A reader writes in asking:"I am well aware of The Night Ministry, and what it is that they do, and that they park by the Uptown Clinic at the corner of Wilson & Hazel (which, to this day I've never figured out if that's a legit CVS inside...) for their outreach in our neighborhood. I'm perfectly fine with this, and I'm glad to see that they are trying - or at least seem to be trying - to help people keep their heads above water.
What confuses me - and what would be the "riddle me this" factor - is why, pray tell, does a large group of individuals from Wilson Care frequent The Night Ministry when they come through? Isn't the point of Wilson Care to care for the individuals they are housing? Their website explicitly boasts their nutrition and dietary management for all of their residents (http://www.wilsoncareinc.com/dietary.html), but like clockwork, the residents of Wilson Care file over to The Night Ministry, grab some food and whatever other services they may request, and then shuffle back over to Wilson Care - usually with at least one nurse outside supervising - or, rather, having a smoke and chatting on their cell.
In all honesty, I could be looking at this situation entirely wrong - and maybe there is a reason why the residents of Wilson Care are getting their meals and services from The Night Ministry rather than the Wilson Care facility itself - but I just don't see why that would be - unless they somehow consider it part of the rehabilitation process. It seems like an unnecessary stress on a charitable organization (Night Ministry) that could be using those resources for individuals who are not already under a care program, or are just hitting a rough spot in life."
It's not a whole lot different than when people pass out free food samples to people who exit the "L" in the loop. Hey, it's free, and it's fun to get free stuff.
ReplyDeleteNight Ministry's strategy, as I understand it, is to give away free stuff as a way to get people to the bus. While in the bus, they attempt to offer basic health care, advocacy and counseling.
Especially with those with severe schizofrenia, basic health needs are ignored because their condition doesn't allow them trust anyone, even doctors who could provide meds to reverse that particular brain chemistry issue. They also may be ignoring other basic health needs.
You might think that this ministry could be done inside the building, but I would imagine that the schizofrenic population is much less trusting of an inside service than one in a mobile unit.
If you've ever met or known somoene with severe schizofrenia, it is heartbreaking. Many are homeless and are paranoid enough that they refuse shelter services and prefer to sleep in the park. Most are simply survivors their entire lives.
My friends who are social workers frequently share how they believe a cure to this condition is the only real hope for those affected, their families and society. Until then, services like the Night Ministry may be the only way to help address a very serious and challenging community need.
I do question why one community (Uptown) must bear the burden of possibly the largest number of social services in the nation, but that is more of a political and cultural issue than a caregiving issue.
I suppose that in a perfect world each community would share some of this burden, but that would require strong leadership to make politically possible a currently unfashionable idea.
Wouldn't a strong advocate for social services, one who also advocates that they be equitably distributed among Chicago communities be a nice addition to City Council? Think about that this election cycle.
Think about what it might take for each and every community to be "greedy" to want to be host to one of Chicago's many social services, not just one community. IMHO, that's the leadership challenge.
Yep, that's a "legit" CVS pharmacy. It took over a "legit" Osco pharmacy a couple years ago, when Jewel turned over all of its "non-attached" Osco stores to CVS.
ReplyDeleteI too question why the bulk of the city's social services have to be lumped into one area, and thus all of the people who need the services are roaming our streets. I commend the people who work with the needy, but feel that by putting everything in one place, there is a sense of the area becoming a services ghetto. Even then, I would not mind (I do not feel that the people seeking the services are the problem in the neighborhood, it is the gangbangers who prey on their addictions). GANGS OUT OF UPTOWN! What will it take?
ReplyDeleteMaybe I can help clear things up….
ReplyDeleteComing from someone who has volunteered at places like Wilson Care, I can tell you, without any hesitation, that there is a huge difference between what these places purport to do (to receive state funding), and what they actually provide.
I used to volunteer at a "rehab center" that boasted that they provided meals for their clients; yet, they routinely sent their residents to the local public aid office, with letters stating that their clients were responsible for providing their own meals. Adding to this deception, was the fact that this organization also took food from the Chicago Food Depository. And once that food was in their possession, THEIR employees, NOT THE CLIENTS, took the bulk of the food HOME. Leaving spoiled and rotten goods for the people they were supposedly helping.
There are a lot of wolves in sheep’s clothing pretending to have the welfare of others at heart, when all they are really doing is helping themselves.
"It's not a whole lot different than when people pass out free food samples to people who exit the "L" in the loop. Hey, it's free, and it's fun to get free stuff."
ReplyDeleteZesty, you're absolutely right! But it's up to the people who are passing out the “freebies“, to make sure that the services are being provided to the people who actually need them.
I don't want to come across as a perpetual do-gooder, but I used to volunteer at the Salvation Army near Broadway and Montrose. Which is now closed. Every Saturday and Sunday, I rode along with the mobile feeding unit, passing out food and social services information.
Many times, CTA bus drivers and people driving BMWs would run to our van and take food. Eventually, watching people who had jobs and were driving luxury cars, take food out of the mouths of homeless people and children, didn’t sit well with me. So, I put an end to it. I was only a volunteer, but I flat-out refused to give food to people who could obviously take care of themselves.
I also starting saving things like potato chips and cookies, for the children on our route. Most grown up don’t need the extra calories. ;-)
If they need the services, shouldn't they have access to them? Maybe Wilson Care is not doing the job? It's there, so why not? Maybe you are asking some one look into Wilson Care? I guess I am wondering what your point is here.
ReplyDeleteAn organization I belong to once organized some volunteering with Night Ministry (we prepared food, snacks, and drinks and basically handed it out to people while Night Ministry did their usual thing). We had to go through a short training before heading out. It is Night Ministry's policy to ask people if someone else is supposed to be feeding them, providing medical care etc. If someone asks them for help, they give it. Obviously, Wilson Care and the other service organizations in the area aren't providing enough help to people if people need to ask the Night Ministry for help.
ReplyDeleteSo, what I've gathered from the comments is that this whole scenario is a lack of general oversight and proper funding with adequate program structure...
ReplyDelete