Seniors 60 and over with an emergency need for housing, transportation, utility or burial services in north and east central Lake County will soon have a new source for assistance —Waukegan Township.
Recently receiving a grant from AgeGuide Northeastern Illinois, Waukegan Township Supervisor Marc Jones said the township will soon handle specific emergency services for individuals in Waukegan and six neighboring townships.
“I feel excited for this opportunity to serve as many individuals as possible regardless of location because need does not have a boundary,” Jones said. “I’m excited Waukegan Township was identified as an entity that could effectively take on this responsibility.”
Waukegan Township will begin offering emergency housing, transportation, utility and burial services Oct. 1 to qualified seniors beyond its borders in six neighboring townships filling a void left when another organization modified its mission.
Seniors over 60 living in Benton, Libertyville, Newport, Shields, Warren or Zion townships with an pressing housing, utility, transportation or burial need can receive a referral from their township to have those essentials processed in Waukegan Township.
Libertyville Township Supervisor Kathleen O’Connor said when the program is effective she would refer her residents to the Waukegan Township office to determine eligibility if she felt it was a good way to help.
When Catholic Charities decided to stop handling these emergency services, Jones said AgeGuide contacted him to learn if Waukegan Township might fill the void. He took the opportunity.
Administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the Older Americans Act, AgeGuide is a not-for-profit organization that coordinates a variety of services for seniors under state and federal oversight, according to its website.
O’Connor said she knew Catholic Charities made some changes in the way it was helping people but was uncertain how it would impact Libertyville Township residents. She was glad to hear Waukegan Township may be able to help.
“Catholic Charities changed the scope of its services,” O’Connor said. “They are focusing on other programs.”
Seeking an opportunity to help people in need and expand emergency services in the area, Jones said he sought and received a grant from AgeGuide of slightly more than $300,000 for a year starting Oct. 1 to provide the services.
Spending just over $200,000 annually on various emergency services, Jones said the AgeGuide grant will help people in all seven townships who need a quick transfusion to keep the lights on or avoid eviction.
“We’ve made referrals to Catholic Charities in the past,” Jones said indicating the programs worked differently and his staff tries to find the best fit for each individual.
With the new program just over a month away, Jones said he will be communicating with his peers in the other townships to let them know about the available services. At this point, he does not know if additional staff will be necessary to handle the expanded requests.
O’Connor said emergencies can arise when a person is facing eviction or has a shutoff notice from the electric or gas company. In Libertyville Township, assistance is based on income. The senior effort in Waukegan may add an additional resource
