Homeless shelter taking shape

Lori Hammelman
Posted 10/26/17

The Rochelle Rescue Mission is one step closer to helping people find their way home.

At an open house held at the shelter earlier this week the community had the chance to see the progress and hear more on the future plans of the facility slated to open in the coming months.

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Homeless shelter taking shape

Posted

ROCHELLE — The Rochelle Rescue Mission is one step closer to helping people find their way home.

At an open house held at the shelter earlier this week the community had the chance to see the progress and hear more on the future plans of the facility slated to open in the coming months.

The shelter will eventually provide temporary housing assistance for up to 20 people at a time, containing four separate sleeping rooms  — a men’s room with seven beds, a women’s room with six beds, and two rooms for families.

Along with the sleeping areas the facility has a main seating area with dining tables and couches and refrigerators for guests to use.

Members of the community were also introduced to Bobby and Megan Gardner, the couple managing the facility and the administrative operations. The Gardners will be responsible for guest intakes along with coordinating and training the facility’s volunteers.

“When the board members approached my wife and I about the shelter asking us if we would be interested in operating it, it was a godsend,” Bobby said. “I already knew most of the board members, having worked and attended the same church…it was a really easy fit.”

Visitors to the open house had the option to leave their contact information for future updates and to volunteer. Tentatively the shelter is seeking help for three-hour shifts for a variety of duties including overseeing guest activity, providing mentoring, running errands, providing handyman skills, or assisting with tasks.

“Realistically once we feel we can staff the hours with volunteers, that’s when we will be able to open,” Bobby said. “Even if we have one volunteer for each of the three shifts, we are looking at 90 volunteers needed for a month of operation.”

At the open house board members remarked how responsive and supportive the community has been to the facility coming to Rochelle. Last year the organization applied for a special use permit to operate the homeless shelter. Representatives addressed both the planning and zoning commissioners as well as city council, stating their intentions to be a non-profit organization that includes complying with governmental regulations. Council members granted approval last December.

“We have a great community. I can’t believe the number of people here that are stepping forward,” said board member Dick Gensler.

Guidelines

Shelter guests are welcome to stay at the facility for up to four weeks, but first must go through the intake process as well as abide by the rules set in place. No sex offenders will be allowed on the premises due to the close proximity to Central School, although Bobby indicated the shelter will help find other options to avoid sending anyone “out in the cold,” possibly working with local hotels and motels.

During their stay, the Gardners and volunteers will connect the guests with area organizations to help them find employment, a place to live, and to get them back on their feet. Gardner stresses that the Rochelle Rescue Mission is not a place for a hand out, but a hand up.

“Part of our mission is we want to bring people to that next place. We don’t want to bring people in and leave them where they are at, we want to build people to better build our community,” Gardner said. “When they come in we will provide them a list of resources and local organizations. We will encourage them to be involved in that.”

Support

The shelter’s support will come from the community through volunteering, donating time and/or money, and providing skills or assisting with tasks that support the shelter’s mission. The community can also show support by providing a warm meal. Unlike the Rockford Rescue Mission that provides three square meals a day, the Rochelle Rescue Mission is primarily a shelter.

“We, as the staff, will not cook here. But if someone volunteers to cook a hot fresh meal, if they contact us and we have residents, we can arrange for a time and will let the residents know someone is providing a meal,” Gardner said. “That type of atmosphere will only happen if volunteers are bringing in food.”

During the open house on both Tuesday and Wednesday, community members had a chance to visit with the board members, which consist of Tim Bruns, Pat Casey, Dick Gensler, Michele Glenn, Shirley Reif, Dan Sergeant, and Dave Tess. Inside each of the guest’s bedrooms, welcome signs created by a youth group with the First Presbyterian Church were placed on each of the beds as a show of love and support.

“It is incredibly humbling to see the community pour out their love and support for this. We really and truly believe the only way this is going to succeed is by the involvement of the community,” Gardner said. “To see the turnout is just really humbling and exciting for us. It is cool to see the community not only recognizes the need but also recognizes they could do something to help people.”

For more information or to volunteer, send your name and contact information to Bobby.Gardner21@gmail.com.