Two Glencoe churches may serve in homeless shelter network

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Updated: January 27, 2012 3:56PM

Glencoe may be on its way to getting its first two shelters for homeless families.

The Rev. David Wood of the Glencoe Union Church, 263 Park Ave., said Friday that his congregation is on board for a partnership with Family Promise Chicago North Shore, Inc., a branch of a national organization that provides temporary shelter for families in transition to permanent housing.

He said that the North Shore United Methodist Church, 213 Hazel Ave., is also moving toward such a partnership. Church leaders couldn’t be reached Friday, but Glencoe village officials said they had spoken with members of that church, too.

Wood said that families only stay at Family Promise churches for a week at a time, and only at night. The organization picks up the families in the morning, takes members to school, work, or an Evanston headquarters, and returns them for dinner, homework and sleep in the late afternoon.

“This is so much of an expression of how we think of ourselves as a community, of how we think of those in need,” Wood said.

“We are interested in sharing with others however we can.”

The Union Church wants to use the individual rooms on the second floor for the families. But in a preliminary walk-through by the Glencoe Public Safety Department, the fire rating of the walls and doors — their ability to slow flames in the event of a fire — was not seen as high enough, Wood said.

Compliance might be very expensive, he said.

Glencoe Public Works Director Dave Mau said Friday that “what’s required, in my view, for limited housing needs, may be somewhat different than in a permanent situation.”

He said that he is planning to attend an as-yet-unscheduled meeting with other village staff members, including Chief of Public Safety Mike Volling, to work out any safety and zoning issues.

Other participating congregations: Grace Lutheran Church, Northminster Presbyterian Church, St. James Armenian Church and St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Church, of Evanston; First Presbyterian Church, St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church, St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, St. John’s Lutheran Church, Winnetka Covenant Church and Congregation Sukkat Shalom, of Wilmette; Northfield Community Church and Temple Jeremiah, of Northfield, and Winnetka Congregational Church and Winnetka Presbyterian Church, of Winnetka.