McHenry County Blog

With Governor Rod Blagojevich announcing that those over 65 can ride the rails and buses for free, I see an unintended consequence.

You’ve heard about Charlie, who had to ride Boston’s MTW forever because he didn’t have the dime to get off.

Well, with free fares, homeless seniors can ride CTA buses and trains and Metra trains for as long as they want.

Now, they will have to schedule their route so they don’t end up in Harvard, at the end of the line, without a way back, but, with some skill, the homeless will be able to keep warm on frigid days.

Certainly, some homeless advocate group will provide such schedules.

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I posted this on Illinoize as well and I have to share this comment:

Now, if only he could get nurse-practioners on the trains, paid for by slots at all Metra stations of course, then he'd have his healthcare plan!

Labels: CTA, Homeless, Homeless Advocate, Regional Transportation Authority, Rod Blagojevich, RTA

Yesterday I mentioned the "sign ghetto" along Crystal Lake's Main Street in front of where the homeless people used to camp.

McHenry County Blog received this comment last night about the Brent Hopkins sign in this photograph:

It is interesting that you noticed that Brett Hopkins added his endorsement to the NWHerald to his large campaign signs.

His large sign on Main Street was stolen today (snipped off at the base of the wire stands)...Brett and Aaron had permission from the property owner to display signs but apparently, numerous other campaigners did not and received calls to remove their signs.

We also noticed that John Burton has randomly placed signs around town...we ended up with one on our lawn and he never contacted us. We thought this was a rule?

Signs, I might note tend to be seen right after posting, but, then, disappear because of familiarity. With the endorsement sign added, Hopkins made his sign look different, hence, noticeable again.

It's a really good campaign technique.

Labels: Brett Hopkins, Crystal Lake, Homeless

Last fall I reported on a "Stand Down." At the time I had no idea what it was.

It's basically a safe place that members of the Armed Services go between more active service.

The same organization that sponsored the Stand Down last October--the National Association of System Administrators Educational Corporation--is putting it on again, with the cooperation of the YMCA Camp Algonquin. At the bottom of the press release is a list of those who will be available to help homeless veterans.

Here is the press release that NASA Education sent McHenry County Blog:

CRYSTAL LAKE, IL – The Stand Down for Homeless Veterans will take place on March 5 and 6, 2007, at YMCA Camp Algonquin, 1889 Cary Road, Algonquin. The sponsoring organization is the National Association of System Administrators Education Corporation (NASA Education), a Crystal Lake-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides vocational training for displaced, disabled and other U.S. veterans in transition.

L. Tammy Duckworth, Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, will attend the Stand Down on the afternoon of March 5 to address the homeless veterans. Director Duckworth, who holds the rank of Major in the Illinois Army Guard and was shot down in 2004 while co-piloting a Black Hawk helicopter north of Bagdad, was appointed by Governor Rod Blagojevich to the post effective Dec. 15, 2006.

“NASA Education is delighted that Director Duckworth has chosen to support the Stand Down for Homeless Veterans in this way,” said John Blanchard, NASA Education’s executive director. “Her appearance will give hope and inspiration to the homeless vets and send a clear message to them that they have not been forgotten by the Department of Veteran Affairs. Like many of them, she has been disabled in the performance of her duty to her country, and she has come back from that to embrace an important leadership position and help others who have served their country.”

Director Duckworth lost both legs and her right arm was shattered in the explosion of her helicopter over Bagdad, but she kept busy during her recovery despite her injuries and rigorous rehabilitation schedule. She spoke to veterans’ groups, attended the 2005 State of the Union Address and testified twice before Congress urging that more needs to be done to ensure soldiers continue to receive the same high level of medical care as they move from military to veteran status.

Illinois Senator Pamela Althoff (R-32nd District) also is scheduled to attend the Stand Down at 1 p.m. on Monday.

The first NASA Education-sponsored Stand Down was held October 2 and 3, 2006, at the YMCA Camp Algonquin location and provided services to 36 vets. At least six vets found permanent housing as a result of these services and four obtained competitive wage employment. Two vets were admitted to North Chicago VA Medical Center for treatment and the homeless program.

The Stand Down comes from a venerable military tradition. In times of war, exhausted combat units requiring time to rest and recover were removed from the battlefields to a place of relative security and safety. Troops were able to take showers, get clean uniforms, enjoy warm meals, receive medical and dental care, mail and receive letters, and enjoy the camaraderie of friends in a safe environment.

Today, Stand Down refers to a grassroots, community-based intervention program designed to help the nation’s estimated 200,000 homeless veterans “combat” life on the streets. Homeless veterans are brought together in a single location and are provided access to the community resources needed to begin addressing their individual problems and rebuilding their lives. In the military tradition, Stand Down afforded battle-weary soldiers the opportunity to renew their spirit, health and overall sense of well-being. Today’s Stand Down affords the same opportunity to homeless veterans.

From 50 to 100 homeless veterans are expected to attend the two-day event in McHenry County and receive services such as medical screenings, meals, showers, overnight shelter, free haircuts, and the distribution of clothing, underwear and toiletry items.

Needed for the Stand Down in addition to cash donations are volunteers to provide transportation for the vets, security, set-up the day before, a variety of tasks such as serving food, escorting vets to the various stations for services and working with clothing, and cleanup after the event. Also needed is new or clean and gently used warm weather clothing, shoes in good condition, and new or clean and gently used underwear in men’s and women’s sizes.

Service providers who have confirmed their participation to date include: Michael Iwanicki, Superintendent of the Veterans Assistance Commission of McHenry County; John Carr, Superintendent of the Veterans Assistance Commission of Kane County; Susan Giannone, Constituent Services Advocate, Congresswoman Melissa Bean’s Office; North Chicago VA Medical Center; Jeff Antonelli of the Law Offices of Gene Hanson Ltd.; Richard Lesniewicz, Veteran Service Officer, Illinois American Legion; Ted Biever, Veteran Service Officer, McHenry County, Illinois Department of Veteran Affairs; Lisa Biever, Veteran Service Officer, Kane County, Illinois Department of Veteran Affairs; New Horizons Transitional Living Services of Hebron; volunteer stylists Wendy Webber of SportClips Haircuts in McHenry, Tracy Fafinski of SportClips Haircuts in Rolling Meadows, and Krissy Olszewski of Chazio’s Salon in Algonquin; Sheryl Roberts, massage therapist, Changing Lifestyles; Lesley Delihant, massage therapist, Wolschlager Chiropractic in Crystal Lake; the Soul Mate Singers, Phyllis Taylor-Smith and Gail Pike of the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs; Lions of Illinois Foundation (hearing screenings); Jennifer Gelman, attorney, and Janet Douglass, paralegal, of Prairie State Legal Services; Scott Ottesen, Outreach Specialist for Northern Illinois, The Vet Center, Evanston; Pat O’Dea-Evans, nurse and VA Aid and Attendance Specialist, Paxem, Inc.; Pete Castillo, Disabled Veterans Outreach Placement (DVOP) Specialist, Woodstock; Ray Infante, DVOP Specialist, Grayslake; Phil Bartmann, president of Radicom, Inc., and Jennifer Prell, president of Silver Connections, Inc. will provide professional services. Sister Minnie Lawrence of Ba’ruch Prayer Center will be available to pray with the veterans. The office of State Senator Pamela Althoff and the office of Representative Michael Tryon will also participate.

For more information, please contact Kathy Chwedyk, Development Director, NASA Education, by phoning 866-338-4968 (866-EDU-4YOU) or sending an email to kathy_chwedyk@nasaeducation.org.

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Top right is the sign that was on the bus driven by Joe Lewis (seen near the bottom on the left) last summer.

Next you can see NASA Education President John Blanchard talking with State Senator Pam Althoff and State Representative Mike Tryon. Below Althoff and former Algonquin American Legion President Gary Jensen converse as Althoff changes name tags. A veteran gets indivicual private attention from Pete Castillo, the McHenry County Disabled Veterans Outreach Placement (DVOP) Specialist. First head shot is of Mike Iwanicki, Superintendent of the Veterans Assistance Commission of McHenry County. the second is of Pete Castillo. All photos were taken at last October's Stand Down.

Labels: Camp Algonquin, Homeless, National Association of Systems Administrators, Pam Althoff, Stand Down, Tammy Duckworth, Veterans, Vets

I had not a clue what a “Stand Down” was, but National Association of Systems Administrators Education Foundation head John Blanchard and probably every other veteran in the country does.

A Navy veteran, Blanchard told me a Stand Down

typically was a safe place for combat or touring military to go to get

· their uniforms mended, replaced or cleaned,
· medical attention,
· their mail,
· warm meals and
· safe sleep.

With a U.S. Department of Labor grant of $8,000, NASA Education Foundation provided all of that Monday and Tuesday at Camp Algonquin. It was helped by numerous volunteers, including Gary Jensen, seen here with State Senator Pam Althoff.

While the event did not reach the expected 50-70 men--and could have accommodated 100--26 did attend.

“I think that this is only the tip of the problem,” Blanchard observed.

“I know that they are out there and since I’ll be able to provide mini-Stand Downs every other month with two (big ones) yearly,” Blanchard said, “I know that 50-70 will be touched very soon.”

Mike Iwanicki, Superintendent of the Veterans Assistant Commission of McHenry County interjected,

You probably reached 26 guys that weren’t reached before.

And, this is the first year.

“They can report back that it’s not so scary,” his wife Stacy added.

Blanchard told me that he had overheard some of the veterans, who were smoking outside Monday night during the downpour, say that their friends might wish they had come, too. That probably will be the case with many when they discover they missed out on a shower, clean clothes and a private room for the night, not to mention missing Monday night football.

Blanchard intends to hold mini-Stand Downs every other month at his Route 31 office, which is on the top of the hill north of the Terra Cotta factory close to the cellular phone towers. The address is 3305 S. Route 31, Crystal Lake (although Map Quest can’t find it, Blanchard says).

I asked Blanchard why he put the 2-day event together.

He explained there were 3 reasons:

The homeless veterans. I know they’re there. They need the services. They need the help. They need everything this Stand Down could give them.

Richmond’s Dale Rice added,

Services they are entitled to.

Blanchard continued,

The awareness of the community of the presence of homeless veterans.

Pete Castillo, my former legislative assistant who is now the county’s Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program Specialist, added,

"The community has to be prepared to receive them."

The third reason given by Blanchard was

to get all of these service providers who graciously gave their time to be here and mingle and collaborate with each other.

“I learned a lot from the veterans and a lot from service organizations that were here,” he added. “I was very disappointed that TLS (New Horizons Transitional Living Services) did not send somebody out here."

TLS operates the old Hebron motel for homeless veterans.

Blanchard said, “A lot of these veterans had no idea TLS is even here.”

Home of the Sparrow donated enough clothes and there are enough other supplies (toiletries, for example) “that we can do it every other month at our office,” Blanchard said of future Stand Downs.

There was some strange discouragement with regard to efforts to let veterans know of the Stand Down. Driver Joe Lewis of the bus that transports veterans places they need to go told me that notices that had been posted at train stations at Crystal Lake, McHenry and Cary had mysteriously disappeared after posting. Lewis put them back up.

It’s possible that some homeless veterans took them down so they could remember where to go. But it is also possible that someone else took down the Metra-approved postings down.

I am pleased to see that the Northwest Herald finally found the NASA Educational Foundation.

Previous McHenry County Blog articles about Blanchard are

April 24, 2006
Crystal Laker John Blanchard Helps Finance Washington Veterans March 2006

April 25, 2006
Vietnam Veteran Ed Bolf's Recovery from Post Tramatic Stress Disorder and His Re-entry into Society with the Help of NASA, a Crystal Lake Organization

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John Blanchard talks with State Senator Pam Althoff and State Rep. Mike Tryon at Camp Algonquin's Stand Down for homeless veterans.

Beneath is State Senator Pam Althoff with volunteer Gary Jensen, a former Commander of the Algonquin American Legion.

The top head shot is of Mike Iwanicki, the Superintendent of the Veterans Assistance Commission of McHenry County.

Between Iwanicki and the next head shot is the sign found on the McHenry County veterans bus: "Stand Down for Homeless Veterans."

The veterans bus driver is Joe Lewis.

Labels: Camp Algonquin, Homeless, John Blanchard, NASA Educational Foundation, Pete Castillo, Stand Down, Veterans, Vets