La Salle donates $4,000 to Illinois Valley PADS

The Illinois Valley PADS homeless shelter is another step closer to its goal after the La Salle City Council voted in favor of the city donating $4,000 to the creation of new websites.

The shelter will need about $25,000 to develop two new websites, content creation, an integrated point of sale system for its revenue-generating retail stores, the hardware needed for the website and training.

Carol Alcorn, executive director of PADS, said the shelter’s website is 10 years old and encompasses the Lily Pads retail stores, which help the shelter raise money, and the shelters in Peru and Ottawa.

“For once can’t La Salle be on the forefront of something that protects children and the homeless,”

—  Alderman Bob Thompson

Alcorn said PADS has a campaign ongoing with a consultant and community members to raise funds for a new shelter in Ottawa. The current facility is 165 years old.

The nonprofit has raised about $2.1 million to the project, but still needs a little less than $2 million to build the 11,264 square foot building in Ottawa, she said.

“But, as we’ve gone through this process of communications and everything, we’ve realized our website is woefully inadequate,” Alcorn said.

PADS will be asking each of the cities it serves to make a contribution to the cause.

The nonprofit will be requesting the following amounts: $5,000 from Peru and Ottawa; $3,000 from Streator and Princeton and $1,000 from the remaining communities, such as Oglesby and Utica.

La Salle Alderman Bob Thompson said prior to PADS, law enforcement had to find a way to assist homeless people, and if it wasn’t for the shelter, La Salle would be overrun.

“The least we can do is support something that keeps the homeless in a confined place,” he said. “And I give these people a lot of credit, you start looking at how many people found housing and how many people found jobs.

“Alderman Thompson, that is an astronomical amount and we have never donated that amount or anywhere close to that amount to any organization,” Alderman Jordan Crane responded.

“That’s correct,” Thompson said.

“So, if we have 15 organizations come in and asking for $4,000 ... ” Crane said

“Show somebody that found employment for 218 people and housed 94 in a year and I’ll be glad to get it out of my own pocket,” Thompson said. “But, the city of La Salle has gotten over not having to help these people.”

“… Let’s put aside that it’s the biggest donation. Let’s put aside that,” Thompson said. “For once can’t La Salle be on the forefront of something that protects children and the homeless? If we can’t do that, why am I going to talk about a fire truck for an astronomical amount of money.”

The motion passed unanimously.