Heights Pastor Looks to Bring Christmas to a Church Full of Homeless Children

The Rev. Scott Reese has spent more than 30 years of his life helping people without money or homes. This year, he hopes to make Christmas a whole lot better for a thousand kids.

It's been a tough year. Christ Cares ministry lost a Christmas dinner sponsorship, thanks to economic difficulties, and the program's director, the Rev. Scott Reese, has been dealing with some health issues..  But Reese is not new to challenges. A challenge started his ministry. "As a 13-year-old, I began sharing my faith," says Reese. "I began spending my Saturdays going with other teenagers to some rough parts of Chicago. One of the first times we went, I went up to an older teenage boy and asked him if he were to die right now, would he be sure he would go to Heaven? "The gang leader reached in his pocket, pulled out a switchblade and told me, 'Nope. If you were to die, do you know for sure you'd go to Heaven?' gratefully he began …

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PatchCast: A Daily Video Report

Daily PatchCast: Homeless In The Suburbs, Abuse At School

A daily video recap of the Southland's top stories

Homeless in Oak Lawn Palos Hills Police Investigating Student Sex Abuse at Stagg High School Which 'Burb is the Best? Oak Forest Needs You, Patch Fans! Is Frankfort Ready for the Big Dance? A Local Radio Station Thinks So in its Online Bracket H-F Fencing Club "En Garde" for 10 Years Running

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New PADS Shelter Opens in Downtown Chicago Heights

Greater Faith Baptist Church will be a Monday night shelter for the homeless for the rest the next two months.

Public Action to Deliver Shelter has added a sixth Chicago Heights church to its list of overnight shelters available from Oct. 1 to April 30. Greater Faith Baptist Church opened its doors to the homeless Monday night in a grand opening that site manager Wendell Mosby said has been a long time coming. "It just seemed like a natural marriage that needed to happen," Mosby said. "We have quite a big community feeding here. Last year we fed almost 13,000 people. Doing the PADS emergency overnight shelter was just a natural progression from doing two days of feeding and a produce mobile." The shelter is for men only and will be available to house up to 30 men every Monday night from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. until April 25. Mosby said the most difficult…

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5 Great Nonprofits Making a Difference: Patch Picks

This week we look at the most helpful nonprofit organizations in the area.

It takes an extra bit of effort to commit to helping others without any monetary gain. You are essentially sacrificing your time and sometimes money for strictly humanitarian purposes. There are plenty of organizations that make that sacrifice every day, particularly in and around Chicago Heights. This week we look at some of the helpful organizations constantly working to improve the lives of others. This is by no means everyone making a difference. This isn't even meant to highlight the "best" organizations. We just want to point out a few great groups that are doing something positive. Patch Picks: Notable nonprofits in the Heights and Olympia Fields ●         Aunt Martha's Youth Service Center - There are two Aunt Martha's centers in …

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Police: Overdose at Church an Aberration For Local Homeless Nonprofit

Police say the drug overdose at Sacred Heart Church was an unusual occurrence.

Palos Hills police responded to a reported drug overdose around 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 7, and it was the location of the incident that proved a bit unusual. A man was found lying on the floor of a bathroom at Sacred Heart Church, 8245 W. 111th St. in Palos Hills, with a syringe and needle beside him, police said. The man was rushed to Palos Community Hospital where he was treated. No charges were filed because no drugs were found on the scene, Deputy Police Chief James Boie said. Only a needle and empty syringe were present. The man was at the church as part of a PADS program where area homeless are given a hot meal Friday night, a place to sleep and a light breakfast the next morning.  Sacred Heart has been participating in the program for …

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