From Richard Schickel,
Milton Precinct Committeeman
 
 The State of Glen Ellyn-Wheaton April 2005
 

It's looking like the greed and mean-spiritedness so prevalent in Washington are filtering down to my home towns of Glen Ellyn and Wheaton.  In the last 3 months, I have seen four adults eating out of the garbage containers at Trader Joe's in Glen Ellyn, which is just three stores down from the new Mid-America Bank that has already had an armed robbery.  This location is only 2 blocks from US Bank, which recently had an armed robbery in its drive-up facility.

Across Roosevelt Road, an older motel houses a good number of families that have lost their homes and apartments.  Most of them have someone still working, but they are now living week to week in the motel because they cannot find or afford more affordable housing.

Two miles west on Roosevelt Road, I witnessed an eviction of a family from its residence.  I wondered where the priests and ministers and social workers were that day.  No one was helping these people who were arguing with the Sheriff, who had thrown their household goods on the front lawn, before being chased away.

For some time now I have observed homeless veterans, the destitute, the mentally ill, and others suffering from addictions faithfully going from one PADS shelter to another every day of the week, sometimes with children in tow.  These people go past our schools, see our pricey homes, eat in our fast food restaurants, and hang out at our parks and libraries or panhandle in Downtown Glen Ellyn.  Some of them are working poor, who can't make that last step back to a more normal existence.

  Last year, I was registering new voters and found myself in a large apartment complex north of Roosevelt Road where there were many non-native Americans living in poverty with way too many persons living in each apartment.  Almost none were citizens and were ineligible to vote.  They only suffer under the policies of the people that controls the country now.

 I can't help but think "There but for the Grace of God, go I."  Many of us are only a step away from an illness, an accident, or a job loss that would put us in comparable straits.  I am ashamed at the way we treat those less fortunate than we are. I pray for solutions and work for change, but we need to see things more clearly and have compassion.  One change that might make a difference is for DuPage County and its various governmental bodies to finally have two-party government so other voices could be heard; that they endorse Habitat for Humanity projects over teardowns, that they stop thinking about "What Would Jesus Do"?  WWJD and actually go out into the streets and do What Jesus Did.

Richard M. Schickel 236 S. Ellyn Ave. Glen Ellyn, IL   60137  
630-469-2605