BEDS Plus Care Newsletter: Sept. 15, 2021

BEDS Plus Care Newsletter: Sept.15, 2021

Undoing structural racism in housing

BEDS clients mainly come from five townships: Berwyn, Lyons, Proviso, Stickney, and Worth. Twelve percent of their combined population is Black; forty-four percent of our clients from these areas are Black. This is not an accident.

Systemic racism has long denied Black people access to housing and creates the stark inequalities we see in our work.

Like many of our partner agencies and funders, we’re learning more about the historical forces that shaped our field. Race Forward President Glenn Harris defines systemic racism as "the complex interaction of culture, policy and institutions that holds in place the outcomes we see in our lives." We immediately recognize open racism—whether it’s people dropping racial slurs on message boards, employers refusing to hire Black people, or Jim Crow laws segregating communities. Systemic racism is more subtle but no less real. There’s not a single person, group, policy, institution, or culture at work. Rather, these entities, which form the backdrop to our daily lives, were consciously or unconsciously founded on racist ideologies, and their combined actions confirm the assumptions they embody.

We support housing policy changes to end structural racism. Click here to read more on our blog.

Hair cut, fresh shave give client confidence

The work we do at BEDS does not stop when a client is housed. Herb was housed in September 2019. He had stayed in our shelters after he was forced to live out of his car when he depleted his life savings to care for his sick mom. He never thought he would experience homelessness and need to reach out for help.

Since he has been housed, BEDS staff have continued to meet with Herb and help him with his needs. Recently, a case aid learned that Herb's electricity had been turned off. We acted immediately to pay the past-due utility bill. Herb and his case aid then had a heart-to-heart conversation about how much better he would feel if he looked more presentable and could find a job. Benny’s Barber Shop in Countryside was more than happy to help transform Herb's appearance. With a fresh shave and hair cut, Herb had the confidence to meet with our employment specialist and is now starting the process of finding employment.

Finding housing is often the first step but it is never the last. It is our mission at BEDS to help our clients stabilize and rebuild their lives.

In Case You Missed It on Facebook

BEDS Bulletin! Gov. J.B. Pritzker recently announced a new staff position and task force that aims to achieve functional zero homelessness, a milestone that would mean Illinois has effectively ended homelessness. Pritzker created the task force through an executive order that also calls for a new state "homelessness chief" to lead the panel from within the state Department of Human Services. "I want to be clear that homelessness is a circumstance," he said. "It is not an identity, and it has real impact on real people. Homelessness has many faces — it’s urban, and it’s rural. ... It can be a person with disabilities; an actual working, but underemployed, adult; a veteran; a senior, and it will be — always — a person deserving of dignity, a person deserving of opportunity." Visit our website to learn about the ways in which BEDS works to reduce and end homelessness: https://beds-plus.org/

Mark your calendars for the 10th annual "Brew Moon Festival - Beer & Bands at The MAX"! Brew Moon will be held Oct. 16 at The Max in McCook. Event proceeds will benefit three different charities, including BEDS. Get your tickets now - go to www.eventbrite.com/e/163133475617/?discount=BEDS. Want to help volunteer at the event? We need volunteers for the first and second lobby shifts. Register here and enter BEDS as the organization you are volunteering on behalf of: https://brewmoonfest.com/volunteers/

This summer, BEDS received a grant from the Illinois Public Health Institute's Nutrition Guidelines in Housing program. The grant will help BEDS develop and implement tailored nutrition guidance to better support the health of our clients. Not only have we worked to provide our clients with healthy recipes in the boxes of food they receive but we also have updated our Amazon Wish List with better shelf-stable meal choices for our clients. Our Food Rescue program has played an essential role in safely sheltering and housing clients during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we are excited at the opportunity to secure guidance and support from the IPHI as we continue to grow our Food Rescue efforts.

Calling all volunteers! Want to be part of our clients' journey to housing? Consider helping as a move in team volunteer! We need volunteers who are able to move furniture and other items in preparation for when a client moves from shelter to housing. Volunteers also are needed to help unpack and set up the living space so that when our clients turn the key and walk in, they feel right at home! For more information or to volunteer, please contact Sue Dever at dever@beds-plus.org.

Want to learn more about volunteer opportunities at BEDS? Attend our monthly BEDS Plus Information Meeting, held every second Monday of the month from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. The next meeting will be held Oct. 12. Click here to attend via Zoom.