Carol Stream Church Opens Doors To Homeless On Christmas

CAROL STREAM, IL — A Carol Stream church is offering some Christmas cheer to the area's homeless by providing a Christmas party and dinner as well as some much needed items, according to a press release from the church.

The Our Savior Lutheran Church will open their doors to the homeless on Christmas day at 9 a.m. and stay open until 3:30 p.m. "For members of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Carol Stream, it's a day to 'walk-the-talk,'" the press release says.

“Libraries and shopping malls are closed on Christmas. So we open our doors," said event organizer Dale Hanlon. The event is held in the church gym.

They'll welcome about 40 homeless guests, who are pre-screened, with 25 to 30 church members doing the work. They will sing Christmas carols, provide comfort dogs from Lutheran Church Charities, and a full Christmas turkey dinner with "all the trimmings." Carol Stream’s Mapleberry Restaurant is donating salad and Italian meatballs.

It's not just Christmas day when they provide for the area's homeless. The church serves as a Public Action to Deliver Shelter (PADS) location, offering up their church every Wednesday night to the needy homeless. In the past year, they've provided 127,248 meals and shelter to 1,233 veterans, kids and adults. They're fed dinner and breakfast as well as a bagged lunch when they walk out the door at 7 a.m.

The homeless attending their Christmas party won't walk away empty handed this time, either. Every guest will get socks, thermal underwear, winter coats, gloves, hats, other winter clothing as well as a gift card for gas or food.

“For the past six years, we’ve opened our doors to the homeless on Christmas Day,” said Rev. Andrew Koschmann, Senior Pastor at Our Savior Lutheran Church.

“Our church members readily volunteer to work two-hour shifts,” said Hanlon. “After all, this is the ultimate spirit of Christmas.” The church is at 1244 W. Army Trail Rd. in Carol Stream.

Article image via Google Maps screen grab