Hope’s Front Door heads into 2025 prepared to meet many community challenges

While the holidays were a joyful time of year for many individuals, others faced major financial challenges and constant worry.

Buying gifts to exchange with family and friends can be a significant obstacle when you don’t have enough to pay for groceries, rent and utilities. And those hurdles don’t disappear once holiday decorations are put away and a new year begins.

Some DuPage County residents are hurting all year long which makes the resources of Hope’s Front Door important throughout the year.

“Last year we did additional food assistance because it was pretty tough on families,” said Janell Robinson, executive director for Hope’s Front Door. “This year our focus was to kind of amend what we do when we see the trends in the community. We’re pretty fluid and nimble like that as an organization helping people who have a last-minute crisis, like a loss of a job, an unexpected bill that came in, and we’re able to help them with special vouchers or gift certificates which we’re able to do due to partnerships with nonprofits.”

Hope’s Front Door not only addresses the immediate challenges its clients face, but also fills them with optimism going forward, directing them to further resources and support.

“We are the best of what happens when a community comes together,” Robinson said. “The Scarlett Bloomers (a Red Hat Society chapter out of Downers Grove) are a group of senior women that meet monthly and during the holiday season (they reached) out to us to get an understanding of our needs and will purchase gift cards to Kohl’s and Target and for food at Jewel and Aldi so when families come in and really experience these last-minute crises and their holiday and their kids’ holiday are in jeopardy, we’re able to provide them with a means to go shopping.”

“And we work with Goodwill Industries and get certificates that not only help people going back to work but with winter needs like coats and hats and things like that.”

Hope’s Front Door isn’t providing a quick fix for brief holiday cheer, but attempting to help those within the community most in need all year long with its programs and services.

“This year has been incredibly busy,” Robinson said. “We saw a 25% increase in the number of new households in need of assistance. That’s 2,500 people, and these are folks who never had to use us before with basic essentials like food, transportation and vision prescriptions. So we’ve had a really busy year helping new folks as well as those who are still dealing with the ripple effects of COVID. People don’t realize some families are still struggling with the loss of jobs or cut hours and still are on the road to financial recovery.”

It’s the community helping the community.

“I encourage people to go to the website to find ways to use their time and talent,” Robinson said. “I think what makes us unique is no matter how big we grow, we’re at heart a grassroots organization. When I say we help people with oral healthcare it’s because of Midwestern University and local (Downers Grove) dentist Dr. Bernie Reusz. They are able to see clients often at low cost and sometimes pro bono. Access to oral healthcare is not a luxury. It’s a part of full body health and without it, people can become ill in other ways.”

Providing prescriptions, medical supplies, over-the-counter medications, vision exams and eyeglasses and the aforementioned dental care are some of the many ways Hope’s Front Door is open to helping folks all year long.

Since many of its clients have been met with great challenges in their pursuit of better financial health, consistent employment as well as physical and mental well-being, Hope’s Front Door also continues to offer life-skill education pathways programs toward self-sufficiency.

Pathways to Financial Health is a nine-month skill building program that features one-on-one financial counseling. Pathways to Employments provides clients with a weekly job list, workshops and recruitment events. Pathways to Well-Being provides education and resources for clients and their family members who are suffering with chronic physical pain, mental health issues and more.

“Our financial literacy program allows our clients to work 1-on-1 with volunteers from banks,” Robinson said. “They help with budgeting and saving and understanding the foundation of good money management. And part of financial literacy is a second-chance saving component. Regardless of your past credit history, banks will allow you to open an account and a chance to earn a bonus for your healthy saving habits.”

Hope’s Front Door has a big year ahead in 2025 for a couple particular reasons. First, it’s needed as much as ever. The organization has been extremely busy throughout the year and that isn’t expected to change going forward. Secondly, 2025 is the 25-year anniversary of the organization which all started thanks to the heartfelt concerns of a group of clergy and community leaders in the area.

“We’re gearing up for our 25th year and an expansion of services, including an increase in the amount of financial assistance for prescriptions and eye exams, oral health care, an increase in food and transportation assistance,” Robinson said. “We’re doing some exciting things in the community and it takes a community to do them. Our board has completed our strategic plan. We’re exited about our 25th year. We’ll have several different events including an open house in September.”

They’re are a variety of ways to assist Hope’s Front Door through volunteering, community partnerships and donations. Visit www.hopesfrontdoor.org for more information.