On a warm late summer day, people may not be thinking about the cool, colder weather that lies ahead over the next six months.

But on a warm day last Wednesday, 11 local organizations and their representatives were on hand during the Salvation Army’s Hope and Housing Community Resource Fair.

The event focused on aiding homeless individuals, said Director of Social Ministries Alvy Butler Jr.

In April, a resource fair focused on families drew 20 organizations.

The Salvation Army hosted the event at its facility located at 148 North Harrison.

The organizations were there to help and inform the homeless. There were approximately six people who visited the different tables in the first 90 minutes of the two-hour event.

In the next few weeks, temperatures will be cooler. Butler said this was a chance to spread the word about where the homeless can turn to for help.

“If we can get people on the right track early to help them get housed or on the road to being home, then we can help out more successfully if we’re a little bit ahead of the curve on that,” Butler said.

“We really try to be a beacon, for one, for people to come to, but also a compass to guide people in the direction that they could go. Not that they are required to go, because it’s all a choice, but where they can go to seek the help that they need.”

Homeless response workers are connecting more people with housing and shelter than ever before, in addition to services like healthcare, employment, and income support programs, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

In 2024, homeless response workers served more than 1.1 million people in need, a 12% increase from 2023, the organization said.

Salvation Army Lt. LaToya Surratt said the number of homeless in Kankakee County is growing.

Many more are being evicted, not because they can’t pay the rent.

“There is a plethora of landlords that are selling buildings, and the new management coming in is not taking the individuals that were living there,” Butler said.

“Some of them are already; they’re still up to date on the rent. Some are delinquent, some are not. But all just the same, [new landlords] want to clean house. They want to start fresh and rebuild.

“Then a new person comes in, jacks the rent up, and says ‘You can’t be here; you have to reapply.’ Well, you should be able to finish out your lease, and they can’t do anything about that, but then that’s when the whole reapply comes in and your rent hike goes in.”

Justin Villareal, the director of outreach and a caseworker for the Salvation Army, said they will be out with their canteen truck this fall and winter, distributing warm meals and clothing items such as socks.

“When it starts getting colder, it’s really our main thing, especially with there not being a shelter here in the area,” Villareal said.

“We want to make sure that they’re going to have at least some blankets, some socks, some shirts. When all that stuff gets wet, maybe some heating packets.”

Among the most affected are the seniors, who live on a limited income.

“The elderly are being hit hard,” said Penny Greenlee, of Highpoint of Kankakee, which is located next to Interstate 57 on East Court Street.

“They don’t know where they can turn to. We can help them. We can work with them and get help with Medicaid. We’re trying to educate the community. They don’t have to be on the streets.”

Greenlee said she came back to her hometown of Kankakee seven years ago to help those who need assistance but might not know where to go.

“I’m seeing the senior crisis in our community. There’s a lack of housing, funding is being cut, and there is a lack of programming,” she said.

“I know the name sounds a little bit like maybe we only assist Hispanic people, but we don’t. We assist anybody,” said Carol Vazquez with the Spanish Community Center.

“We help out families or individuals. We see how we can assist them. We have emergency funding and it’s case by case, but maybe we can help out individuals that are in need.

“Or let’s say someone comes in and they need help finding a job or housing, or they need to get a resume. Things like that, we can definitely provide.”

They also provide legal assistance, like if someone needs help in court with divorce, child custody or visitation, Vazquez said.

Still I Rise has been helping those in need for the past 11 years, Founder/Executive Director Tocarra Eldridge-Robinson said.

She said she has noticed homelessness is becoming more of a problem in Kankakee County.

“There is much more need than when we first began.”

Still I Rise is geared towards educating and empowering youth, she said.

“We have a multitude of programs. We have financial literacy, health and wellness, and youth entrepreneurship,” Eldridge-Robinson said.

“We have recently partnered with the Salvation Army. Every other Thursday, we give away new household and clothing items. We feed the homeless and those in need on a regular basis also.”

There were also representatives from Cornerstone, the Kankakee County State’s Attorney’s Office, Community Health Partnership of Illinois and Harbor House.