As is becoming known both by word of mouth and newspaper reports, the attempt by St. Paul of the Cross pastor Fr. Carl Morello and the Park Ridge Ministerial Association to bring a PADS homeless shelter to St. Paul’s school is dividing the members of that parish. We think a better solution is available.
That’s why, in a previous post, Better Than PADS And Affordable, Too (6/9/08), we offered one alternative to locating a PADS to Hope, Inc. “franchise” in a school or church building, where it poses a risk to children: Rent rooms for the homeless at one of the local motels each Sunday night. The cost to each of the 12 member churches of the Park Ridge Ministerial Association for rooms at a motel like the Days Inn on Touhy Avenue in Niles could be as little as $1,500 per PADS “season.”
But that’s not the only solution. There’s another one that involves a public building that the taxpayers are already subsidizing to the tune of approximately $200,000 a year: The Park Ridge Senior Center, at 100 South Western Avenue.
The Senior Center has a multi-purpose room that can easily hold the same amount of homeless “guests” that are contemplated for St. Paul of the Cross, along with bathroom facilities and a kitchen. It’s got its own adjacent parking for “guests” who will be driving there. It’s also surrounded by park land and a good half block away from both Washington Elementary and Lincoln Middle schools.
And unlike St. Paul of the Cross, where the Sunday night PADS session would displace that school’s customary slate of Sunday night school sports activities and bump up against its Monday morning 7:00 a.m. extended-day student program, the Senior Center hours are much more accommodating. The Center closes at 5:00 p.m. Sunday and doesn’t re-open on Monday morning until 9:00 a.m.
What will it take to get this deal done? Obviously, it will need the endorsement of the Park Ridge Ministerial Association, whose next display of common sense and community sensitivity on this issue will be its first. And it will need the approval of PADS, which has built its corporate franchise and brand on putting homeless shelters in churches and schools.
But those should be only minor impediments for the PADS proponents throughout the community, especially considering that two of the more prominent local PADS supporters are Park Ridge Mayor Howard “Let’s Make A Deal” Frimark and Park District president Dick Barton, under whose jurisdiction the Senior Center falls. Not only are Frimark and Barton friends, but Frimark is also reportedly a Senior Center member – so he should be able to marshal the support of his fellow Center’s members for what he considers a very worthy cause.
Of course, the PADS shelter will still need a special use permit from the City, but putting the shelter at a public building will at leaset eliminate that pesky “separation of Church and State” issue that PADS and the PRMA keep whining about. And getting a special use permit should be right up the alley of another Senior Center member and PADS supporter, local attorney Jack “Mr. Insider” Owens, who has been counseling Fr. Morello in bringing the PADS to St. Paul.
If a PADS shelter in Park Ridge really is as good an idea as its supporters insist it is, we can’t imagine the triumvirate of Frimark, Barton and Owens failing to make this deal happen if they really put their minds to it.
Gentlemen?
12 comments so far
I think this is a great idea!
I realize the bulk of the readership here is anti-pads, and that is ok, but for those of you who think this idea has merit, join me in attending the Park District meeting next week to ask the Park District to approach PADS, Father Carl, the Ministerial Association, and the Mayor to begin the process to make this idea happen.
Let’s get a big crowd out at the Maine Park Leisure Center next Thursday!
Yeah great idea. Lets change the proposed side from one unsuitable because there are children on site to one where children are not only on side (the whole Centennial park area and the Community Center), but mostly unsupervised and on site. This idea just keeps getting worse. Hey, how about those who are supporting it (gotta be more than 20, doncha think?) just open their homes one night a week to one homeless person. What do you say about that?
In some previous posts either on this site or on Underground, some pro-PADS people defended the alcoholic, drug addicted, mentally ill PADS “guests” by claiming that a lot of our own residents have the same problems. If that’s true, then why don’t all these bored and under-employed clergy and volunteers who need this PADS shelter to stay busy spend their spare time curing all of the Park Ridge problems first? Does anybody know what member of the PRMA is claiming credit for this boneheaded idea?
To Mom_2_to_Little_Kids 7/11 3:50pm,
Good point, but maybe it wouldn’t overlap because the PADS shelter is only open from October to April and I think Centennial Pool is open July to September. But I’m sure there are a lot of kids programs at the Community Center and that is year round, open from 5:30am to 10:30pm. The more I think about it you are so right – all that open park land would be a place for the “guests” to hangout before and after shelter hours, making the park unusable for kids and the community! I’m glad there are Moms out there watching out for the kids of Park Ridge, because it doesn’t seem anyone else is concerned with their safety.
I believe what this is called is “fishing for more ammo”. Knowone who is against PADS would support this proposal for the same reasons we did not support St. Mary’s.
The idea is you throw it out there and then when you receive objections from the other side you get to point out what hypocrites they are.
I’m with Mom_2_to_little_kids when she suggests that the PADS supporters should just open their homes up to one homeless person. Walk the talk, folks.
But since we know that won’t happen, here’s another idea from one of the Concerned St. Paul parents that sure seems to have a lot of merit:
1. We DO NOT INVOLVE the PADS people at all. Their screening is not satisfactory and their program has been dangerous in other towns. Their system only offers one night of undignified help and invites in homeless from other towns. PADS will increase the homeless population in Park Ridge. They are part of the problem, not part of the solution.
2. The Park Ridge Police Department would locate and identify the PARK RIDGE HOMELESS (which likely number 6-10 individuals). The PARK RIDGE HOMELESS are then fingerprinted to ensure that none of these individuals are a danger to us or our children.
3. Every church in PRMA would shelter one homeless person per night. This idea eliminates a large group assembling around a church before and after they are sheltered.
4. The homeless would be sheltered in the rectory or another location in the church, but not in an area used by children.
5. Volunteers (and there are many) would be scheduled to come to each location, actually meet the homeless person, and bring a warm meal. Many volunteers and their families may want to spend time with the guest, have dinner with them, and engage them in meaningful conversation. (Rather than just “supervise” them as PADS volunteers do.) This would be a great way to teach children about how to care for others.
6. An additional volunteer can take the persons clothing home to be washed and returned fresh and clean (something else that is lacking in the current plan.)
7. With this system, the homeless can also spend time with one of our priests and discuss our faith (something that is actually prohibited by PADS policy)
8. Unlike the PADS idea, the homeless would not be forced to share a bathroom with 10-20 other homeless people, or wait in line for a toilet.
9. A comfortable fold out bed can be purchased for the guest to sleep on, in a dignified location, rather than on a hard mat or cot on the floor of a gym.
10. The guest could have access to a shower, a television set, and caring people. The PADS system would require the homeless to wash themselves in a sink in the boys bathroom.
11. In the morning, the guest would have breakfast and leave – showered, wearing clean clothes, and feeling that they just spent time with good Christian people who truly care about them. Their experience would be far more meaningful and dignified than any PADS shelter could offer.
12. Finally, as the guest leaves, he would be told which church to go to that night. That would ensure that only one person shows up at each location. It also ensures that we take care of the Park Ridge homeless, and not people from Chicago and other suburbs.
Additionally, this program addresses the issue 7 days a week. PADS only addresses it for one day. This program spreads the homeless out at numerous churches, rather than a large number at one location.
If we are going to be inviting more homeless people to PR, does anybody really think they won’t wind up congregating in our parks? Hell, if you put this thing near a park then at least they won’t be wandering the neighborhoods before getting to the parks. If we are going to get stuck with a PADS shelter, then I would rather see it at the Senior Center than in a school gym or some church basement.
The best suggestion of all though, is the one from the Concerned St. Paul parent. Walk the talk people.
I just saw a sign at Mary Seat of Wisdom, “MSW Supports PADS” and read the “Pastor’s Column” on http://www.mswparish.org and the statements dodge the facts and are full of propaganda. MSW parishioners, do all of you really want the PADS site? With respect and concern, please investigate the facts beyond what you are told by your pastor.
In just the past few weeks this site has printed at least three alternatives (motel, senior center and today’s “Concerned” 12-point plan) that are far and away better than a PADS shelter at St. Paul of the Cross. Yet the PRMA and PADS, planning in virtual secrecy for the past year or so, couldn’t come up with them? What’s so special about PADS? I’m thinking that it’s like many things – you just have to follow the money.
Anonymous on7/11 4:01pm –
You asked, “Does anybody know what member of the PRMA is claiming credit for this boneheaded idea?” and we need to know! Does ANYONE have a clue?? The person responsible has been evasive, out of touch with the community, and divided our parish and town by promoting a self-serving interest. Who is it?
to the ones asking who’s the bonehead that came up with this idea-
at the lower church meeting at SPC, amity carraba or whatever her name is from st mary’s got up to address the crowd and give a feigned sad little weepy speech about how sorry she was to have brought this on a community. my guess is that she is the one who started the ball rolling. my guess is also that she loves this shit.
It’s more than a week later and now word from Frimark, Barton or Owens on using the Senior Center. No surprise there. Not one of the three of them even have the nerve to say “no”. No wonder they hang together.
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