I concur with Clam. Not one person that I have talked to wants PADS gone. In my circle of BB friends, we have discussed how we would like to see a regular dialogue with PADS leadership and accountability.

Please answer for me why PADS choose not to engage the community in any kind of regular discussion? I don't think PADS would be an issue if PADS acted like a member of the GE community.

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Not one person that I have talked to wants PADS gone.

That doesn't mean that those people do not exist.

I'm also interested in understanding if Russ lives near the church like most of the people with the complaints. Or, if it's like the Pastor or the letter writer in last week's paper, they really don't live near the church so they don't have to deal (or see) people standing on people's lawns, peeing on the sides of peoples homes or loitering at the seniors home. Seems that, to a man, the PADS advocates just have to blow into the church for no more than a few hours each week and can then go home.

Also, the "Frequently" comment is very telling. At least, finally, we have confirmation that PADS guests have committed this act.

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PADS guests

Come on glellyn, now it's 'guests' plural? Even if that person did use PADS in the past before that unfortunate incident with the young girl <in a private residence>, it would be one person out of many that have used PADS over its many years of existence. It's like saying just because one Glen Ellyn resident was caught buying heroin around Cabrini Green then running over a police officer, we'll all be doing it.

And please, using 'blasphemous' is hardly saying people are 'damned' as you are trying to make us seem to believe Rev. Daniels said in her sermon.

Also, Rev. Daniels, her husband and two children live close to FCCGE. Many of our members live quite close, actually.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: GlenEllynRing,

quote:

Originally posted by Clamato:
Equal rules for all, that's what I say. Do you disagree?

I believe Dr. Daniel agrees, too, unless I am totally misterpreting this part of her talk:

“If we are going to apply ordinances, standards of behavior, raise the bar to what is expected in terms of manners, cordiality, and good behavior in town, let us make sure that we apply it across the board: To our homeless guests, to our teenagers, to any of us who might loiter too long."

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Originally posted by Clamato:
I have noticed on the calendar that Glen Ellyn carries a huge burden in comparison to other communities. I think if I looked at the schedule correctly, that only 5 towns host PADS shelters throughout the week. Do you know why that is?

From my experience as an occasional PADS volunteer and as a member of a church, my impression is that churches volunteer to host a PADS site and churches volunteer to help out at another church's PADS site. My impression is that this is a bottom-up approach where much or most of the initiative comes from churches, as opposed to a top-down approach where some sort of central authority at PADS headquarters decides to plant PADS sites at particular locations. PADS provides support, but the churches provide the facilities and the volunteers.

So, the bigger burden you point out is due to the situation that more churches in GE have come forward to volunteer than their counterparts in other towns. I have no idea whatsoever what the underlying reasons are behind this. Could be that the GE has more churches with more suitable facilities. Could be that churches in other towns put their priorities elsewhere. Could be that other towns have roadblocks that GE doesn't have. Could be some other completely different set of reasons.

...just my sense of it as an occasional volunteer...

This thread is getting a bit circular. Refer to Ted's excellent post, roundly applauded, on the difference between the homeless and the vagrants. There're probably some in this town who would like to see PADS go. There are certainly some who would like to see PADS continue as-is. To be honest, I'm indifferent as to whether PADS is here, in Wheaton, in Lombard, or in any other DuPage community. I have a philosophical problem with PADS policy of not requiring steps by their guests to self-improve in exchange for their services; but I don't think that, in and of itself, is reason to argue for PADS' removal from town.

But I think its safe to say that the majority of the so-called naysayers just want the PADS "guests" to not be vagrants in our town, and to stop with the illegal activities. And we feel that if an organization is going to invite people into our community, they should do what they can to prevent these things from happening. And yes, we understand that the majority of the PADS users are not doing these things. And we understand that at least one of the routine panhandlers in town isn't a PADS guest.

The abuses that are at issue have nothing to do with what goes on in the shelters - it has everything to do with what happens outside the shelters. I don't see how volunteering at PADS is going to change anyone's feelings on the matter.

But PADS should have engaged the parties who offered to talk. Not doing so gives the appearance that they're OK with the status quo. It just makes the parties have to take their objections to the police/Village. I can't see how that helps PADs.

Thank you Middlein87, exectly my sentiments.

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Listen. Did anybody hear something?

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I don't see how volunteering at PADS is going to change anyone's feelings on the matter.

As I stated before, I too know there are issues that need to be discussed. Obviously, Pastor Daniels wants everyone to be accountable for breaking any laws, etc...as 4MP graciously pointed out in Rev. Daniel's Sermon.

My problem is with the folks that just want the program to 'go away,' and yes, there are those people out there. This was Glen Ellyn Safety's ultimate goal. I have heard this said many times at various social engagements around town. These are the folks that need to see the human side of PADS.

Glellyn,

You make my point. Nothing about damnation or even people being blasphemous or non-Godly was said it that sermon or any other I've heard. Actions and thoughts are blasphemous. No attack on the people. I, for one, am not damned (IMO). I am not a blasphemous person or a non-Godly person. I do have blasphemous thoughts and do non-Godly deeds all the time. I'm have some non-Godly, holier-than-thou thoughts right now.

Some of the posters here post "rapist" as being another attribute of PADs guests (like "drug addict" and "mentally ill"). Those posts implied that rape is frequent. I do not know of any rape committed because PADs was in a community that evening. I pray there has not been one. The tragedy of the young person being raped by a former PADs guest while being invited into someone's home and asked to babysit, should not be used to paint PADs guests as more likely to be dangerous rapists than the rest of the population. Saying it over and over, and linking it to things that are true like having a drinking problem being more likely in PADs guests, does not make it more true but does make some people believe it is true.

Because it seems to color the opinion of some, I will share that I live seven blocks from FCCGE. I have lived in Glen Ellyn for 39 years -- 25 years in this house. So, while I think of PADs as IMBY, you may not. I am at FCCGE every Sunday evening as the guests are entering because the choir is gathering for rehearsal. I work in the area (about 10 blocks from that church). I do one night-shift of PADs each month and sometimes cook for the guests' dinner. I have worked a PADs shift once a month for about 10 years in four locations.

I have never met a guest who seems to be free-loading the system to avoid work. In my opinion, being a PADs guest is not easy or fun and the guests know it. We try to make it as pleasant as possible, but it never reaches the level of pleasant. 60 people sleeping on the floor in one room is never pleasant. Many guests have jobs. I HAVE met people who need me to wake them at 2 AM so that they can walk 12-15 miles to their job and be there at 5:30 AM. I have met mothers and children who have no place else to go. I have met people who are ill. I have met many, many grateful people. For a group of 40-60 people going through some very high-stress stuff in their lives and being asked to share close quarters, I have seen very few problems.

IMO, PADs is a blessing to our community and a chance to act out our values and beliefs. I was proud to raise my kids in a Village that had open compassion for those in tough times. Until we can do more, I believe that PADs is a needed and important first step to helping the homeless.

Maybe now I'm done.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Russ,

Unnecessary, repetitive and redundant quote removed. --Ted E.

EXCELLENT Russ! This is the sort of language that was needed in this discussion on the topic at hand.

Your experiences with PADS are greatly welcomed here and your service to your community and those in need is exemplary, to say the least.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Ted E.,

I've never seen a bigger Russ supporter in my life!

So its importance isn't overshadowed, let me repeat:

Russ, your experiences with PADS are greatly welcomed here and your service to your community and those in need is exemplary, to say the least.

I love Russ' passion, also. Thank you, Russ.

Did Amy come back as Mr. Russ?!

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Did Amy come back as Mr. Russ?!

Nope, Russ is his own person.

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Originally posted by GlenEllynRing:
So its importance isn't overshadowed, let me repeat:

Russ, your experiences with PADS are greatly welcomed here and your service to your community and those in need is exemplary, to say the least.

I'm a little slow-What's your point? Did I miss a post or thread that calls for people not to volunteer for PADS?

No, you didn't.