Couple's Weekly Mission Is To Help The Homeless In North Suburbs

DES PLAINES, IL - When most think of the homeless community in Chicagoland, they envision the viaducts on the North Side of the city and some of the suburbs where the median income level is far less than the national average. For the most part, they aren't thinking about the northwest suburbs.

But homelessness is a problem everywhere, even in the north suburbs. To help, one couple from Des Plaines has made it their mission to help those struggling in this region.

Bill and Debbi Middendorp have consistently loaded up Salvation Army vans and have driven to the homeless communities in Wheeling, Prospect Heights, Des Plaines and Arlington Heights to distribute sandwiches, snacks, water and hygiene items to those sleeping on the streets.

They've done this every week for more than two years now. Bad weather, of which came in force this winter, hasn't stopped them.

"They are appreciative," said Bill, who has worked for the Salvation Army since moving to the Chicago area five years ago. "Most of them will come to the truck looking for something to eat. They know it's a safe environment and know we care."

"They come to trust us," Debbi added.

Before moving to Des Plaines, Bill did work with the homeless while with a ministry in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It was there where helping the homeless "sparked a passion" in him. He's now the street outreach coordinator and jobs administrator for the Salvation Army Serving the Greater Chicago Area, Northern Illinois and Northwestern Indiana.

"Many people are not aware that about 70 percent of all bell ringers are homeless," he said. "We pay them to work for us. They become seasonal employees and you hear their stories."

Debbi is a seasonal Salvation Army employee who often helps with summer camps and youth nights. While calling her and Bill "rural people" originally from Iowa, Debbi said that she feels God has called them to Chicagoland for this cause and that "he's not moving us."

Every week, Bill and Debbi stop at spots where homeless people are often found. They go to the libraries, train stations and outside abandoned restaurants in their towns. They don't just go to give them food and other useful items, either.

"We talk to them and learn about who they are," said Bill. "They've been hurt so many times, it is tough to gain their trust. The Salvation Army allows us to make a difference behind the scenes."

Having done this for more than two years and interacting with the homeless ever since moving to the north suburbs in 2012, the Middendorps both say the homelessness problem has only gotten worse in the area.

"Affordable housing is the problem here," Bill said. "You go to the shelters and find that they are turning people away because they are full."

Until there are higher paying jobs in the area and/or more reasonable steps a person can take to find a home, it's organizations like the Salvation Army that will remain vital to helping those who need it the most.

Bill brings this mission to help back to the Salvation Army's mission statement.

"Doing the most good," he said. "That's what we are trying to do."

Photo: Bill (second from left) and Debbi (far right) make stops in the Northwest suburbs on a weekly basis to assist the homeless community. Photo courtesy of Salvation Army