It's hard enough finding volunteers who'll work at a homeless shelter on a Saturday night.

The toughest part is finding somebody who'll be there early Sunday morning.

“We feed breakfast to around 50 guests, clean up and get the place ready for Sunday school,” said Joseph Brehm, site manager at Cary United Methodist Church.

"It can be a rush," he said.

Brehm is in charge of the Public Action to Deliver Shelter, or PADS, at Cary United Methodist.

Brehm said he’s looking for more volunteers to work late Saturday nights and early Sunday mornings.

He said usually about 12 to 20 volunteers work three weekend shifts.

Volunteers’ jobs include, but are not limited to, admitting guests, working in the kitchen, ladling food onto paper plates, watching the place at night for security purposes, serving breakfast and cleaning up. 

If you want to help out at Cary United Methodist, you can email Brehm at pads@caryumc.org, or call the church office at 1-847-639-7627.

The homeless are shuttled to and sheltered at SS. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Cary on Monday nights.

“We are blessed with having a big church and a large pool of volunteers to draw from,” said Rich Ring, the PADS coordinator at SS. Peter and Paul. “But we can always use some young blood to help with the cleanup on Tuesday mornings.”

History of PADS in McHenry County

In 1987, church groups had become concerned about homeless people living in automobiles, under bridges, under viaducts and in wooded areas during winter, according to the PADS McHenry County website.

Seven congregations in McHenry County offer shelter to the homeless at different days of the week from Oct. 1 through April 30.

Churches in McHenry County that provide shelter to the homeless: