South Cook News

As COVID-19 has continued to spread throughout the nation, families and individuals who previously could leave bad situations find an extra challenge to doing so due to stay-at-home order. 

According to Patch, the Crisis Center for South Suburbia moved 13 families out of emergency shelter in Tinley Park to new apartments and hotels, even during the coronavirus scare. 

The Crisis Center was using the apartments already for its programs, but were happy to be able to help families who were struggling with domestic violence find a safe place to stay while practicing social distancing. The shelter previously provided families with private bedrooms and shared common areas, which made staying free from possible contagions difficult. 

Pam Kostecki, executive director of the Crisis Center, said her staff was diligent in doing this important work to help protect families while still following the governor’s order to shelter in place. 

"The Crisis Center staff worked tirelessly to secure housing, negotiate with landlords, set up utilities, collect and organize donations and get our families moved," Kostecki said. "There were lots of moving pieces and it all happened over the course of five days."

This move from shelter to apartment is the fastest to have ever been carried out in the history of the center. 

Darvin Furniture from Orland Park was pleased to help the families moving to apartments by providing 13 mattresses with a single day’s notice and at a massive discount. Gifts of Hope, a local charity group, provided the Crisis Center with the necessary funding to pay for the mattresses. 

The Kitchen Witches volunteer group provided kitchen accessories and tools for the families.