The HUB 5K Run/Walk to Benefit Homelessness

Why run for The Hub?

The rent is due, the pantry is empty, and the kids have outgrown their shoes. For most families, these are routine things to be handled as they happen. But for families in crisis, they are insurmountable problems that can overwhelm their ability to cope. The Hub can come to the rescue.

Proceeds from the 2017 Hub 5k on November 11 in Olympia Fields will benefit four agencies in Chicago’s southern suburbs that provide basic human needs to families in crisis. Formerly an event sponsored by Respond Now in Chicago Heights, this year that agency is joined by three others in the region to raise awareness of their missions in the community.

The Hub is a network of agencies and individuals created to help people cope with life-changing events that come with a housing crisis. Obtaining shelter is a top concern, followed by urgent needs such as food, clothing, legal assistance, medical help, job readiness and job re-training, and professional services like counseling and aid in applying for public benefits. People in need of assistance can contact The Hub at www.findhelpsouthcook.org and be referred to appropriate agencies and individuals in their neighborhood who have agreed to help those in crisis.

The four Southern Cook County agencies that created The Hub are Ford Heights Community Service Organization, Respond Now, South Suburban PADS and Together We Cope. The Hub’s mission is to quickly connect those in crisis with someone who can help them.

Ford Heights Community Service Organization has worked for 48 years to offer emergency, supportive and educational services to help stabilize area residents in crisis. Respond Now, for 47 years, has served as a community based agency that enhances quality of life for residents in the south suburbs by working to alleviate hunger and prevent homelessness for people at risk. South Suburban PADS (Public Action to Deliver Shelter) is an inter-faith program providing shelter, food and support to homeless persons. Together We Cope bridges the gap for those in temporary crisis by providing shelter, food, clothing and referrals that empower people to return to self-sufficiency.