MACOMB, ILL. -- As we head into the holiday season, we could unfortunately see more people on the streets. The Samaritan Well shelter in Macomb will have to close its doors if it doesn't get money that was promised by the state. That's money that funds 80 percent of the shelter's needs.
"A lot of times, people just need a hand, a little lift up so they can get back on their feet," said Cathy Rigg, the interim director at Samaritan Well.
But that help might not be there for the families staying at Samaritan Well.
"If we don't receive funding by the end of December, we're definitely looking at closing down," said Rigg. "Probably right after Christmas."
Each year, DHS funds $60,000 to the shelter. Half of that money was due in August, but Samaritan Well hasn't seen a dime of it. Rigg said she received word about a month ago from the state that funding for the 2010-11 fiscal year was going to be delayed by 105 days.
That's not a good sign for McDonough County's homeless, including the seven families on Samaritan Well's waiting list.
That's not including the ones already staying at the shelter. Samaritan Well operates a women’s shelter and a men’s shelter. Rigg said each shelter houses five families during any given time. The agency's only employees are Rigg and two house managers.
If Samaritan Wells closes its doors, that will mean dozens of families could be back on the streets.
"Very often, we are the very last resource for some of these people. Some of them are gonna have to be sleeping in their vehicles or sleeping out on a park bench somewhere," said Grigg.
Rigg says as more shelters close their doors, more people show up at the steps of the Samaritan Well looking for shelter. But come December, that might not be an option.
Samaritan Well has organized a "Thankful for Home" campaign. Rigg says any donation could make this winter season more comfortable for her clients. For a list of supplies needed by the agency, click here. Monetary donations can be sent to Samaritan Well at 1306 Maple Ave., Macomb, IL 61455.