BLOG ARCHIVE | Hesed House Donation
If you’re in the material handling industry, you’ve probably seen some pretty clever uses of wire products. Believe it or not, sometimes its uses can be just clever enough to change someone’s life.
Hesed House is the second largest homeless shelter in Illinois, working to better the lives of homeless people of all ages. The organization was founded in the 80’s and has since grown into something so powerful, they welcome in an average of 17 new faces during any given week. In fact, it is not uncommon to see a line of people form outside the door each night just waiting to get in. Inside, they provide things such as food, shelter, a variety of legal assistance, and even professional counseling for those struggling with mental health issues or substance abuse.
Given those details, it’s no secret that Hesed House is a big place making an even bigger difference in the community. However, this place fills up fast and having as much space as possible is perhaps one of the most valuable factors in their equation of success. Boy scout Kyle Thompson, of Troop 265, considered their need for space optimization when choosing his Eagle Scout project. He sought to find a better solution for the shelter’s serious storage needs- and that is when he found Worldwide Material Handling.
Worldwide, being a family founded company with a history of helping others where they can, was happy to step in and help with such an important project. Kyle worked with some of our Worldwide staff members to calculate the best design option for the shelter's needs and for his vision.
With the donated pallet rack and wire deck, Hesed House was able to build a 32-foot-long shelving unit, complete with multiple levels of storage space. Thanks to the new set up, they were able to efficiently store couches, mattresses, dishes, and a multitude of other donated goods that are given to residents as they transition from shelter life to life on their own. With this new organization and space, the shelter will be able to collect more donations than before, or perhaps even use that freed space for something else entirely!
We’d like to chalk this one up to a good idea, a determined vision, some dedicated individuals, and some finely engineered pieces of steel.
A special thank you to Kyle Thompson and all the volunteers who made this possible for the Hesed House. We are thankful to have been involved in such a unique and wonderful project.
We wish you all the best!
