A row of candles in glass holders surrounded by red poinsettia plants stood on a table draped in black.
Dozens of people sat at folding tables while the overcast cold loomed outside. They watched and listened to the speakers last week at the Homeless Client Memorial Service at JOURNEYS | The Road Home in Palatine.
Two clients comfort each other during a service to honor the memory of former clients at JOURNEYS | The Road Home on Friday in Palatine.
Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com
It was Friday, the day before National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day, held on or around Dec. 21, the longest night of the year.
“The longest night of the year reminds us that every night there are people without stable housing who are struggling,” said Tara Kelly, JOURNEYS’ human resources administrator.
JOURNEYS | The Road Home helps make the days and nights easier by providing shelter, counseling and housing.
Staff members understand the plight of those who come for assistance.
Dan Yarger, an intake specialist and case manager, has gone through his own journey. At one point, he left an abusive relationship and packed up what he could in his car. Luckily, he said, he had family to provide him a place to stay.
“Being the intake specialist, you see people at their lowest a lot of times,” he said. “They’re coming in, they have nothing. They’re looking for help. I wanted to be that front end, to where I can be a welcoming face, show empathy for things that people have a hard time talking about.”
He said his role includes getting a snapshot of a client’s needs, whether it be food, clothing, Medicaid or mental health assistance.
Yarger said potential clients need to pass a background check.
“We can’t take them on as a client due to safety concerns for the rest of the clients,” he said of some who seek help. “That’s the hard part of my job. I do have to say no.”
But there are the rewarding aspects, such as when it appeared that a client in need of shelter would not receive a spot, only to have one open up.
“His face just lit up,” Yarger said. “It’s such a small thing in the grand scheme, but just seeing that smile was just great.”
The facility, off Northwest Highway, serves the homeless and near-homeless in the North and Northwest Suburbs of Cook County.
During fiscal 2023-24, JOURNEYS served 1,022 individuals, provided 12,888 long-term counseling sessions and placed 135 people in permanent housing, according to its latest annual report. Of those served, 565 were unhoused, and 457 were at-risk.
In 2023-24, it received more than $2 million in revenue from contributions from such sources as individuals, foundations, faith communities, corporations, local government and the United Way.
In February, JOURNEYS launched the Interim Housing Shelter Program, providing 1,258 nights of shelter to 64 individuals during the 2023-24 fiscal year.
Its day center provides a gamut of services, including showers, laundry facilities, meals, clothing and case management.
JOURNEYS combines with PADS to provide shelter, with such churches as All Saints Lutheran Church in Palatine, St. James Catholic Church in Arlington Heights, St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Mount Prospect and Kingswood United Methodist Church in Buffalo Grove participating.
Volunteers include Mount Prospect resident Don Langenfeld, who works in the shower area and mans the front desk when needed.
He said it means a lot to help people by providing them with the dignity and pleasure of taking a shower, something that seems a little more like home.
Palatine resident Mark Farrahar volunteers in the kitchen. He cooks food at home and brings it to JOURNEYS.
“I see faith and hope in a lot of these people,” he said. “They’re just trying to get by one day at a time.”
Following Friday’s service, breakfast was served, courtesy of Cafe Fourteen in Palatine — pancakes, eggs, bacon and hash browns, along with coffee.
Albert Batiz said JOURNEYS | The Road Home. is helping him get his life together.
Steve Zalusky/szalusky@dailyherald.com
Among those partaking was Albert Batiz. He said poor life choices brought him to JOURNEYS.
“I’m just trying to get my life together,” said Batiz, who has a seasonal job with a package delivery firm.
He said the staff provides helpful guidance. He receives services at JOURNEYS during the day and sleeps at area church shelters at night.
“Without this place, I don’t think I would have gotten this far in personal growth,” he said.
