About Us
JOURNEYS | The Road Home is a non-profit agency that provides both shelter and social services to the homeless and those at risk of becoming homeless in 37 towns in north/northwest suburban Cook County. The mission of JOURNEYS is to individually assess and serve its clients, while broadening community awareness and involvement. The agency consists of the PADS Shelter Program, the HOPE Center Supportive Services Program, and the Pathways Housing Readiness Program focusing on intervention and assistance for those in need. Year round, the clinical staff at the HOPE Center provide a wide array of services all geared to helping our clients achieve independence.
The face of homelessness has changed. Financial instability now affects a wider segment of our population, extending into the middle class and even beyond. Our goal is to not only serve the needs of these people, but the community as a whole as our efforts provide services for free, and in turn, offset costs typically absorbed by hospitals, municipalities, and legal systems.
The face of homelessness has changed. Financial instability now affects a wider segment of our population, extending into the middle class and even beyond. Our goal is to not only serve the needs of these people, but the community as a whole as our efforts provide services for free, and in turn, offset costs typically absorbed by hospitals, municipalities, and legal systems.
Video by West Monroe Partners
Our History
From the desire to continue to complement emergency services with professional coordination of the therapeutic continuum of care, Northwest Suburban PADS, Inc. (created in 1989) and HOPE NOW, Inc. (created in 1992) decided to explore a merger. Merging these two agencies made perfect sense administratively and programmatically as both agencies served the same population— homeless and those at risk of becoming homeless. In 1998, HOPE NOW and Northwest Suburban PADS, Inc. made the decision to move their administrative offices and the Hope Center to a shared location. These two agencies operated in donated or rented space until 1999 when Northwest Suburban PADS and HOPE NOW received word that they had been awarded a large federal grant through Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to allow both agencies a permanent location at 1140 East Northwest Highway in Palatine, Illinois. This location provided adequate space for the HOPE Center, and the grant provided an opportunity to rehabilitate the facility and expand the current services.
In October of 2001, Northwest Suburban PADS and HOPE NOW legally merged—forming the new agency known as JOURNEYS | The Road Home, a multi-funded, comprehensive service agency. The newly merged agency now houses three professionally run programs, the PADS program, the HOPE Center program and the Pathways Housing Readiness Program.
In October of 2001, Northwest Suburban PADS and HOPE NOW legally merged—forming the new agency known as JOURNEYS | The Road Home, a multi-funded, comprehensive service agency. The newly merged agency now houses three professionally run programs, the PADS program, the HOPE Center program and the Pathways Housing Readiness Program.
Where are we going?
Coming out of the agency’s strategic plan, JOURNEYS | The Road Home has three main strategic goals:
- A Robust Transportation System
- A Year Round Shelter System
- A Comprehensive Affordable Housing Program
Mission Statement |
The mission of JOURNEYS | The Road Home is to individually assess and serve the homeless and near homeless, while broadening community awareness and involvement with the homeless.
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Vision |
JOURNEYS | The Road Home is the nationally recognized agency for leading its local communities in providing effective, comprehensive services to the homeless and near homeless.
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Core Values |
RESPECT | We operate with respect for clients, donors, one another, and the wider community. We work with respect for the structure, mission, and vision that we share.
TEAMWORK | We provide support to one another, working cooperatively throughout the organization to ensure that we meet goals together. MISSION-DRIVEN | Our mission is to individually assess and serve the homeless and near homeless, while broadening community awareness and involvement with the homeless. Everything we do is driven toward that mission. COMMITMENT | We work with urgency and commitment to fulfill our mission and goals and strive for excellence and quality in all we do. |