The Lake County Haven

...A Haven for Homeless Women and Children

About the Lake County Haven

Ten Most Frequently Asked Questions

1) What is the mission of the Lake County Haven? Our mission is to shelter women and their children transitionally, thus providing them with the opportunities necessary to make life changes which lead to independence.

2) What is transitional shelter? Transitional shelter is different than emergency shelter. Emergency shelter is the image that most people have of a homeless shelter--mats on the floor of a church basement, coffee and donuts distributed--a way of protecting people from the elements when they are hungry and homeless. Transitional shelter, on the other hand, provides people with a 24-hour-a-day residence where they can sleep in a bed, keep their belongings in the house, and live communally while they work to get their life back on track. Transitional shelter also allows people the time necessary to make real and lasting changes in their life. At the Lake County Haven (LCH), women and children stay in shelter for a period of three to six months.

3) Does a shelter simply provide a place to stay? At the Lake County Haven we provide a place to stay and much, much more. Certainly we see to the basic needs of our residents. They have a roof over their heads, food to eat, and the comfort and safety of a home. But that is only the beginning. With each woman and child we serve we put all our energy into moving them from homelessness to independence. We do this by providing them with intense case management services. We also require that all of our residents are involved in counseling to help them to heal from the trauma of their homelessness and make the psychological changes that will help them to lead more stable lives. We keep our residents focused on educational and employment goals so that they are better able to support themselves and their families. We also ensure that a full 70% of the income they earned while in shelter is saved for their future use.

4) How did the Lake County Haven get started? In 1992 a group of concerned neighbors noted the lack of options for homeless women and children in Lake County. Although none of them had ever done anything like starting a shelter, their concern for the homeless outweighed their fear of the unknown; so, they took a leap of faith and started the Lake County Haven. Since then, LCH has experienced a steady growth in both the number of people it assists and the number of services it provides.

5) Does the Lake County Haven shelter victims of domestic violence? Yes, after they have completed a residential domestic violence program and are no longer fleeing an abusive partner. Many women and children sheltered by LCH are survivors of emotional, sexual and physical abuse. However, we are not a domestic violence shelter per se. That type of shelter provides emergency services to survivors of domestic violence, intense counseling about abuse, and only serves women from those relationships. The Lake County Haven, on the other hand, assists survivors of domestic violence as well as women and children who are homeless due to a wide variety of other reasons.

6) Are there really homeless people in Lake County? Yes. People often think of homelessness as an urban problem, but it is estimated that in the areas outlining Chicago over 47,000 people are homeless during the course of a year (Illinois Coalition to End Homelessness, 1996). The people we serve have become homeless due to many different factors. Some of those factors include: emotional, physical or sexual abuse, separation or divorce, inability to pay rent along with the high price of day care, unemployment or underemployment, physical, developmental or emotional disability, alcohol or drug addiction, and families who have locked out their teenagers. Additionally, the overwhelming number of our residents were born and raised in Lake County. They are our neighbors, the people we see at the mall, and the women who check us out at the grocery store.

7) What is the Lake County Haven's budget and what does it support? Our budget for 2002 is $444,000. That budget supports our shelter, Stage II housing program, case management program, mentoring program, crisis and referral phone line, and our services to graduates.

8) How is the Lake County Haven funded? Primarily, we are funded by people like you who care about homeless women and children. The individuals, places of worship, civic organizations and businesses that give us support agree with our philosophy that with a little help and early intervention, the people we serve can be moved away from a life of dependence on government hand-outs and toward a life of independence. We also receive the help of several foundations and corporations that share our vision in a world that is not so cruel as to push women and children out into a life of living in cars or doorways or forest preserves. Finally, LCH's Women's Auxiliary Board is a group that has dedicated itself to providing service and raising money so that we can continue our work.

9) What is Stage II housing? This program consists of a house and several two-bed-room apartments which are shared by families or individuals for 6-24 months. This allows people some additional time to continue their education and to progress in their employment so that when they leave our program they are truly self-sufficient.

10) Where is the Lake County Haven headed? LCH is steadfast in its desire to continue providing transitional shelter for the homeless women and children of Lake County. Our goal remains to provide the highest quality services for the people with whom we work. We are hoping to expand our Stage II housing program so that we can move more people out of the shelter with the greatest possibility of their long-term success. We are also seeking new alliances in the form of individuals, groups and businesses that can volunteer their time, services and money to help us in our mission.

To learn more about the Haven, click one of the links, below: