June 3, 2020

Since March 23, 2020, more than 100 individuals have been safely sheltered in two area hotels at a cost of $18,000 per week, all thanks to the generosity of individuals, faith communities, and foundations – in addition to the Clerics of St. Viator, the United Way, and the IDHS COVID-19 Emergency Homeless Lodging Fund. JOURNEYS | The Road Home is extremely grateful to Elk Grove Township for a grant of $40,000 to support these shelter efforts. “We are so happy to provide this assistance to JOURNEYS | The Road Home to help ensure they can provide safe shelter for individuals who rely on their services,” said Elk Grove Township Supervisor Mike Sweeney. “This is what Townships do; we provide support and assistance for individuals facing a variety of challenges in life, as we all work to empower the communities we serve.” In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, JOURNEYS | The Road Home has drastically adapted its supportive services to prevent the spread of the virus and protect JOURNEYS’ clients, staff, volunteers and its local communities. These changes are based on the most current guidelines and recommendations from medical partners, the CDC, and governmental agencies. To address the need to provide safe shelter and to provide a way for homeless clients to lessen their chance of being infected by COVID-19, JOURNEYS established an Emergency Hotel Placement Fund to provide hotel stays for clients for the duration of the pandemic safety precautions. As this pandemic crisis continues, JOURNEYS will continue to need additional funding to support ongoing efforts, in addition to traditional programs and services which serve the homeless and those at-risk of becoming homeless in its communities.  JOURNEYS expects an increased demand for its services in the near future, as the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect area communities. For more information on JOURNEYS, and how to help, please visit journeystheroadhome.org.