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Haven for Hope celebrated former clients who achieved the milestone of finding a home of their own.
The ceremony was held Saturday morning at Haven for Hope's Near West Side campus, which provides shelter and support services for hundreds of people experiencing homelessness each day.
Actor, producer and documentary filmmaker Billy Baldwin was on hand for the ceremony.
“But I look at you guys that are mamas out here with your babies, and it takes a lot of strength and it takes a lot of will,” he told the graduates. “A lot of will and a lot of strength and a lot of resilience and a lot of hope.”
Baldwin recently produced a documentary titled Americans With No Address and a feature film highlighting the issue.
“I'm very, very proud of them. I'm very excited. It's motivational. It's inspirational.
These people are in a very, very, very tough situation. We have an addiction issue. We have a homeless component, but it really trickles down from a mental health crisis,” he told TPR.
Stephanie Smith lived at Haven for 10 months. She said her journey was challenging, but worth it, and she encouraged others to take advantage of what Haven for Hope could do for them.
“Yeah, anybody that needs help and they're homeless, come to Haven for Hope because they do help. You have to go through a lot of obstacles, but in the end, you'll be rewarded,” she said.
Haven CEO Rhonda Mundhenk said the ceremony reflects the work the organization does.
“It’s really the culmination of all our work. This is what we work toward. This is what we exist for. It's to ensure that we can get people from either the street or from other places into shelter and from shelter back into homes, back into the community, back to being productive members of society,” Mundhenk told TPR.
District 5 Councilwoman Teri Castillo was the keynote speaker for the event.
“After a unique journey that is your own, you've now accomplished something very big, and this is going to be a huge stepping stone toward what's to come. Some of you may be starting a new job, looking to further your education, and some of you still may be figuring out what's next,” she told the crowd.
All the graduates recognized during Saturday's ceremony received help from Haven for Hope in the past 12 months and were able to secure their own place to live.
