PADS Ministry
Serving the homeless right here in Arlington Heights.
Did you know that in right here in Illinois there are 10,643 homeless people on any given night?
We partner with the PADS Program, through Journeys The Road Home, to provide food and shelter for the homeless in our area on every Tuesday night, October through April.
PADS Stands for Public Action to Deliver Shelter.
First Pres is one of many partner churches who work with Journeys | The Road Home, the umbrella organization for PADS. The purpose of the PADS program is to provide hospitality, food, and emergency shelter from October 1 through April 30 of each year to families and individuals who are homeless.
The First Pres PADS program is staffed entirely by volunteers who prepare, supervise, and clean sleeping accommodations. Volunteers also provide, prepare, and offer dinner, breakfast, and a sack lunch, all in a welcoming, supportive, safe environment.
Teams of volunteers are needed for several different shifts as well as to purchase or prepare food. If you or your small group would like to participate in this ministry, please contact the church office at 847-255-5900.
Shift Schedule
- First shift: 6:00 pm – 11:00 pm (set up, serve dinner, clean up)
- Second shift: 11:00 pm – 3:00 am (monitor site and make lunches)
- Third shift: 3:00 am – 7:00 am (monitor site, serve breakfast, and begin cleanup)
- Fourth shift: 6:00 am – 8:00 am (clean up and put everything back)
- Purchase or prepare food
How You Can Help
There are three ways you can help support our PADS site. Click the buttons below to sign up or donate.
FAQs
Is this your first time volunteering? Here are some of the questions and answers you might be looking for.
How do I know it's safe for me to volunteer?
Every client served by PADS has been pre-screened by Journey’s the Road Home (the organization that runs PADS) and problematic/potentially dangerous clients are not permitted to participate. No persons are admitted to the PADS program unless they have passed through this screening process.
What if I am new to volunteering?
We always set up the volunteer pool so anyone new to volutneering will always be working alongside an experienced volunteer. You will never be assigned a shift or task alone.
What if I am not sure of what to do?
We hold training sessions specifically for new volunteers to teach you more about volunteering and what to expect for each shift and each task.
Can children be volunteers?
Mostly, yes. We encourage young volunteers to get involved. However, there are certain shifts that are not permissible for volunteers under 18, particularly 11:00 pm – 3:00 am and 3:00 am – 7:00 am.
Can I earn community service hours for volunteering.
Yes! Working as a PADS volunteer can earn you community service hours. Please note that if you are under 18 years old you are not permitted to work the overnight shifts.
