AmeriCorps Members Team Up to Deliver More Than Just Food

Demetrius Lowery and Calvin Jefferson, who we at Housing Forward affectionately call Team DC, have been consistently providing meals to clients who have been moved from a rotating overnight emergency shelter program to individual 24/7 accommodations in west suburban Chicago where they can safely “shelter in place” during the COVID-19 outbreak. The number of people being served has grown from 64 to 104 over the past month. This is nearly double the number we would be serving in our regular shelters.

With limited resources, Demetrius has consistently volunteered his personal vehicle to deliver breakfast and lunches packed by volunteers. He and Calvin load and unload with a smile and continuously try to improve their system. When asked about their daily delivery Team DC shared, “At times we find ourselves struggling to keep this effort going, but we know we are still better off than the clients we are serving. We keep getting up each day to make sure they are taken care of.”

Housing Forward’s 28-year vision is to end homelessness. The agency achieves this through a comprehensive approach to programs and services that have so far helped more than 17,000 people meet their immediate housing and crisis needs, address their health and income needs, and transitioned them back to housing stability.

Team DC’s positive attitude and assistance are crucial to the mission of our organization. They are a vital connection between the agency and our clients scattered in many locations in our service area. Housing Forward is grateful to these amazing and committed AmeriCorps members who have stepped up and become frontline workers, helping people who are experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 crisis.