Our History

In 2000, the Downers Grove Area Walk-In Ministry was formed by six local churches, the LOVE Christian Clearinghouse and several community members who sensed a great need of residents underserved in our communities. Initially, we operated independently under the wing of nonprofit LOVE Christian Clearinghouse, supplying vouchers for food, transportation, car repair and lodging to clients seeking assistance in our six-community service area: Darien, Downers Grove, Lisle, Westmont, Willowbrook and Woodridge.

As we broadened our face-to-face services, it became apparent that we could better serve our clients and seek funding from a broader range of community members by operating independently of LOVE. We incorporated in the State of Illinois as the Walk-In Ministry of Hope on November 21, 2003. We applied to the Internal Revenue Service and received our 501(c)(3) nonprofit determination letter dated April 30, 2004.

Our organization continues to strive to provide more comprehensive services to meet the overall needs of our clients. Our goal is to help community members toward self-sufficiency through several means.

How We Partner with Churches and Their Staffs

There is a growing need in our communities for emergency assistance for individuals and families in crisis; they range from the working poor to the recently unemployed to the chronic homeless. In the past, they traveled from church to church seeking assistance. This places a burden on church staff and in-house resources and results in the uneven distribution of resources, because the traffic at any given church does not warrant a significant type of recordkeeping. Thus the most aggressive requestors receive the most help. By receiving financial assistance from our local churches, our Ministry centralizes the distribution of assistance in our six-community area. Now the churches can refer assistance requests to our Ministry. Serving over 300 client-visits a month, our Ministry is organized to train interview-volunteers, track all client-visits on our computer's database and maintain an extensive list of other helping agencies to which we refer clients for extended assistance. By establishing visit and annual assistance limits, we provide a reasonably fair distribution of the communities' resources. Besides our churches, we are also supported by public-spirited businesses, community organizations and individuals.

How We Meet the Community's Needs

The Walk-In Ministry of Hope provides an entry point to essentially all of the physical and emotional social services that are available for those less fortunate members of our community who need immediate assistance and help in finding continuing assistance. The guiding theme of the organization is to assess, in a caring and compassionate manner, the immediate needs of each client and to meet those immediate needs using the limited funds and resources of the Ministry. We then offer specific guidance toward the other helping organizations in our community that can provide them with continuing care and assistance on their path to self-sufficiency.

The Interview

All clients that walk through our doors are interviewed by a trained volunteer in a one-on-one basis. We listen patiently to a client’s "story," assessing their current situation and how we might provide them immediate assistance.

Voucher Assistance

We do not give clients money. All assistance is provided by vouchers for food, gasoline, prescriptions and clothing. We also provide Pace bus passes and Metra train tickets.

Immediate Referrals

Eye Glasses: We have a working arrangement with LensCrafters of Wheaton and Downers Grove. Referred clients are given a free eye exam and a free pair of glasses.

Primary Health Care: If clients have no health insurance, we assess their eligibility for primary health care provided by Access DuPage. We assist them with the application process by helping them fill out a four-page form and establishing the validity of the their documents. We then assure Access DuPage of the client's eligibility. Accepted clients are assigned to a doctor and receive services for a small co-payment.

LIHEAP: For clients with utility bill payment problems, we assess their eligibility for the State of Illinois assistance program. We guide eligible clients through the application process and submit the application for them.

Long Term Referrals

We provide clients with a wide range of information about the services that are available to them from other organizations.

Partnerships with Other Community Organizations

Some of the services/referrals we are currently offering:

• For the last three years the Downers Grove PTA has adopted two of our families during Christmas. They have been able to get funds from everyone from PTA members to the mayor of Downers Grove for our homeless families.
• We have also had members of area churches adopt families during Christmas.
• Cub Scouts Pack 263 provided clothing for Katrina victims through the WIMOH
• DG Junior Women’s Club: For the last three years has provided winter wear (coats, socks, sweaters, gloves, hats, etc.) for clients and their children. This organization is also willing to help us with special projects, if a family has special needs.
• Douglas Main Pharmacy does a wonderful job of making sure our clients can receive at least a portion if not all of their medication. They sometimes will shave the cost to make sure it comes in at or under our limit.
• Aerotek: We refer job-seekers to this temp to hire agency. They are the largest privately held employment agency in the Midwest. Our contact person also emails job openings for immediate placement about once a week.
• Job List: Now published weekly and distributed to our clients as well as other helping agencies.
• Clothing Vouchers: The Family Tree Thrift Store of Downers Grove has donated about $600 worth of household and clothing since October. This is an on-going service.
• Clothing/Household items: We can send a referral letter with clients to the store Repeat Boutique in Wheaton for clothing and household items. Repeat Boutique keeps our client’s referral letter on file for a year. After a year the client needs to return to the WIMOH for a new one.
• The Gift of Sight Program at Wheaton and Downers Grove Lens Crafter Stores.
• Private donations and The United Childcare Association have given diapers.

Officers

Janet Pleimling, President
Deacon Jerry Christensen, Vice President
Adrienne Colvert, Vice President
Martin Tully, Secretary
Karen Lewaniak, Treasurer
Janell Robinson, Executive Director