Last weekend, Elaine Paul stopped by Original Country Donuts in Elgin to pick up an order of 12 dozen doughnuts.
When store owner Ted Rood learned who the order was for — the people staying at the city’s emergency shelter at First United Methodist Church — he told Paul there would be no charge.
“We have a list of area organizations to which we give away goods. If the emergency shelter needs anything again, and they let us know, we’ll gladly help,” Rood said.
This Sunday, Paul said her staff at Paul’s Family Restaurant would be making a light breakfast to serve to shelter clients.
“My parents have been helping feed people who find themselves down on their luck since opening their restaurant back in the 1970s,” she said. “It’s the way I was raised. It’s what we do.”
Paul’s commitment to helping the shelter has extended beyond just food. When she heard they needed snow boots, she took to social media and was soon having customers dropping off bags of them that she took to the shelter.
Even more successful has been the Amazon Wish List she created of items the shelter needs, which she has delivered to her west side restaurant so she can make sure they make it to the downtown Elgin church.
City officials say it’s just another example of how people and businesses in Elgin pull together in times of need.
“This has truly been a collaborative effort, and we are grateful for our partners and community members who have answered the call to help those in need during this winter weather emergency,” Assistant City Manager Karina Nava said.
Below-freezing temperatures have kept Elgin’s emergency shelter at the church open 24/7, said Edell Fiedler, the city’s director of communication and engagement.
When the weather improves, it will return to operating daily from 7 p.m. until 7 a.m. through the rest of the winter unless conditions become extreme again.
This winter marks the first time Elgin has opened the overnight shelter in the church for an entire winter and not just during bad weather, officials said.
Because of the extremely cold temperatures, the city partnered with One Collective, Elgin Dream Center, First United Methodist and Holy Trinity Lutheran Church to help with shelter operations, Fiedler said.
While the number of people using its services varies from day to day, the average daily attendance has been 80, she said.
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Carissa Ross, who has been helping the Elgin-area homeless in a number of ways over the last seven years, serves as shift lead at the shelter. The facility has been running at capacity during the recent cold spell and on some nights has had to turn people away, she said.
Elgin’s shelter is open to adults, including those whose issues would not allow them to stay at other shelters. Still, it’s required that they manage their behavior once inside the church, Ross said.
“A lot of these people don’t have many options where they can stay if we’re full,” she said.
Ross befriended Paul through Facebook a few years ago, and that online friendship is what led to Paul to creating an Amazon Wish List for the shelter.
Paul uses Facebook to put out the call for needed items, and asks people to donate used items at her restaurant or purchase them through Amazon. Her request for boots resulted in almost 75 pairs being delivered Thursday via the online company.
“We’re still working on coats, gloves, socks and other things,” Paul said.
Seeing people’s generosity is something that melts her heart, she said.
“Our customers are pretty darn nice and always take the opportunity to help,” Paul said.
There are several groups in town that offer their help as well.
Vineyard Church of Elgin, not far from First United, serves breakfast Monday through Saturday and a family-style dinner Friday nights to those in need. Other organizations and churches have been providing soup kitchen-style meals, Ross said. Paul’s restaurant steps in when more is needed, she said.
Pastor Tom Severson said Vineyard Church has been averaging 65 people for breakfast, up from 40 or so when the weather is better. Volunteers help with the effort, including students from Emmanuel Lutheran, Westminster Christian and Harvest Christian churches and the Elgin Police Department.
“I see the heart of Elgin as being very neighborly and wanting to help,” Severson said. “But while PADS and other shelters are getting by, we need to find better solutions to what is a bigger problem.”
To learn more about how to help Elgin’s homeless, email shelter@onecollectiveelgin.org. For the Paul’s Restaurant Amazon Wish List, go to www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3TYW1ST17VQJ?ref_=wl_share.
Mike Danahey is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
