch before the sprint he was about to take.
Yes, PADS, or Public Action to Deliver Shelter, is the group that coordinates the overnight housing for homeless people that rotates among 31 churches in DuPage County.
A little more than 20 years ago, there were no overnight homeless facilities in DuPage County. Now, as executive director of DuPage Public Action to Deliver Shelter, Simler is leading the Wheaton-based nonprofit's effort to provide shelter and support to help homeless people find perm
Before heading off to Mass Sept. 9 at St. Petronille Parish in Glen Ellyn, three members of the Repking family took a 5 kilometer run and helped the homeless in DuPage County. Standing alongside her 6-year-old and 9-year-old sons, Liz Repking said, “It’s all about the family.”
Most people think of bicycles as toys or exercise tools, but Glenbard West High School senior James Volin sees them as a means of opportunity and hope for those in need.
On benches within the wide expanse of community parks, under bridges, in forest preserves, desolate back alleys or abandoned vehicles, the homeless seek an isolated spot where they can close their eyes and dream of a life that refuses to define every moment as a crisis or each meal as