Below is a 2nd update from our Executive Director, Andy King concerning the Coronavirus.
Ways to partner with Dream Center Peoria at this time.
The Homeless shelter
Help us feed our homeless guest’s. $250 feeds 100 of our homeless guests each night with a hot dinner. If you or a group want to help with this need, please contact benny.little@dreamcenterpeoria.org who will coordinate dates, times and a choice of restaurant that we will purchase from. Our aim is to use locally owned restaurants that may be struggling at this time.
How to purchase meals:
Contact Benny Little, our food director at benny.little@dreamcenterpeoria.org for dates/times and suggestions
DCP can order it or individuals/groups can order it
DCP can pick up from restaurant or individuals/ group can pick up and deliver to our welcome area of our housing entrance (At this time we can not allow volunteers or groups to help serve the food) All of this will be coordinated with Benny Little
Food can be purchased direct to a restaurant or DCP can purchase the food. Food can be paid for on our give page
$610 is what it costs to run our Homeless shelter each day (after grants we receive)
Family Needs:
30 gift baskets with that will be given out weekly to our after school program families. These are families we work with year round.
20 gift baskets for all the residents who live in Dream Center Peoria in the Village apartments. These are families we work with year round.
Sample list of items:
Macaroni & Cheese/Shells & Cheese
Canned Beef Stew
Canned Ravioli/Spaghetti
Ramen Noodles
Rice-a Roni
Canned Chili with a Box of Macaroni
Tuna Helper with Cans of Tuna
Canned Ham/Turkey/Chicken
Mayonnaise
Crackers
Canned or Packaged Soups
Canned Chicken & Dumplings
Hormel Completes or Campbell’s Ready Meals
Canned vegetables
Peanut butter
Non perishable items.
Toiletries:
Shampoo
Conditioner
Lotion
Female Hygiene Products
Toothbrush & Toothpaste
Disinfectant Wipes
Toilet Paper
Students who need help:
We will have students that still need to carry on with online learning as school is out. Many of our students do not have computers at home and they would normally go to libraries to do online learning.
To better serve these students , we are looking 16 new Chromebooks that will be located as follows:
8 in the Homeless shelter
8 in the after school area
$2000 will help us purchase these Chromebooks.
UPDATE: The Chromebook need has been met! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!
Amazon list:
We have put together a list of items on our amazon page that will help us in all sorts of ways to better serve the community and the programs we have running. On that page we have items in bulk (shampoos, toothpaste etc) and items that we use in many of our ministries during this time. This list will be updated ongoing.
Amazon page - http://a.co/49DjHWJ
Any financial gift helps. As you can imagine, to run the Dream Center has many costs associated with it. It cost’s $3300 (after grants) a day to keep the Dream Center operating. Thank you for your generosity
click here for DCP GIVE PAGE
How Does Coronavirus effects us?
As you can imagine, things are changing rapidly, so we wanted to update the public with regards to Dream Center Peoria.
⁃Dream Center Peoria will cancel all programming for the foreseeable future except for The Shelter/ Village/ Project 309
⁃The Homeless Shelter and Village apartments will remain open 24/7, with staff alongside to help during this time.
⁃Project 309 (our after school program) leaders will visit with families of students who are in high risk of not having anyone at home or no meals, and we will see how we can serve them. We will go to them, unless a very small group of kids need to come to DCP. In that case, DCP will provide lunches and an afternoon of activities from noon to 4pm. This is not open to the public. This is a way to help our students who are already very well connected to us.
⁃ALL Bible studies, craft times, community groups, and small groups will be closed until further notice.
⁃The Housing entrance on Glendale will be the ONLY entrance into the building.
⁃The Hope Store is currently receiving ONLY the following items as donations: Pots, pans, silverware, kitchen utensils, plates, bowls, cups, hygiene products, and kitchen cleaning supplies. We are still NOT receiving any clothing donations. Those items can be dropped off at the Dream Center Peoria Hope Store donation doors, just off of our main parking lot, ONLY on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9am - 12pm.
⁃Information will be released on July 1st on when the Hope Store will reopen to the public for shopping.
⁃We will inform all DCP volunteers who regularly come in (Hope Store, etc…) that until further notice, we will pause the volunteering services that they provide. We love our volunteers and this is tough to not see them each day, but we want to protect them as best as we can.
⁃DCP offices will be closed to the public until further notice.
⁃Dream Center Peoria office phones will be manned during office hours. We highly recommend dialing 2-1-1 for the most up to date information on resources in the area. Thank you HOI United Way for providing this amazing service.
⁃All DCP employees will maintain hours, (either by working from home or working in safe areas at DCP), and will not be hurt financially.
⁃We will continue to keep you updated as new information becomes available.
Tuesday, March 17th, we will have a list of ways that you and the community can help step in the gap during this time for Dream Center Peoria and all the people we serve in this great city of Peoria.
