Crisis Center Families Moved During Coronavirus Crisis

TINLEY PARK, IL — The Crisis Center for South Suburbia was able to move 13 families out of their emergency shelter amid the coronavirus pandemic. The families were moved from the Tinley Park shelter to new apartments and hotels, a news release from the Crisis Center said. The apartments that are being used were already a part of the Crisis Center programs.

The move was made to ensure the families, victims of domestic violence, could better practice social distancing during the pandemic, the shelter said. At the shelter, while families have their own bedrooms they share common areas such as the kitchen, bathrooms, living room and a playroom.

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The moves were made so the families could "better maintain their own health" while continuing to shelter in place as Gov. J.B. Pritzker ordered.

“The Crisis Center staff worked tirelessly to secure housing, negotiate with landlords, set-up utilities, collect and organize donations and get our families moved,” Pam Kostecki, executive director of the Crisis Center, said. “There were lots of moving pieces and it all happened over the course of five days.”

Never before in the shelter's 41-year history has the organization had to quickly move as many people from the shelter, they said.