Shelter Expands Its Services To Include Daytime Support

We've already seen a massive change around Lawrence and Sheridan since the REST shelter closed last autumn and Northside Housing took over its space and its clientele.  Much less loitering outside, and a new theater moving into the Preston Bradley Center on the same floor where REST had its offices.  We recently received this press release:

Outreach and Engagement Daytime Support Center Coming to Uptown.
North Side receives $250,000 Award from Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS)

North Side Housing & Supportive Services (North Side) was recently awarded $250,000 to develop and operate a Day Support Center in the Uptown community.  In December of 2011, North Side took on the huge task of operating a 50-bed interim housing program, formerly ran by the well-known Uptown agency, REST.  The Day Support Center will have a team of case managers, a director, nurse practitioner, clinical services and a number of other programs and services available for participants.  Our goal is to go the extra mile to help improve the quality of life for Uptown residents in need.

"We are delighted about received the grant," Neal Mueller, Director of Programs and Operations shared.  "We believe the center will be an integral community resource and look forward to working in a concerted effort with other Uptown agencies and institutions, Alderman Cappleman, the residents, and other community stakeholders."

It seems to us that giving people a place to spend the night, then putting them back out onto the street at dawn, with nothing to do except wait to line up for a bed that evening, isn't a productive way to encourage them to change their lives, and doesn't create a healthy community.  We are happy to see that North Side's clients will have a place to spend their days.

We're also happy to see that some hard-to-get government funds are being used to reward North Side for the job they're doing.  It was, after all, lack of governmental and private funding that caused REST to go out of business.  We see this as another sign that Uptown is moving in the right direction.