Volunteers Sought to Help Feed and Shelter Cary's Homeless

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 .

"It can be a rush," he said.

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

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 , 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 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:

Sunday

Bethany Lutheran Church

76 W Crystal Lake Ave.

Crystal Lake, Ill. 60014

1-815-459-2690

Sunday

Women and Children

First Congregational Church

461 Pierson St.

Crystal Lake, Ill., 60014

1-815-459-6010

Behind the Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce

Monday

SS. Peter & Paul Parish

410 N. First St.

Cary, Ill., 60013

1-847-516-2636, ext. 233

Tuesday

Christ The King Catholic Church

5006 E. Wonder Lake Road

Wonder Lake, Ill. 60097

1-815-653-2561

Wednesday

Congregation Unitarian

221 Dean St.

Woodstock, Ill. 60098

1-815-338-0731

Due to overcrowding, a location was added on Wednesday nights. Women and children must stay at:

Free Methodist Church

934 N. Route 47

Woodstock, Ill.

Located near Hearthstone Manor

Thursday

St.Joseph Catholic Church

10519 N. Main St.

Richmond, Ill. 60071

1-815-678-7421

Due to overcrowding, a location was added Thursday nights. Women and children stay at:

St. Joseph Church

207 Brainard St.

Harvard, Ill. 60033

Friday

Christian Fellowship Church

3419 Walkup Road

Crystal Lake, Ill. 60012

1-815-459-9473

Saturday

Cary United Methodist

500 N. First St.

Cary, Ill. 60013

1-847-639-7627

Source: PADS of McHenry County