Please join us in welcoming Margaret Miedlar to the BEDS Plus staff, who has joined BEDS as Development Assistant. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Margaret and her daughter volunteered for BEDS and helped provide breakfast at shelter. Margaret also previously worked with veterans to help them find and secure housing. She is a graphic designer by trade but is eager to make an impact in her new role at BEDS, bringing her energy, compassion and passion for helping others to the position. "There is such a need for housing," she said. "I want to be part of the solution (to ending homelessness)." ... See more

BEDS Bulletin! According to the Mortgage Bankers Association's Research Institute for Housing America, more than 6 million households in September failed to make their rent or mortgage payments. Gary Engelhardt, professor of economics in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, said the situation could be even more challenging for renters with the current eviction moratorium expiring in January. "Many renter households across the country could find themselves with no place to live and no means to repay missed payments," he said. BEDS Plus aims to treat and prevent homelessness. Find out more about the work we do here: https://beds-plus.org/how-we-help/

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/10/17/covid-19-stimulus-6-million-miss-rent-mortgage-payments-september/3694327001/ ... See more

More than 6 million households missed their rent or mortgage payment in September, as Congress stalls on coronavirus stimulus aid.

We are so thankful for our supporters, volunteers and communities!

Congratulations to Walter, who recently moved into a new apartment in Oak Lawn. Walter was homeless for the past four years and had recently sheltered at our COVID-19 consolidated shelter site in Oak Lawn. Case managers continued documentation while Walter was at shelter and matched him to housing. Walter is doing great in his new home and very grateful to have a place to call his own! Click here to find out more about how we help: https://beds-plus.org/how-we-help/ ... See more

We would like to introduce you to Rama Mustafa, who has joined the BEDS Plus Prevention team! Rama previously worked as a domestic violence legal advocate and case manager at Arab American Family Services in Worth, where she provided bilingual case management to assist clients in accessing ESL programs, healthcare and job searches. She also has worked with victims of domestic violence and has brought awareness to critical bills that will help to protect and empower vulnerable immigrants throughout Illinois. At BEDS, Rama, who is multilingual, will work with clients to help them access services and also take next steps forward. "My real goal is to help clients because I feel them and want to help," said Rama, who is currently working on her Master of Science in Criminal Justice of Homeland Security and Emergency Management through Purdue University. Welcome to BEDS, Rama! ... See more

Congratulations to Walter, who recently moved into a new apartment in Oak Lawn. Walter was homeless for the past four years and had recently sheltered at our COVID-19 consolidated shelter site in Oak Lawn. Case managers continued documentation while Walter was at shelter and matched him to housing. Walter is doing great in his new home and very grateful to have a place to call his own! Click here to find out more about how we help: https://beds-plus.org/how-we-help/ ... See more

BEDS Bulletin!
Two new studies have found that poverty has returned to levels higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic. In the spring, an ambitious expansion of the safety net saved millions of people from poverty but that aid is now largely exhausted. Researchers at Columbia University found the number of poor people has grown by 8 million since May after falling by 4 million at the start of the pandemic due to the CARES Act. Researchers from the University of Chicago and Notre Dame used a different definition of poverty and found it has grown by 6 million people in the past three months. "These numbers are very concerning," said study author Bruce D. Meyer, an economist at the University of Chicago. "They tell us people are having a lot more trouble paying their bills, paying their rent, putting food on the table."

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/15/us/politics/federal-aid-poverty-levels.html ... See more

Two new studies show the effect of the emergency $2 trillion package known as the Cares Act and what happened when the money ran out.

Cusack Insurance in Oak Lawn is matching donations added to your receipt at Papa Joe's in Orland Park to help feed our clients as part of our Match a Meal program. Add a donation of $2 or more to your receipt at Papa Joe's and Cusack Insurance match up to $500 in donations! ... See more

We are so thankful for our supporters, volunteers and communities!