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Each year, we assist thousands of individuals and families who come to us from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences. Their stories illustrate the complexity of housing crisis and homelessness, and how delivering solution-focused personalized support services ensures vulnerable community members thrive.

There is no one "face" or one cause of homelessness. The people we assist are a diverse group of individuals and families who have one thing in common: they have experienced a catastrophic housing or financial crisis. Often, that crisis is precipitated and/or complicated by a physical disability, chronic health condition, or behavioral health disorder, conditions that are exacerbated by the lack of access to proper care and resources.

Here are a few of their stories.

Man smiling at camera
Brandon was homeless for 12 years, bouncing from shelter to shelter, couch to couch. Brandon struggles with a myriad of...
man sitting in front of windows
Story originally appeared in the September 13, 2013 edition of the Wednesday Journal. By Deb Quantock McCarey After 16...
woman smiling
Lane spent a life feeling dependent; always needing help from others. After growing up in Chicago, in an area where gang...
kids playing in the grass
Chris, a 33-year old single father of three small children, came to the PADS Shelter for the first time in August. After...
woman smiling with toddler
After having to take off time to have baby Evan, Sarah’s financial circumstances became dire and without the support of...
pen and paper
Jennifer, one of our Street Outreach Specialists, brought a client to the Maywood Support Center today who she found in...