January 2017
For persons who are homeless, Christmas is just another day. Lucky for them, Our Savior Lutheran Church in Carol Stream, Illinois, isn’t just another church.
“For the past five years, we’ve opened our doors to homeless persons on Christmas Day,” said Rev. Andrew Koschmann, senior pastor at Our Savior Lutheran Church, 1244 W. Army Trail Road, Carol Stream. “Our location is familiar. We’re a DuPage PADS site every Wednesday night.”
DuPage PADS (Public Action to Deliver Shelter) is a consortium of churches in Chicago’s western suburbs that provides nightly safe havens for the hungry and homeless. Last year, DuPage PADS provided 41,036 nights of shelter and 130,036 meals. This included dinner and breakfast onsite. As PADS guests exit the church at 7 a.m., they receive a bag lunch.
Except on Christmas Day. Fifty-six homeless persons entered Our Savior Lutheran Church on Christmas Day for a warm meal and plenty of Christmas cheer.
“Thirty-four church members volunteered to spend their holiday – from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. – in the church gym,” said event organizer Dale Hanlon of Carol Stream. “Members of the Crosby family led us in the singing of Christmas carols. We also had the Lutheran Church Charities’ Comfort Dogs on hand.”
The menu included soup, salad, grilled chicken, grilled pork chops, Italian meatballs (donated by Mapleberry Restaurant in Carol Stream), side dishes, and dessert. Every guest received a gift card for gas or food as well as socks, thermal underwear, winter coats, gloves, hats, etc. Church members and friends donated the gifts.
“Our church members readily volunteer to work two-hour shifts,” said Hanlon. “After all, this is the ultimate spirit of Christmas.”
To learn more about how Our Savior, Carol Stream, organizes their Christmas Day outreach for the homeless, email the church office.