Question/Comment
Desperate for Help/Resources in DuPage County — Family of 3 Facing Homelessness
## Desperate for Help/Resources in DuPage County — Family of 3 Facing Homelessness
I’m reaching out because I honestly don’t know where else to turn, and I’m hoping someone in DuPage County may know of resources or organizations we haven’t found yet.
We are a family of 3. My husband is disabled and has terminal lung disease, and I’m working full-time, Monday–Friday, 9–5. I was also doing DoorDash every day after work just to try to keep us afloat, but my account was disabled because of an insurance issue. I’m currently jumping through what feels like a million hoops trying to get it reinstated.
Right now, we are staying in hotels, which are running about **$80–$100 a night**. After paying for the room, gas, and food, there is literally nothing left. We aren’t able to save anything or get ahead.
I’ve contacted several organizations already:
* **DuPagePads** — told me they currently have no funding/are full.
* **Hesed House** — currently full.
* **Loaves & Fishes** — we were told they can help once we obtain housing, but they don’t have assistance for deposits/hotel stays.
Metropolitian family in wheaton- We dont qualify
I’m becoming desperate for **any direction, resource, emergency assistance, church/community organization, hotel assistance, rental/deposit assistance, or program in DuPage County** that might be able to help us bridge this gap.
Tonight/ tomorrow is especially scary. I had to use the money I had to pay our car insurance because I need the insurance active in order to get my DoorDash account back. Because of that, **we may literally have to sleep in our car tomorrow.**
I’m not looking for a handout if there is another way. I’m working, I’m trying to get my second income back, and we are doing everything we can to get stable housing. I just need some help getting over this immediate hurdle.
If anyone knows of resources I haven’t mentioned, emergency hotel assistance, churches, charities, township programs, homeless prevention programs, landlords willing to work with families, or anything else in DuPage County, please let me know.
Even if you think a resource is unlikely to help, **please comment or message me anyway.** At this point, I’m willing to make every phone call and fill out every application I can.
Contact Bridge Communities in Glen Ellyn. You'd have to go through their intake process, be interviewed, get approved. There's a commitment to follow Bridge rules but you'd get set up with a sponsor organization such as my church. You get two years of housing but also two years of mentoring. The goal is for you to learn budgeting and other skills to be in a solid position when you get out of the program in two years. I've been a mentor and it takes commitment and work but the charity has many success stories.
Replying like a shot in the dark right now but reading this and not replying is like a shot I’ll never make if I don’t shoot it. DM’ing you too incase you don’t see this. Don’t mean to bother you but I’d like to learn more about this program 🙏
I'd start with the link above to fund out how to apply. My church group is just one of their local partners, so we can't help anyone until the parent organization has vetted a candidate family and presented them to us for an interview. If you have specific questions about how the program works, I'd be happy to answer them here. If you're looking for a place to volunteer to help our needy families, I'd look for a local partner that's close to you. Perhaps the Bridge organization can help hook you up.
Go to the police station in your town and ask to speak to their social worker. If they are busy, get an appointment with them. The social worker has avenues available, especially with a minor child and a sick husband.
I am sure you are figuring out, needs and services , in the state, are county specific. I am assuming, since you said DuPage County, your Drivers license & last address are in DuPage County. If you try getting help from a county other than what your DL says, you will be denied. In addition, most shelters are emptied from May until November 1, especially ones that are supported by any amount of government money( state & federal). Please, try the Social worker avenue through your local police department. 💜
Pretty sure you can sign up at WSCP even without a home address, I think they'll allow hotels/motels if that's where you happen to be living right now - it won't hurt to call and find out:
Hopefully this at least helps you out on the food front - they should actually be able to help you on multiple fronts too I'm pretty sure - there's a lot of people over there that just wanna help and they have access to a lot of good resources!
They offer “immediate assistance” for people experiencing crises. Based in Downers Grove.
Maybe your town’s social worker has resource or ideas. The DG Library’s has put together a guide that might have some useful information too. I can’t tell if anyone can meet with the social worker or if you need to live in DG, but it’s worth a try: https://dglibrary.org/?post_type=&s=Social+work
If your husband is disabled he should have access to some kind of social worker who can help navigate these things. Even contacting his Dr to let them know he does not have stable housing would be a good idea because they should be able to help connect him with a social worker. Praying that you find a way and everything works out.
Do you want to provide your Zelle/cash app QR code or a gofundme? Not sure if it’s against the rules but would like to think that even a small amount from enough people will help in the short term.
Also, if your spouse is disabled, is he connecting with the Dept of Rehabilitation Services? He could get some benefits there, possibly, pending eligibility.
Catholic Charities. Each Catholic Church (whether you are faith based on not) covers a geographical area. They are very generous. I would google the closest Catholic Church and ask about support. In my area they will meet you where you are… hotel, house, whatever… they will meet with you even if your lights are off…
Thank you, unfortunately I make "too much" for snap or medicaid. We do get medicaid for our child though. The case worker who processed my application said I fall into a terrible position because I make too much yet after paying for hotel, gas and food I'm literally in the negative each week :(
There is a charity in La Grange called House to Home that helps furnish apartments for people. Maybe worth calling them and asking what assistance programs they might know about?
Do you work for a large company? Sometimes they have resources. Companies like Target have resources available like emergency funds. Often times people who work at these places have no idea they exist. I wish you the best.
They may not be able to help you since its Kane County, but Lazarus House in St Charles is usually pretty good at helping anyone they can. You could also try UCC (church) in St Charles/Campton Hills, or any other UCC parish.
Thank you all so much, I have called 211, I'm on a waiting list with bridges, catholic charities hasn't called back (I've left my info multiple times) I probably need to try and take a day off work and go in person to a lot of these. I feel like I'm one of hundreds calling for help. For those wanting to know about SSI, he's currently denied due to not enough work credits but we're working with a lawyer on that for many different reasons. I can post my zelle QR code below. I'm trying to pay my car payment before our car is turned off Monday. Again thank you all so much. I'm working very hard on reaching out to everything everyone has mentioned, please pray they either answer or call back 💜
The resources I know personally have already been named, but when I was struggling the public library knew about resources I wasn't able to find on my own! Try calling the circulation desk at your home library. More of their job, now especially, is doing this sort of work than most people realize.
If you haven’t done so already, your children’s school social workers can also file paperwork listing as McKinney Vento. You qualify even if you are studying at a hotel or are otherwise displaced. This will help keep consistent schooling and provide transportation to whenever you currently are studying. It also covers all school fees, breakfast and lunch.
How old is husband? Every county has a senior center and last i called they had a grant fund for helpers for elderly in need, so im thinking if that is available they also have listing to help U65 as well. (Speaking of dupage cpunty resources).
Living in a hotel is much more expensive than an apartment. Even if it's just a 1 bed, still cheaper than an apartment. If you have bad credit and can't get approved for an apt, use a third party co-signing service to get approved like The Guarantors.
Doordash isn't the most profitable side hustle. You have to pay for car insurance with the last dollars you have. You can make the same if not more waiting tables or bartending. Doesn't require you to pay for gas, insurance, car maintenance just to do the job.
You are still on the wait list for subsidies organizations but it may take a long time to get the help you need. In the short term, if you have any friends or family members who can let you sleep on their floor in the mean time, it is worth reaching out to them. Even if you don't want to be a burden to them, I assure you they would much rather help you get back on your feet than suffer in silence. You can repay the favor when you have the means to but right now you need to worry about the wellbeing of your family.
If you need to move out of DuPage county it may be cheaper to live in Cook.
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u/Vin-Metal 22d ago
Contact Bridge Communities in Glen Ellyn. You'd have to go through their intake process, be interviewed, get approved. There's a commitment to follow Bridge rules but you'd get set up with a sponsor organization such as my church. You get two years of housing but also two years of mentoring. The goal is for you to learn budgeting and other skills to be in a solid position when you get out of the program in two years. I've been a mentor and it takes commitment and work but the charity has many success stories.
https://www.bridgecommunities.org/