In an Aug. 21 press release, PADS announced that beginning Sept. 1, the shelter would shut down temporarily due to staffing issues, lack of volunteers and insufficient funding. The release was brief, with the Wednesday town hall meeting intended to give more information once the board had time to put more consideration into where PADS had been and where it needed to go from here, said Daniel Swihart, board president.
PADS was founded by a coalition of churches, so Swihart framed the town hall meeting in a faith-based manner, starting with confession (how they got to the point of having to shut down), and moving through repentance (decisions they have already made to facilitate change), forgiveness (asking for the community’s support to help them move forward) and reconciliation (implementing plans to move forward with said community support).
Confession
At the time of the shutdown, PADS was serving as an overnight warming shelter serving roughly 8-10, but sometimes up to 15, individual clients. They employed a director and a client advocate, and relied heavily on volunteers, many of whom were retired. Swihart said volunteerism and donations dropped considerably during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Still, the board saw a need and opened year-round for the first time in 2022 with numbers ballooning to 20-25 clients nightly in the warmer months and up to 30 per night in the colder months. Prior to this, the shelter operated only October through May.
“The full-time structure meant more full-time positions,” Swihart said, reading from a pre-written statement. Clientele was growing but grants, while helpful, dried up. “We could have implemented better oversight of grant administration.”
Swihart apologized on behalf of the board: “We will do what is necessary to make this right.”
Repentance
Since the closure, shelter has been found for all current PADS clients. Swihart said the board has had numerous conversations with local, regional and state leaders and nonprofit organizations; and connected with new local funding sources. They are restructuring the job description for the executive director position and plan to have the person that fills that role spearhead the shelter’s new model, whatever that may be.
Plans are in place to hire support staff, and to provide training for staff, board members and volunteers, and finances are being restructured. Additionally, their mission is being restructured to match what Swihart called the “complexity of client needs,” including mental health conditions. Once all of this is finalized, only then will the board establish a reopening date.
Forgiveness
While asking forgiveness from the community, Swihart explained many times, answering questions from those in attendance, that while the board wants to be transparent, there is difficulty in giving exact numbers right now. Due to unknowns with grants, the board is still sorting out details of financials.
Reconciliation
After reading the statement, Swihart asked those in attendance for their questions and comments, requesting that the focus be on moving forward and the best model to use for the stability and sustainability of the shelter while serving the clients and the community.
Funding & Transparency
Questions from the community included how many volunteers and how much money are needed. Swihart and other board members responded by noting that will depend on the model for the shelter. If it were to be open 24 hours a day, for example, more meals, volunteers and donations would be needed. They also noted that more volunteers would equal less time needing to be filled by paid staff.
In fiscal year 2025, Twin Cities PADS operated on a $150,000 budget, with three staff members all making around minimum wage. To offer a higher wage, the board projects around $180,000 to $190,000, and closer to $230,000 if benefits are offered. Opening the shelter year-round, 24 hours a day, would likely double that budget. “Part of this is,” Swihart said, “what is the community going to support?”
The PADS board is currently looking at local and state funding first before considering federal funding. Board members reiterated many times that there are no debts related to loans, and the current financial situation is tied to grants, saying that they are “figuring out where it all falls.”
Rock Falls Mayor Rod Kleckler and others took issue with the board not giving solid numbers. They said it’s difficult to support an organization when the goal and amount needed are unclear.
Swihart reassured those in attendance that full transparency is the goal: “Again, this is the start of what we hope is a continuing conversation with the community. … We want to have that transparency with the community and move forward on a much better foot.”
Financial professional Alec Gober, PADS board member, said the board is concerned about putting out hard numbers due to what may be needed in the future: “If we said $10,000 was needed right now, next week it might be $15,000. There isn’t a number right now that would be accurate long term.”
Swihart and other board members said they are working with the state and funding agencies to resolve administrative errors with grant funding. In the last few weeks, the board has learned that some of the issues boil down to paperwork and the shelter is not at risk of losing any of the grant funding.
Amanda Erwin serves as the coordinator for the Northwestern Illinois Continuum of Care through Project NOW to address homelessness and housing needs in the Quad Cities region, which includes Whiteside County.
“Grant funding for emergency shelters might as well not exist,” Erwin said bluntly. “It’s pennies compared to what the need is.” She urged people to understand that no more grant funding is available, and PADS has already accessed all that exists. “If you want them to have more money, the grant money is done. It has to come from this community. Period. … Gotta get that checkbook out.”
Accountability & Housing
Many community members expressed concern for how PADS is helping people get back on their feet and how the board is addressing reported substance use and abuse among its clients. “We want to find a model that serves that,” Swihart said, noting that the board and staff are trying to make sure that clients are connected to the appropriate services. “We want to see them re-enter society with dignity and confidence.”
Many homeless residents spend daytime hours in and around the Sterling Public Library. While the PADS board is grateful to the library staff for doing what they can to help, a new model for PADS would potentially have the shelter open during the day, said board vice president Alexander Davis. That kind of model wouldn’t necessarily give people a place to stay during the day, but would provide skilled staff to assist with things like connections with other agencies. These agencies could provide help for mental health, substance abuse, jobs and permanent housing.
“Those are the people that need additional help,” Swihart said. “That’s why we need this restructuring so that both we know and the community knows that we’re working with those who can get back on their feet.”
Other concerns surrounded finding permanent housing for the shelter’s clients.
Erwin spoke to the need for permanent housing. “The person running the shelter can only do so much,” she said. Property owners must be willing to accept grants and accept tenants who may have had issues in the past.
“But that costs money,” said Kleckler. “That property owner has to get that money from somewhere.”
Neddie Watts, community services director at Tri-County Opportunities Council (TCOC), spoke about the number of programs TCOC has to help with housing, including paying housing deposits and up to six months’ rent, working with clients to get them additional income and more. “Affordable housing is the biggest challenge,” she said. About 12 PADS clients are currently being put up in hotels, but Watts confirmed that individuals can only receive funding every two years. “We’re working on resolving that for this particular situation.”
Pastor Katie Ricks of First Presbyterian Church moved to Illinois just over a year ago from Georgia. She expressed deep concern over Illinois’ harsh winters and asked what has to happen immediately to get the shelter reopened before the cold weather arrives.
“Either we need the community to come together to volunteer or to be able to have the funds to hire new staff to cover those hours,” Swihart responded. “That’s kind of our logjam at the moment.” He said that as of now the board plans to reopen with the current model at least for the winter, with the hope of rebuilding trust within the community and working toward a comprehensive model to move forward after that.
Serving the Entire County
Some concern was expressed over the perceived focus on Sterling and Rock Falls. While the shelter’s official name is Twin Cities PADS, referencing Sterling and Rock Falls, it is the only shelter in Whiteside County; some clients are transient, but most are from within the county.
Swihart said the board is working to repair relationships at the county level. “We wanted to start somewhere, and that’s why we’re thankful that all of you have come out tonight to be here and to start the conversation.” The board will be meeting again in the coming week to take the ideas into consideration. Future town halls are not planned yet, but could happen if the board so chooses.
“There is so much of this community that has poured their heart and soul into this shelter,” Swihart said, after a community member spoke up to thank the board and show appreciation for volunteers and financial support over the years. “Thank you, everybody, for coming out tonight, for caring, for being willing.”
Conversations continued amongst community members, and between community and board members, for at least 30 minutes after the meeting officially ended.
Background
Twin Cities PADS was founded in October 1990 and for many years was located near the foot of the Avenue G Bridge in Sterling. The current building at 111 E. 29th St. in Sterling, near Wahl Clipper, has 32 beds, which includes a family room for four. Male and female clients are housed separately at the shelter.
