Housing Forward, the social service agency headquartered in nearby Maywood, has announced that Prevail — a program designed to provide support services and specialized employment resources for families in the western suburbs that “are experiencing an emergency financial crisis” — will move from its current location at First United Church of Oak Park to new offices at 6634 W. Roosevelt Rd. in Oak Park. The move took place on July 5.
“Founded by area congregations 12 years ago, the Prevail Programs of Housing Forward (formerly the Walk-In Ministry) have been operating out of First United Church of Oak Park since the beginning,” according to a statement released by Housing Forward on June 27.
“We are endlessly grateful for their support in allowing us to operate rent-free for all those years”, stated Lynda Schueler, Housing Forward’s executive director.
According to the statement, the organization’s Prevail programs and services “have helped thousands of households with emergency financial assistance, short-term stability services and employment readiness programs to address their immediate financial and housing crisis and find jobs.
“Last year alone, that office was visited by 1,032 people representing $84,406 in financial support and more than 170 individuals accessing employment services.”
In addition to the Prevail program, the new Roosevelt Rd. location will also house a Walk-In Center, staffed by Housing Forward and designed to service west suburban clients.
The expansion comes after Housing Forward was chosen to lead a nine-agency partnership called Coordinated Entry, a new Cook County crisis system designed to make it easier for homeless people, or those at-risk of becoming homeless, to get the emergency services they need.
An open house will be held for the new offices, located on the second-floor of 6634 W. Roosevelt Rd., sometime in September.
CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com