The City of Rockford has made the national news for achieving ‘functional zero’ homelessness for the veteran and chronically homeless population but what about others? Some formerly unhoused individuals who served a different type of time, are finding help thanks to some local church organizations.
“I was very confused. When I had been released from the care of the jail system. I was within a domestic violence dispute,” said 32-year-old Lakeisha Jones. She’s been diagnosed with bipolar depression. She became homeless for the first time in September of last year. She said she doesn’t have too many family members who live close to her. She said her mother lives close by but the two of them aren’t on the best terms.
Denzil Wynter, 68, worked as an electrician and building inspector. Wynter said his pride kept him from getting help when he initially lost his job. He shared that he turned to drugs and alcohol and at one point he ended up in jail. He had been homeless for two years when he was in his 40s. He comes back to the center because he said he doesn't want to forget where he came from.
“Once you do once you go to prison, you always got that stigma,” he said. “You know even though you pay your dues to the to the society, society won't let you live it down.”
Jones and Wynter both found help at the Jubilee Center. This organization started from Shelter Care Ministries which is an outreach ministry of Rockford’s Emmanual Episcopal Church. Daysia Dismuke is its director. She said some people have a hard time finding housing because of their past.
“One of the biggest barriers is criminal records, criminal records and evictions. That's something we find really hard,” Dismuke said. “Landlords won’t rent to people who had prior evictions or prior convictions.”
A 2018 prisonpolicy.org reportstates that incarcerated individuals “are almost ten times likely to be homeless than the general public.”
Robert DeMarr experienced homelessness for eight months a couple of years ago. DeMarr is a recovering alcoholic and said he went to jail for driving while under the influence. DeMarr said he still comes to the center to be around people who understand him.
“They give you breakfast, they give you a lunch you know just like Carpenters Place down on Railroad,” he explained. “They got people you can talk to. If you need some clothes, they’ll give you clothes. This place is very helpful.”
Wynter said he used to walk the street all night until he was able to stop at different shelters for food because he said he and others didn’t feel comfortable in all shelters. Then someone told him about Jubilee.
“We had a place to come be safe, to help us find a job to help us get into places,” he said, “that's what got me here, they were helping me, and it wasn't like they were, you know, looking down on me.”
Jones said her life would be different if it wasn’t for the center.
“I would probably still be on the streets,” she said. “I'll probably still be within a very -- I wouldn't go back to my domestic violence situation, but I will probably find some way to take care of myself, but I probably wouldn't have been very kind to myself in order to do that.”
She now volunteers for the organization. When asked about her work there, a huge smile covered her face. She explained why.
“Being able to feel like I belong to something,” Jones said, “being able to feel like I have responsibility, being able to feel like someone.”
Dismuke said the Jubilee Center tries to assist those who’ve had convictions by offering to pay their first and last month’s rent and the required deposit. She said sometimes that still isn’t enough.
Another church that seeks to support unhoused individuals is Our Savior's Lutheran Church. Scott Stolberg, the associate pastor of the church, said they partner with different organizations across the city. Some of those organizations include Miss Carly's, Rockford Rescue Mission and Shelter Care Ministries.
"Most churches are trying to show the care of their community and extending that out to other people," he said. "It's a sign of our wanting to care for the other person that's in the community, who's in whatever situation."
Jubilee is looking to do more. This year the center added a housing component to its services. Dismuke said thanks to the city and the department of Housing and Urban Development, they will have about 11 units later this year. The homes will be located throughout the city. That means at least a few more people who, because of their past, could not get housing, will have a place to call their own.
