Picture by Dean Olsen.
Serving to Arms of Springfield shelter purchasers stay exterior at about 4:30 p.m. Dec. 19 whereas workers and volunteers clear the power at 2200 Shale St., close to South Dirksen Parkway in Springfield, and put together for the night check-in process.
We welcome letters. Please embrace your full title, deal with and phone quantity. We edit all letters. Ship them to [email protected].
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NEED EMPATHY
I’m appalled by the dehumanizing language utilized by Serving to Arms govt director Patti Crouch and worker Jilnita Johnson (“Out within the chilly: Serving to Arms purchasers query company’s insurance policies,” Jan. 2). Individuals experiencing homelessness are human. Crouch and Johnson’s stigmatizing views are dangerous, and we should imagine the legitimate complaints of those that have spoken out.
Johnson’s remark questioning why somebody with a school diploma is in a shelter displays overt bias, not trauma-informed care. Anybody can expertise homelessness.
The cleansing schedule of 4-6 p.m., one of many coldest elements of the day, additional invalidates shopper care. A straightforward repair could be to vary the cleansing time to earlier, hotter occasions. As a substitute, Crouch mentioned, “Purchasers willingly spend hours exterior throughout the day after which complain about having to be exterior (later).” It’s regular to wish to stroll exterior throughout the heat, daytime hours and return at night time. They aren’t prisoners, they’re individuals in search of assist, empathy and care.
Additional, alcohol-use dysfunction and substance use-disorder are illnesses, as severe as most cancers, not ethical failures. Crouch and Johnson ought to bear trauma-informed coaching, rent extra case managers and be taught to deal with purchasers with respect whereas working in tandem with different native organizations to assist purchasers. I hope Robert Gillespie, the brand new director who began Jan. 6, brings a way of empathy and a background in discrimination coaching to his position.
Amber Nicolette Maler
Springfield
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TELL THEIR STORIES
Jilnita Johnson, the second-in-command at Serving to Arms, is quoted as saying: “A greater query is why any person with a school diploma and working companies and issues like that’s on the shelter.” That must be probably the most ignorant issues I’ve ever learn. Perhaps if she cared sufficient to ask, she would know, and will have slightly empathy. Loads of small enterprise homeowners have suffered from medical points that led to unpaid time away from work and ungodly medical payments – then high all of it off with the pandemic.
Somebody with that perspective should not be working with unhoused individuals. I’d like to see Illinois Instances interview and highlight one or two unhoused people each week to allow them to inform their tales and truly be heard.
Lisa Bartolomucci
By way of Facebook.com/illinoistimes
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STATE NEGLECTS BUILDINGS
The state of Illinois is in love with its buildings, even when renting makes extra monetary sense – notably downtown – and lots of workers are working remotely (“EPA prepares to maneuver to White Oaks Mall,” Dec. 5). As a substitute, the state builds out or renovates after which neglects its funding by years-long deferred upkeep.
Lisa Logan
By way of Facebook.com/illinoistimes
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AMAZON BRINGS GROWTH
If individuals wish to maintain their taxes and charges down right here in Springfield and Sangamon County, it is a huge a part of the reply, to develop our property tax base and jobs (“Amazon hub is coming to Springfield,” Dec. 12). This one firm pays a really substantial quantity in property taxes yearly, in addition to pumping a big quantity into our native financial system by the wages, utilities, gasoline prices, and so forth. will probably be paying.
Kudos to the individuals who helped it occur, and sustain the nice work. We’d like extra issues that can assist deliver individuals, jobs, trade, leisure alternatives and development to our space.
Reg Davis
By way of Facebook.com/illinoistimes
