Homelessness Unpacked: A Personal Look at Mental Health, Choices, and Real Ways to Make a Difference

Author's Note: This blog post has been revised and updated from an earlier version originally published in 2021, bringing current insights and statistics.

April 2009, New York City: A homeless man stands resolute, his "End Time Revival" sign a powerful declaration amidst the vibrant lights of a bustling urban night scene. Captured with a Kodak EasyShare Z915 Digital Camera by Marcy Baez Lopez / Inspired Visions Photography.

Navigating Homelessness: My Journey and Our Call to Action

One week, while driving for work in Elgin, Illinois to a meet and greet (where I introduce a caregiver to a homecare client), a man approached my passenger window at a stop light, asking for money. He was trying to collect money for a room.

In the past, I've hesitated to give cash directly to those experiencing homelessness. My reasoning often stems from the concern about potential scams – individuals feigning need when they aren't, or using the funds for substances rather than necessities. This leads to questions: Is it a scam? Is their situation by choice? Are they struggling with addiction, or is it tied to a faith or belief, perhaps like the prophetic message shown in the image in a previous post? What's the true story behind their plea?

Homelessness, however, is incredibly close to my heart. At one point in my own life, I was homeless. My parents, grappling with addiction and prioritizing their lifestyle, neglected and abandoned me. I intimately understand what it's like to walk the streets throughout the night with no place to call home, seeking temporary shelter on a park bench, in a 24-hour diner, or even a stranger's home for a single night. My experience also involved moving from one cheap motel to the next, doing whatever was necessary to survive and pay for a room. But that, as they say, is a story for another day.

Closer to home, a few individuals within my own family have experienced homelessness in the recent past (for confidentiality, I've chosen not to share names). Their circumstances were complex, often interwoven with personal choices, unforeseen consequences, and challenging external factors.

• Choice: Options for shelter and assistance have been presented, but due to pride or stubborn will, these are sometimes refused. Others, capable of employment, simply refuse to work.

• Consequence: The choices made naturally lead to difficult situations, leaving them with few options other than roaming the streets or, when possible, staying a night or two in an inexpensive motel.

• Circumstance: Often, individuals are caught in circumstances beyond their immediate control. Mental illness stands out as a significant barrier. The profound challenges posed by undiagnosed and untreated conditions like anxiety, depression, PTSD, and various other disorders can leave someone in a perpetual state of disrepair, making it incredibly difficult to navigate daily life, let alone find a path out of homelessness.

As Danielle Steel wisely put it, "Homelessness is not just about having a job or an apartment. Too often homelessness is due to a disordered mind."

Can these experiences resonate with the broader homeless population?

So, how do we know if it's okay to give money to someone experiencing homelessness? At best, it might be used for food or shelter. At worst, it could fuel an addiction. My preference is always to provide what's immediately obvious: a meal or a room, whenever possible. That way, I know for certain where my assistance is going.

My former spouse once had a powerful encounter in a Walmart parking lot. As we were leaving, he saw a young man (perhaps in his late teens or early twenties) rummaging through trash cans. His heart was heavy at the sight, and he felt compelled to stop and give the young man the cash he had on hand.

Ways We Can Help

There are many ways we can make a difference in the lives of those experiencing homelessness:

• Serve in a soup kitchen.

• Provide meals for a shelter.

• Give donations to reputable organizations.

• Open your home or provide shelter through other means if you're able.

• Buy one meal and give it to someone you encounter in your travels.

• Prepare survival kits/backpacks with necessary clothing, essentials, dry foods, canned goods, and water.

• Support local agencies dedicated to helping the poor and homeless community.

  
  

But above all these listed, the most important is to PRAY. Pray for their spiritual, emotional, and physical health. Pray for provision. Pray for education and training to help them become stable and independent. Pray for mercy and compassion. And pray to have a heart to serve and make a difference, even if it's just one life.

Together, we can change lives!

I am one example of what can happen if one person, one family, chooses to open their home to someone in need and purposefully provides assistance to help that individual recover from homelessness and rebuild their life. Without that intervention, I truly believe I wouldn't be writing to you today; my life might have ended at a young age. All it took was one person to make an impact and change my life forever.

In my area today, the landscape of homelessness continues to evolve. While precise, city-specific Point-in-Time (PIT) count data for Elgin for 2024 or 2025 is still being compiled and released by federal agencies, more recent developments highlight the ongoing challenge.

For instance, in December 2024, following a series of fires at a significant unsheltered encampment known as "Tent City" along the Fox River, the City of Elgin, with state support, worked to relocate approximately 40-42 individuals and their pets into hotel-based temporary housing. This proactive response, which included securing ongoing funding for the hotel program and establishing a full-time homelessness response coordinator, earned Elgin state recognition for its leadership and compassionate approach. You can read more about Elgin's homelessness response and this initiative on the City of Elgin's Official Homelessness Response Page and in news reports like this one from CBS Chicago or the Daily Herald. Further, Elgin received a statewide honor for its efforts, as reported by the Daily Herald in June 2025.

Kane County data from 2023 indicates a severe housing crisis, with only 0.6% housing availability throughout the regional market, and a significant increase in families seeking shelter (doubling from 13.9% in 2022 to 28% in 2023 at PADS of Elgin). This data on housing availability can be found on the Kane County Health Department - Housing Page. Additionally, the number of homeless students in Kane County continues to be a concern, with over 2,600 students registered as homeless in the current school year (as of early 2024 data), as highlighted by the Kane County Regional Office of Education. Broader context on housing affordability and shelter needs for Illinois can also be found in reports like the Housing Action Illinois - 2023 Annual Report. These figures underscore that while local efforts are strong, the underlying systemic issues persist.

Resources for Support and Action

Below is a list of valuable organizations and resources where you can get involved, find support, or refer others for further information on homelessness, mental health, and related crises in the Elgin area and beyond.

• Community Crisis Center

  • Website: https://www.crisiscenter.org/

  • What they do: Provides emergency shelter for women and children experiencing domestic violence, sexual assault, and economic crisis. They offer a 24-hour crisis hotline for immediate support, counseling, advocacy, and assistance.

    
    

• PADS of Elgin

  • Website: https://www.padsofelgin.org/

  • What they do: Offers comprehensive shelter and support services for men, women, and children experiencing homelessness.

    
    

• Ecker Center for Behavioral Health

  • Website: https://www.eckercenter.org/ 

  • What they do: Provides comprehensive mental health treatment, including emergency services, counseling, and support for individuals with various mental health conditions.

    
    

• Gail Borden Public Library

  • Website: (You'll want to verify their current website link, likely https://gailborden.info/ but please confirm)

  • What they do: Offers a wide range of community resources, including valuable job-seeking support, computer access, and educational programs.

    
    

• Prairie State Legal Services

  • Website: (You'll want to verify their current website link, likely https://www.pslegal.org/ but please confirm)

  • What they do: Provides free legal advice and assistance to low-income individuals and senior citizens on critical civil legal issues, which can be vital for those experiencing homelessness.

    
    

• Kane County Guide to Services

  • Website: (You'll want to verify the exact link for the general resources guide, perhaps within the Kane County Health Department or Human Services sites, e.g., https://www.kanehealth.com/ or similar)

  • What they do: A directory to help individuals search for general resources such as food pantries, emergency financial aid, housing assistance, and other essential community support services across Kane County.

  
  

• Lazarus House

  • Website: https://www.lazarushouse.net/

  • What they do: Lazarus House provides safe shelter, food, and a comprehensive range of support services for men, women, and children experiencing homelessness or in need of assistance. They serve individuals connected to Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles, and western rural Kane County, IL, through residency, employment, school district, or immediate family ties. Their mission extends to offering hope, hospitality, education, and "tools for life" to help guests achieve long-term independence.

  
  

• Homeless Shelter Directory

  • Website: https://www.homelessshelterdirectory.org/

  • What they do: This directory is a comprehensive listing of resources dedicated to assisting and helping those experiencing homelessness. It includes information on a wide range of services, from standard homeless shelters and transitional housing to outreach centers, day shelters, and food pantries. Users can navigate to their local city to find available shelter and homeless services in their area.

Final Thoughts...

As Mother Teresa beautifully stated, "If sometimes our poor people have had to die of starvation, it is not that God didn’t care for them, but because you and I didn’t give, were not an instrument of love in the hands of God, to give them that bread, to give them that clothing; because we did not recognize him, when once more Christ came in distressing disguise, in the hungry man, in the lonely man, in the homeless child, and seeking for shelter."

And from Matthew 25:35-36: "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me..."

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