People in Evanston who are homeless won't have any choice but to camp or try to get to a different part of the area where beds are available with Interfaith Action of Evanston's shelter program ending for the year. Many people may also turn to the public transit system to attempt to get some rest. When riding on the CTA buses and trains during college, I often encountered a homeless person sleeping. No one should be forced to sleep on a train or a bus as thousands of people use them daily. It is not safe, as some people harass and abuse homeless people, which is an awful site. I believe society's role is to support and empower individuals who cannot care for themselves. Yet our capitalistic society only values people if they can generate a profit for someone else. Many non-profits and church organizations are working to support people who are homeless, but it will require the entire community to get involved to solve the problem. We need to work with local authorities to provide housing options for homeless people. The real estate industry is too focused on profit and has caused many people with jobs to feel stressed about paying rent. Many people who are currently homeless qualify for government-sponsored housing, but there is a lack of landlords who are willing to house people with Section 8 or other HUD grants. We need more housing!
I attended Loyola University Chicago, 5-10 minutes from Evanston, from 2010-2014. I was an 18-year-old freshman in 2010 and had too much fun in the dorms. This led to getting a couple of strikes for violating campus drinking rules and 50 community service hours. I originally went to serve my hours at Misericordia, a charity serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, with my friend, who had also gotten in trouble. He told me it was a sweet gig because they had him baking cookies for the residents and staff. That would be a great way to get my community service hours in, as I love baking cookies, and it is close to campus. However, when I showed up, they gave me a brush and a bucket and had me scrubbing the kitchen walls. That was the last time I went there for community service hours, so I was forced to find other ways to get my hours in. I saw an opportunity to clean Loyola's Chapel with the legend Sister Jean, which was lovely, but unfortunately, they didn't need many volunteer hours. This led to finding a program where we made sandwiches and distributed them to homeless people and families throughout downtown Chicago. This represented my introduction to volunteering to serve the homeless. I served the remainder of my hours with this group, and this work helped drastically change my perception. It was pretty enlightening! I found it fascinating to get to know some of the people who were homeless and listen to their stories. Little did I know that 10 years later, I would be starting a business dedicated to changing other people's perceptions by documenting and sharing the stories of the people experiencing homelessness with the world!
Unfortunately, after completing my required volunteer hours, I did not prioritize staying consistent with my service work. I got a job working to raise funds for Loyola's development program and became wrapped up in my life. Between working 20-30 hours a week while being a full-time student and then becoming a parent at 22, it took years before I could consistently dedicate time every week to give back. As I have volunteered weekly over the past couple of years, I've gotten to know many guests who stay at Hesed House. I have also come to know a few homeless people who aren't in the shelter and learned more about them and their experiences. Many homeless people choose to camp when the weather is nice instead of staying in the shelter. They do this for many reasons, but mainly, the shelters can be very loud, crowded, and tense places, which is not ideal for people who deal with anxiety. Since being more consistently involved in service work, I have been reminded of the crucial role that we all play in making a difference. Community is vital, and we need more people to view the individuals who are homeless in their community as part of the community! Approach these people with compassion, empathy, and support! For an effective solution to develop, we need to look out for the members of our communities impacted by homelessness.
Cherry Willow Apparel will use the profits generated from merchandise sales to create more housing specifically for people impacted by homelessness and create universal basic income programs and other innovative data-backed solutions. Providing people with a safe place to call home and helping them get connected with people who are trying to help is the only way real progress can be made. We are working with people impacted by homelessness who would like to share their stories. You can donate or buy merchandise from us to support our work. The people who share their stories with us can also use your support by sharing in the hopes we can help connect them with opportunities. Please consider supporting Cherry Willow by getting some fantastic merchandise that you can wear proudly, knowing that you are helping make a difference for someone who is impacted by homelessness!
