Recently we have been critical of the Park Ridge Ministerial Association (“PRMA”) for the way it has gone about trying to bring a PADS homeless shelter to Park Ridge.  And we have questioned the value of the PADS transient shelter program run by Palatine-based PADS to HOPE, Inc., as well as the possible adverse effects it might have on our community.

We have noted with approval, however, the community-based homeless programs run by the Park Ridge-based Center of Concern, www.centerofconcern.org, including its Home Sharing program, its Homeless Prevention program, and its Homeless Transitional Housing program.  All of these programs strive to provide meaningful, longer-term solutions for those who are already homeless and those in imminent danger of becoming homeless, building upon their existing ties to our community.

That’s why we have endorsed the Center of Concern programs over the PADS-style program.  And that’s why, today, we are encouraging your financial support of the Center of Concern 

Tomorrow, June 17, the Center is holding its 15th Annual Miniature Golf Outing [pdf] at Mountain View Adventure Golf, 510 E. Algonquin R. (west of Wolf Rd.) in Des Plaines.  For $15 per adult and $8 per child under twelve, you can play a round of miniature golf and enjoy a picnic dinner while at the same time helping the Center in its worthy endeavors. (We suspect that the June 10 RSVP deadline may not be strictly enforced, but we do suggest calling them ASAP) 

Currently, at least 222 Park Ridge property owners either are in foreclosure or on the verge of it, or are in danger of losing their homes in other ways according to http://usatoday.foreclosure.com/.  And numerous other homeowners are beginning to feel the pain of servicing mortgages on homes whose values are dropping, sometimes even below the mortgage balance itself.  Some of those local homeowners might soon need the programs the Center of Concern offers.  

If you believe, as we do, that charity begins at home, then we encourage you to show your financial support for the Center of Concern, an organization already in Park Ridge and serving the residents of this community with a proven track record of effectiveness.