PERU - Illinois Valley PADS is inviting the public to an open house on Saturday, Nov. 16 to celebrate the completion of their building addition in Peru. Tours, refreshments and information will be available from 1-3 p.m. Saturday is also the kick off of National Hunger and Homelessness week, an appropriate time to celebrate the completion of PADS’ “Expanding our Space…Expanding Hope” building project.  

Five years ago, PADS Board of Directors became aware of the need for more space at the Peru shelter. PADS executive director Carol Alcorn noted the importance of an alarming trend facing homeless shelters today, including Illinois Valley PADS. The fastest growing group of homeless people throughout the country and in local communities is families with children.

Responding to the unique needs of this growing population and planning for the future, the PADS Board embarked on a building campaign to expand the space of the Peru shelter to provide additional space for children and their family units. This includes much-needed privacy, more beds and sufficient space to keep families together when residing at the shelter. In response, PADS broke ground to add 5,880 square feet to the existing building in Peru. The welcome addition of four family rooms, expanded men’s and women’s sleeping areas, children’s play room, and two more restrooms will alleviate space and service barriers in this shelter. 

During the last 28 years, IV PADS has made significant strides in fulfilling its mission to meet the emergency needs of men, women and children coming to its doors at the worst time of their lives: safe, comfortable sleeping space, food, compassion and emotional support. Beyond serving as an emergency shelter, IV PADS has also created a centralized location of innovative programming, collaboration and community involvement that helps move an individual from the bleakest moment of their life back to stability, employment and ultimately, housing. The case management staff and other professionals come together at PADS to focus on support systems for clients: transportation, financial stability, life skills, physical health, legal issues, children’s issues, domestic abuse, mental health, substance abuse, government benefits, employment, education and housing. All classes and support referrals are spearheaded by IV PADS case managers who create a customized “plan of action” to help a homeless person return to stable living situations.

The public is encouraged to come and celebrate this amazing community of people who assist with making a difference in the lives of those in need. Peru PADS is located at 1320 Menards Drive.