PADS shelter proposal not welcomed by some Park Ridge residents

I gave a homeless lady a ride to the Arlington Hts shelter last December. She was walking from another church where she attended the service in order to stay warm. She was struggling to move her suitcase through the snow-clogged sidewalks. She was in her 70's, was clean, polite and very grateful. I did not get to find out how she became homeless. I went home broken hearted that this woman, who could be my aunt, is abandoned to the streets in the middle of winter. I wish I could have done more.

Park Ridge residents get over your pretentiousness already! These unfortunate people need assistance and all you can think about is yourselves.

I commend St. Mary Episcopal Church and its volunteers
for having compassion on the homeless.
These are difficult times. Let us not turn away from those who ask for our help.

I commend St. Mary Episcopal Church for having compassion on the homeless. These are difficult times.
Let us not turn away from those who need our help.

These are difficult times. Many of us are stressed and feeling pretty unsettled. And having homeless people arguing outside my window at midnight is not helping. I agree the homeless need help. But the homeless will change a neighborhood. I live in Arlington Heights and there are numerous homeless people in my neighborhood, near the downtown area. Although most are respectful and cause no trouble, there are more than a few who get drunk in the alleys behind stores, throw glass bottles against windows, carry on heated conversations with themselves outside my window during the day and in the middle of the night, smoke marijuana in North Park, panhandle outside the library, and make sexual advances along the downtown street. And most of it is not illegal, so there is nothing one can do about it. Years ago when I would call the police and say two drunk people were arguing outside my window at midnight, a squad would come within 20 minutes. Last time I called, I never saw a squad arrive. And who can blame them. THe police cannot be the babysitters for those who in years past would be in an institutionalized setting.

Be grateful your not homeless,there not asking you to take them in your home.Church is not just to prey in but to help the unfortunate.If they are loitering around your house call the police that's what there for.

Figures rich people don't want homeless people in there suburb. The only want them to be in the city with us working class folks.

God help em if they ever become homeless.

It shows how selfish and greedy these rich snobs can be. I met couple of homeless people. They were very nice people. These rich snobs don't understanding the sufferings these homeless are going through, especially the rejections they are recieving from society. My family help couple of these homeless people find jobs. I think the Park Ridge residents should at least try to help them.

these homeless cause nothing but problems. most are homeless because they are drug users and convicted felones. they made their life choices, why should these hard working people have to deal with the low lifes. the problem we have is we dont allow the weak to die off anymore. what ever happen to darwinism?

Hey, Diane,
Not sure who you are calling rich, but I am one of those working class folks who falls below the poverty level. The homeless people ain't gonna bother the rich folks cause the cops will come if they are called out to a McMansion. But if you live in an apartment, it's a different story. The nice quiet apartment complex I have called home for almost two decades is now overrun by homeless people who love the sheltered doors in the alley and the grassy lots and benches where they can drink and toss bottles and piss on the ground. It's the lower-class neighborhoods of the affluent suburbs that get impacted the most by the homeless because no one cares about rental neighborhoods. And thus urbanization turns a sedate, quiet, well-kept neighborhood into one where even the property manager no longer tries to keep up. IT is the poor neighbors in such communities that get hurt the most - and have nowhere to go once their quiet enclaves then become havens for not only the homeless but the doubling and tripllng up in one bedroom apartments and more.

Interesting another Town along the NW Railroad line is targeted for a shelter. Theres a reason these towns get targeted---because others from all over can ride the rails, get thrown off and than crash for the night in your town. We have one here, and I've seen my share of fist fights, drinking and wandering that frightens the heck out of any citizens and children seeing this. They hang and hide in the Park, near the tracks until the shelter opens and they drink while waiting. I guess it helps these people, but it does seem unfair that the majority of the towns that are targeted to participate are the ones near the Tracks. Job training and mental health counseling should be provided and funded by the Govt at these Shelters. Its easy to attack those who are not in support of shelters when its not in your back yard or you dont witness what it can bring.

The Park Ridge residents who are raising a stink about providing shelter to the needy should be ASHAMED of themselves for their SELFISH, INHUMANE and UN-CHRISTIAN bigotry. I support the efforts of the PADS sites in my community and applaud the difference they are making in the lives of good, deserving people who need a hand up.

Get over yourselves wrote:

Park Ridge residents get over your pretentiousness already! These unfortunate people need assistance and all you can think about is yourselves.

You seem quite passionate about this...I'm assuming you'll be stopping in to your local church and request a homeless shelter outside your doors?

How many homeless people are there in Park Ridge? I don't recall ever seeing any.

One other recent memory and experience with the homeless here. Our town has an ice skating warming house. The homeless have figured out its a good place to hang after they have to leave the shelter. You cant see if someone is in there from the parking lot so until you walk in you dont know there might be someone else there. Last time I went skating in Feb. with my child, we walked in and 3 of them were in there, one spread out asleep on a bench, two others sharing a bottle and smoking. Of course they stunk to high heaven and looked scary but that is beside the point. The real point is be ready if they do come to your town for them to be hanging out, and taking over any public or near public place that can provide shelter or heat. Not that its a problem in of itself, but if its you and yours walking into an ice warming house and seeing that, you will have some explaining to do to your children of just what this is---after you get over the shock of walking in on them. Call me prejudice against the homeless, I'm not---except when it threatens my own and familys personal security. I've seen enough. The Govt needs to do things to help them so they dont remain in a perpetual homeless state.

For all the ignorant people complaining about the homeless causing problems in your area, I guarantee that the majority of them are NOT PADS clients. Spend one night or morning serving at a PADS site and you will know what I am saying is true. The majority of PADS clients have jobs, many have children and many just lost their homes. The majority have no criminal record. They are people, just like you and me, who are down on their luck and doing their best to get back on their feet. They deserve our help, kindness and compassion - not scorn and disgust.

VivianC wrote:

How many homeless people are there in Park Ridge? I don't recall ever seeing any.

Open your eyes. Many of them work in the places you do business at. They serve your food and bag your groceries. Many PADS clients have jobs. They are the definition of the working poor.

This conflict makes me ashamed of my neighbors in Park Ridge. Maybe the Ministerial Association didn't do enough communicating about the problem, but the truth is, there are homeless people in the leafy suburb or PR, and they need a place to go.

I applaud St. Mary's for stepping up and saying "yes" to this need.

Good, now lets work on getting some homeless shelters in all the suburbs. Kenilworth, Winnetka, Glencoe, Hinsdale, and even on the Mag mile in the city. Heck, lets put public housing at these places also. Maybe Oprah will finance buying some condos in her building so they may rest among their biggest defenders. Oh! I forget, ALL HIPOCRITES!

"Although most are respectful and cause no trouble, there are more than a few who get drunk in the alleys behind stores, throw glass bottles against windows, carry on heated conversations with themselves outside my window during the day and in the middle of the night, smoke marijuana in North Park, panhandle outside the library, and make sexual advances along the downtown street. And most of it is not illegal, so there is nothing one can do about it."

this is basically what its like to live in chicago. lincoln park, gold coast, humboldt, bucktown, you name it. you get used to it. they're homeless, but they're still people...