Home of the Sparrow’s “Thank You!” to Willow Creek Community Church

McHenry, Ill. (Jan.2023) Home of the Sparrow would like to give a huge thank you to one of our generous partners, Willow Creek Community Church! Willow Creek is a multi-site church that believes in giving back to their community.

Willow Creek gives back directly to Home of the Sparrow clients in a number of ways. Most notably, in McHenry County, would be the Community Resource Days hosted at the Willow Creek location in Crystal Lake, IL. The Community Resource Days event is a completely free event hosted every Friday throughout the year from 10am-2pm. It is a “collaborative community event providing our un-sheltered and those in need extra support with access to a variety of resources.” With over 30 agency partners, the Community Resource Days is a pivotal hub for resources and allows for judgment-free, convenient support from many different industries. Some of these resources include, but are not limited to: hair cuts, laundry services, bike repair, access to an individual shower, food, clothing, a freshly served lunch, and more. 

Additionally, Willow Creek provides support to those outside of the Community Resource Days. Through their furniture ministries program, for example, they are able to provide brand new furniture to clients who are transitioning out of homelessness and into individual housing. For Home of the Sparrow, Willow Creek went above and beyond, and donated brand new pieces of furniture through their partnership with World Vision and Costco, to our transitional shelter. These donated items included sectional couches for common areas, dining room sets for clients, and even an outdoor patio set for the families to enjoy while their children play outside. These items are not only a necessity, but also help to provide a beautiful and comfortable environment for our clients and their families who have fallen upon tough times. 

Julie Davis, associate Campus Pastor of Willow Creek in Crystal Lake, emphasizes the importance of accessibility and serving others when describing the Community Resource Days event. Davis stated that it serves as a way to “provide opportunities to partner [with local agencies] and impact the community.” The goal of this event is to not take attention away from other agencies that are doing good, like the Crystal Lake Food Pantry, but instead partnering with them to provide a stronger, unified support system for those in need. 

Partners like Willow Creek allow Home of the Sparrow to better serve not only our clients, but better serve those all over McHenry County. We are grateful for this impactful partnership, and we are so thankful for all Willow Creek has done, and continues to do, in our community. Thank you! 

Home of the Sparrow provides a Transitional Shelter, Housing Programs, Rental Assistance, Outreach and Case Management services to homeless women and children and operates seven resale stores in Northern Illinois. Revenue from the stores go back into supporting Home of the Sparrow’s mission To provide Hope, Opportunity and Support that empowers homeless women and children as they journey from homelessness to self-sufficiency. For a list of services and store hours please visit our website at: www.HOSparrow.org or “Home of the Sparrow” on Facebook.

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