Episode 114: Let’s Take a Hard Look at Suburban Homelessness and Poverty
About the Podcast
This must-listen conversation centers the experience and issues surrounding homelessness. It shares intentional actions to stabilize this marginalized population and foster environments that are welcoming and provide them a leg up. Featured on today’s episode is Suzanne Ploger, Director of Development at JOURNEYS, The Road Home, a non-profit agency that provides shelter, social services and housing to the houseless and those at risk of becoming homeless in 37 towns across Cook County, Illinois.
About Suzanne Ploger
Suzanne Ploger has been the Director of Development at JOURNEYS, The Road Home since 2015. This is a non-profit agency that provides shelter, social services, and housing to the homeless and those at risk of becoming homeless in 37 towns across Cook County, Illinois. At JOURNEYS, Suzanne is responsible for all fundraising, marketing, and outreach activities.
She has worked in the development field for 25 years at a variety of non-profits including The Salvation Army, and has extensive experience in grant writing, prospect research, program development, and strategic positioning. Suzanne holds a Master’s Degree in History/Archival, Museum, and Editing Studies from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA and a Bachelor’s Degree in History from DePaul University in Chicago, IL.
Discussion Takeaways
- JOURNEYS, The Road Home is a homeless service that has been in existence for 30+ years and serves those who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. They have an emergency shelter and a day shelter that offers over 60 unique services including a food pantry, housing assistance, clothing closet, case management and more. None of these things have a time limit or fee.
- Having a food pantry available to those who are recently housed enables certain basic needs to be met and alleviates crucial budgetary line items so that JOURNEYS can focus on the other reasons for the homeless or formerly homeless’ instability.
- If you find yourself in a crisis situation, then the research, time, and need to follow-up on services and supports can be overwhelming.
- Hunger and housing are two basic needs that have to be addressed before anything else.
- JOURNEYS saw an uptick in people utilizing their food pantry. Many of these folks had never used the organizations services before. The number of participants remains high, two years after the pandemic has subsided.
- Suburban poverty looks different. Often the resources, grants, and other services go to larger cities where the stereotypical impoverished populations exist. In well-to-do areas, there is still poverty. Homelessness looks like house surfing, saving up money for a two-night stay in a hotel, living in a car, or the grocery store clerk packing your bags.
- People will always be slipping into poverty at various levels and times.
Thanks to Tracy Williams from Tracy's Plate for recommending Suzanne as a potential speaker on this podcast.
#1 tip to improve access to healthy food
- Asking for help is not a weakness but a point of strength. You have to be so strong to actually ask for help.
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