(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — This week's Difference Maker is a group helping the homeless in the western suburbs.
Lauren Jernigan is the director of development for Hesed House in Aurora, which is addressing the problem of homelessness among families.
“Unfortunately, more and more families are finding themselves homeless, and every day we see new families reaching out to us seeking shelter and support to be able to move through really complicated seasons in their lives," said Jernigan.
To meet the growing need, Hesed House is expanding to shelter up to 300 people a day. It also provides more services to help homeless people find permanent housing.
"Things like critical mental health services, physical health services, legal services, case management. That can help people coming through a hard situation that involved domestic violence or other things like that," said Jernigan.
She says another goal of Hesed House is to raise awareness of a problem many people in the western suburbs don't fully realize.
"A lot of times people think it could never happen to them, and all you have to do is come here and help serve a meal and you'll realize that you're looking at the face of your friend, your neighbor, your family, yourself," Jernigan said.
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