Willis Dady Homeless Services

Willis Dady Homeless Services opened our doors to men experiencing homelessness in Linn County in 1987. With the support of our community and partners like Lil’ Drug Store Products and the DeWolf Family, we now provide shelter to over 25 single men, 10 veterans, and 6 families every night. We also support those near homelessness with prevention services to help them remain housed, have a growing employment program to help those unemployed or underemployed gain skills and income, provide street outreach and care for those living on the streets, support rapidly re-housing clients who find themselves without a home, and supportive housing for those who need additional care in overcoming their barriers.

When our Emergency Shelter needed renovation, Chris and Suzy DeWolf and Lil’ Drug Store Products answered the call. One of our family living rooms is named in honor of their generosity and since our renovations were completed in 2019, we have been able to support 64 families move from homelessness to housed. Many of those families had a comfortable living room for their children to play and had a safe place to sleep because of the DeWolf family and Lil’ Drug Store.

Since expanding our shelter, our communities’ needs have grown, and so has the support from the DeWolf Family and Lil Drug Store. Just this last year we provided 29,588 nights of shelter to individuals and families experiencing homelessness. In 2020, Lil’ Drug Store helped support the operation and case management of our employment program which created 127 employment opportunities, our prevention program which supported 712 individuals and provided $86,174 of rental assistance throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and our supportive housing program which empowered 24 individuals who have experienced persistent homelessness remain housed.

Without the support of Lil’ Drug Store Products and Chris and Suzy DeWolf, Willis Dady Homeless Services and our staff would not be able help empower our clients to end their cycle of homelessness and become self-sufficient.

Matthew Sanford
Development Data and Grants Specialist
Willis Dady Homeless Services
www.willisdady.org

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