BY KATLYN SMITH, THE DAILY HERALD Bob "Doc" Adams thinks about the "little miracles" he's seen inside a Wheaton home that's become a sanctuary for veterans. The men who live there are fighting mental health and substance abuse problems. Their house, across from a church, is cozy and patriotic. But mostly it's a place where veterans can begin to heal. "Lots of miracles are involved in this place," Adams says of the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans. The two-story house, named after a Wheaton teen killed in Iraq, opened in 2007. Adams' own life is something of a miracle. He returned home from Vietnam on a "downward spiral." He struggled with alcohol and broken relationships. But the therapy he received and the mentors who helped him stay the course inspired him to devote his life to helping other veterans. "We don't leave anyone behind," says Adams, invoking a motto of the Marines Corps. Vietnam Adams grew up on Chicago's South Side and had few prospects after high school. His friend wanted him to join the Navy. "The worst thing that happens if you go to Vietnam is you'll be offshore aboard a ship," he thought. It proved to be an "error in judgment." Adams trained as a Navy corpsman who would be embedded with the Marines. Born blind in his left eye, he passed his physical after claiming to read the big letter "E" on an exam chart. In early 1968, Adams arrived in Vietnam around the time the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese launched the Tet offensive. He was the first to treat the critically wounded in the field, trying to keep
"Lots of miracles are involved in this place," says Bob Adams, MSHV co-founder, outside the Marine LCpl. Nicholas Larson Home. PHOTO: MARK BLACK, DAILY HERALD them alive until they could reach a al stuff." medical battalion or hospital. Ticket sales from the play's debut at A "I got to serve with the finest men I've Red Orchid Theater in Chicago provided some of the startup funds for the shelever known," he says. But Adams would be haunted by the ter he co-founded in Wheaton with Dirk losses. One injured civilian, a little girl, Enger, a Gulf War veteran. was brought to his unit by her mother Most vets stay there six to eight and grandmother. Adams learned she months. They meet with a therapist at least once a week and work with case later died. managers who help them monitor their He returned home in 1969 and would savings. They also receive job training not get sober until about 16 years on the path toward self-sufficiency. later. About 80 percent successfully finish "Things were coming undone, and I the program, Adams says. The nonprofhad terrible rage, and I didn't understand that was a part of post-traumatic it also offers permanent housing, services for families and a thrift store for stress disorder," he says. low-income vets. An opportunity "All we can give you is an opportunity Therapy helped him cope. A World War and provide all the resources that you II veteran helped him stay sober. And might need to take that opportunity," writing an autobiographical play in Adams says. "Whether you take it or September 1999 helped him look back not, eventually is up to you." on Vietnam. Adams called the show Up to five men live in the Marine LCpl. "Place of Angels," the translation of the Nicholas Larson Home, staffed roundVietnamese name for his Marine base, the-clock. The residents take turns Con Thien. cooking dinner and cleaning house. "It took me about two weeks," he says. "It just poured out of me, very emotion- (continued on Page 3)
BOARD OF DIRECTORS TOM FOGERTY PRESIDENT
RANDALL YTTERBERG VICE PRESIDENT
MICHAEL CAHILL SECTRETARY
DAVID MAINES TREASURER
TERRY BENSHOOF MARVIN DONELSON RICK ERICKSON JACK ERWIN PAUL HERBERT BOBBY KAYE JACK MATOSIAN LINDA RUSSELL JUSTIN SMIT MICHAEL SULLIVAN JOHN WILT SCOTT ZIEMBA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JANE TYSCHENKO DIRECTOR-PROGRAMS CHRISTINE MADSEN DIR.-DEVELOPMENT YVONNE MACDONALDHAMES DIRECTOR-FINANCE JESSICA SPITZER NEWSLETTER EDITOR JACK MATOSIAN
A Message From The Executive Director
A Message From The Board President
Greetings from the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans. I hope you are enjoying your summer and that this letter finds you doing well. This has been an exciting year, as together we are tackling the enormous challenge of ending veteran homelessness.
I think of the Midwest Shelter as a magnificent structure for two reasons, one literal and one figurative. First, the Shelter has provided a literal home, literal structures, to hundreds of veterans over the past 10 years – in the Larson Home, the Miller Home, Tammy’s Trace, and the scattered sites of Freedom Harbour. Second, the Shelter, as an organization, provides a figurative home that will continue to dedicate itself to the problem of veteran homelessness, until there is no veteran left behind. Nationwide, there are over a million veterans considered at risk for homelessness, stemming from substandard housing, poverty, and lack of help from family or social support networks. To bring the numbers closer to home, in Chicagoland, approximately 1,000 veterans are homeless on any given night. Homelessness, for those who went to the front lines to save lives and protect the freedoms that you and I enjoy every single day, is unacceptable. We must continue to approach our mission with what author Jim Collins calls “piercing clarity” - to continue to produce the kind of powerful results that our co-founder, Bob Adams, produced over the last 10 years. Collins, in his brilliant 2001 book Good to Great, outlined the three elements of excellent organizations – passion, talent, and an economic engine. Our staff and board have the passion and talent. We rely on wonderful donors like you to provide the economic engine – the fuel to keep it all going. Finally, whenever you begin to wonder what you will be remembered for, remind yourself that your donation to the Midwest Shelter can be the answer to at least three questions: Is it because it's part of your identity or that of someone in your family? Is it to do unto others as you would have them do unto you? Is it to leave a legacy or a footprint in the world? There are many creative ways to donate – some during lifetime, and some on a testamentary basis. If you would like to discuss these strategies in more detail, please call Yvonne MacDonald-Hames, our Director of Development, at 630-871-VETS (8387) or send her an email at
[email protected].
But what exactly does an end to veteran homelessness look like? Is it enough for a community to offer immediate shelter to any veteran experiencing homelessness who wants it, or to get veterans into housing as quickly as possible? Does it mean helping veterans achieve long-term stability through placement into permanent supportive housing, or does it mean rethinking the type and duration of services provided? Does it mean digging in deeper to ensure that each community has a comprehensive, systemic response mechanism in place for when a veteran does become homeless, or does it mean that the number of veterans moving into permanent housing is greater than the number of veterans entering homelessness? The short answer is yes, to all of these things. No one individual or organization alone can accomplish this enormous task. It is through the power of many that we find solutions to bring a brighter tomorrow to veterans in need. Our donors, volunteers, board and staff are inspirational in this regard. I am grateful to be a part of these selfless acts of compassion and philanthropy through which we help bring an end to veteran homelessness, one veteran at a time. Through your generous giving and gifts of time and talent, all of you have helped to make this organization what it is today. If you have not already done so, please join us in making our vision to leave no veteran behind a reality. On behalf of our current and future veterans, thank you! Jane Tyschenko, MSHV Executive Director
Go Beyond Barrington (GBB), a non-profit philanthropic organization comprising 41 students from Barrington High School, raised $16,000 for the Midwest Shelter. This enterprising and compassionate group of students did not stop there however. They creatively used their donation to secure matching funding from the Greer Foundation, making the total combined gift to MSHV a whopping $21,675. The group held a variety of events, designed to not only raise funds for MSHV, but to also raise awareness of veteran homelessness. They held car washes, set up stands at local grocery stores, sent out donor letters, sold tshirts, hosted a school-wide scavenger hunt and Olympic-themed games, sold pizzas and more. “We are extremely grateful for the generosity displayed by Go Beyond Barrington,” said Jane Tyschenko, MSHV Executive Director. “Not
Tom Fogerty, MSHV Board President
Founded in 2011 to help those people affected by the tornadoes that devastated the Joplin, Missouri area, GBB has raised more than $75,000 to improve and empower communities in need. Led by students of the Barrington community, each year GBB selects a different beneficiary partner, after studying the organization’s history and values. The GBB board also looks for charities for which the partnership would make the greatest impact.
only did these students make a generous donation to the Shelter, their tireless volunteer efforts over the last nine months assisted our organization and raised awareness for our mission of restoring veterans and their families to self-sufficiency.”
“When the board proposed the idea of raising funds for MSHV last year, we felt this was a perfect fit,” said Sophie Harwood, a GBB board member. “We instantly fell in love with them and we connected with the Shelter’s mission of empowering homeless veterans. We admired their proven track record and passion for helping those in need.”
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Wheaton, Illinois (CNN) As a medic with the U.S. Marines, Bob Adams put his life on the line for his men in some of the most intense battles of the Vietnam War. After returning home, he faced another devastating fight. "The war followed me home," Adams said. "I began to drink more heavily and use drugs. And that would help sometimes with what I didn't know I had, which was post-traumatic stress." Adams struggled for more than a decade -- enduring a stretch of homelessness -- before he got sober in 1985. By the mid-90s, he was a clinical social worker specializing in PTSD. He started feeding the homeless in Chicago and realized that many of the people on the streets were veterans.
Adams said. It's a formula that works. Adams says that about 80% of their veterans complete the program and rebuild their lives. In January, Adams stepped down from his leadership role with the nonprofit, but he still visits two to three times a week. His devotion to this work runs deep. "My Marines were my Marines. And these men who come through this house are my veterans," he said. "We don't leave anyone behind."
People don't sit around here all day, and that's a good thing. Every bit of it is done to get them moving forward in their lives. And it works. To watch people begin to change, to feel cared about, is beyond measure for me. CNN: Your nonprofit has expanded a lot over the last decade. Adams: We now have two affordable housing homes, one for male veterans and one for female veterans. We also have permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless veterans and services that help veteran families either stay in their housing or be rapidly rehoused. And we have a free store where veterans can get clothing, household items and furniture. CNN: In addition to the veterans on your staff, former residents also volunteer and drop by to visit.
"I began to see signs: 'Vietnam veteran. Will work for food,' " Adams said. "It was pretty clear that something had gone very, very wrong."
Adams: One of the mottos of this place could've been "veterans helping veterans," 'cause that's truly what this has been. You get on your feet and then reach back to the people struggling behind you, to help them come along.
"Marines do not leave anyone behind. ... To see that code being broken shocked me into action." Adams developed a plan to help, and his efforts gained momentum in 2004 when he met Dirk Enger, a U.S. Marine and Gulf War veteran who shared his passion. In 2007, they opened the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans in a clapboard, single-family home that accommodated five veterans.
CNN's Kathleen Toner spoke with Adams about his work. Below is an edited version of their conversation.
Today, the nonprofit provides nearly 400 veterans a year with free assistance, including housing and counseling.
CNN: Some veterans have said your transitional housing program is similar to basic training. Is that intentional?
The group's transitional housing program helps veterans for up to two years. Residents do chores, attend 12-step classes and spend four hours a day seeking employment or acquiring job skills. The five residents become a squad of sorts.
Bob Adams: That is the idea. All residents work with a case manager and a therapist, but because everybody has been through basic training, including yours truly, I demand a high degree of discipline. Up at 6:30 in the morning, do your hygiene, get something to eat, do your chores, get to work at 9:00. If you don't have a job, you're on the computer, looking for something.
Adams: I couldn't sleep at night if that were happening and I wasn't trying to do something about it. One of the great things about all that I've been through is that I can bring that (experience) to them. All of my troubles I get to transform into a way to help people, to change their lives. And that's about as good as it gets for me.
residents at the shelter. Before he died from a brain aneurysm, his mother sent Adams a letter.
“Thank you for giving us back our son and our brother," she wrote.
"We want them to take pride in their time in the military and remember what that was like,"
"We help them to remember that they were once in the United States military," Adams says. "They understand the idea of a unit. They understand the idea of pulling together to get a job done." Flags and military insignia decorate the house. Pictures of a 108-pound Adams in Vietnam are in the living room. "Some have talked to me about feeling like they let their service down. They let their buddies down for falling so far. That's not true," says Adams, who has a master's degree in social work and a private practice in Lombard that serves veterans, police officers and firefighters. "Things happen. I don't make value judgments on that kind of thing." He also didn't judge a Navy veteran, who got sober and became one of the most beloved
No one can say the things that need to be said quite like someone who's been there. The idea that these veterans want to be of service -- is there a better legacy than that for an old guy like me? I don't think so. CNN: You've gone through so much, both during and after the Vietnam War. Is it ever difficult to see people struggling with these same issues?
Courtesy of CNN
Adams sees another miracle in the man's "short and happy life." "He had found his way out of the torture of alcoholism, and he reconnected with his family," he says. Adams still keeps a small office on the home's second floor. But he now visits the house once or twice a week because he has stepped down from the nonprofit's board of directors and as clinical director. "There's no way this can operate without all of God's grace and a lot of wonderful people who help us," he says.
BY HARRY HITZEMAN, THE DAILY HERALD Two fallen warriors from Wheaton -- Marine Lance Cpl. Nicholas Larson and Army Staff Sgt. Robert J. Miller -- were recognized with inaugural honorary street signs in Wheaton. "Two great warriors. God bless them," said Bob "Doc" Adams, co-founder of Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans, who asked the city in 2016 to begin a street sign program. "A life given in service of one's country is one that never ends, that never dies. We honor their sacrifice." The Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans has named two homes in Wheaton after Miller and Larson, who graduated from Wheaton North High School in 2002 and 2003, respectively. Veterans and supporters gathered at the Midwest Shelter's LCpl. Nicholas Larson Home for Veterans, 119 N. West St., before heading down the block for the unveiling of Larson's sign at the southwest corner of Front and West streets. Miller's sign is at the southwest corner of West and Wesley streets. Miller was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military award for valor, for his actions on Jan. 25, 2008, in Afghanistan when he sacrificed his own life to save the lives of his unit and 15 Afghanistan National Army soldiers. Larson was killed in November 2004 during the assault on Fallujah, Iraq.
Army Staff Sgt. Robert J. Miller, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, was recognized with an honorary street sign at West and Wesley streets in Wheaton. PHOTO: HARRY HITZEMAN, DAILY HERALD Dave Larson said he and his wife, Anne, were humbled and honored by the city and shelter's recognition of their son. Dave Larson recalled years ago when his son wanted to become a Navy SEAL and had a poster on his door with names of fallen SEALS. Now, Nicholas Larson's name is memorialized in many places. "It's kind of sad, but I'm honored," said Dave Larson, a Vietnam veteran.
MSHV board member Bobby Kaye, a veteran and Miller's best friend, said he could not have envisioned the honor in Miller's name a decade ago. "I felt Rob protected me and protected us," Kaye said, adding that Miller's parents, Phil and Maureen, who live in Florida, were extremely thankful and grateful. "You cannot remove a street from a city. His name will be forever planted here."
During the group’s time with MSHV, the students conducted a variety of volunteer projects to benefit the Shelter. GBB members stocked shelves in MSHV’s Freedom Commissary free thrift store, did some spring cleaning at the MSHV headquarters building, tidied up the lawn and patio at the Larson home, and organized the flow of donations at the Miller home. One of their more memorable events was cooking dinner for the residents at the Larson home. “We were able to create connections with those veterans who would directly benefit from our donation,” said Sophie. “We were pleasantly surprised by the amount of appreciation we received from the organization, she added. “Not only from the residents we met during our volunteer projects, but also from the MSHV staff and board members. We especially enjoyed being part of MSHV’s 10th Anniversary Gala, where we were recognized as a platinum-level sponsor.” Finally, Sophie had this to say to other young people who may want to follow in GBB’s footsteps: “I think that there is a lot to be said about the ripple effect. When it comes to making a difference and raising more aware-
Members of Go Beyond Barrington, which helped raise $21,675 for the Midwest Shelter, attended MSHV’s 10-Year Anniversary Gala on April 30. PHOTO COURTESY OF GO BEYOND BARRINGTON ness…it is all about spreading the word. “Before you know it, a chain reaction will occur and more people than you thought you’d be able to reach will be talking about it. Sometimes, the momentum of success is propelled by the magnitude and size of what is behind it. If the driving force behind
a cause is powerful enough, there is nothing that can get in the way of a life changing difference. Remember, a passionate, young individual can do anything that they set their mind to, as long as they first believe in themselves.” The Midwest Shelter could not agree more.
BY KEVIN DRULEY - KANE COUNTY CHRONICLE Cries of support resounded above banter and heavy workout music at any given interval at CrossFit Tri-Cities on May 27. A commitment to community and country differentiated the bursts of "Come on, Heather" and "Good job, Eric" from other Saturdays at the gym, located at 761 N. 17th St., Unit 29, in St. Charles. Completing 100-pull ups, 200 push-ups and 300 squats between separate one-mile runs constitutes a “Murph” Cross Fit workout, a tribute to a fallen former Navy SEAL who enjoyed testing himself so gruelingly. Similar "Murph" events take place across the country. At noon in St. Charles, 11 men and women with military service or first responder backgrounds embarked on a “Murph” for Rob Miller, a late U.S. Army staff sergeant from Wheaton who died in combat in Afghanistan in 2008 and posthumously received a Congressional Medal of Honor. The 10th annual “Murph for Miller” featured heats for all ability levels and helped raise $15,000 to benefit the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans in Wheaton, as participants donated a $50 registration fee, in addition to their sweat and strain. “Absolutely wiped out and exhausted, but – at the same rate – you know, 20 minutes later, you’re breathing normal; your mind is clear,” local event brainchild Bobby Kaye said. “And, you’ve got to understand, too … there’s a couple [people] ... that aren’t with us anymore that can’t come back and be with us. So, it’s a small percentage of your year to do something in memory of them that really makes a difference.” A 34-year-old St. Charles resident, Kaye coaches at adjacent St. Charles Gymnastics Academy and served in the Army from 2002 to 2007. He was a close friend and gymnastics teammate with Miller at Wheaton North High School in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Although Kaye and Miller’s deployments didn’t overlap, their life connections and experiences often did. That bond launched the inaugural, morale-boosting “Murph for Miller” just months after Miller died during Operation Enduring Freedom. The first event included 25 competitors in a mutual friend’s Batavia garage; the most recent incarnation featured more than 100 athletes – and their cheering sections – in CrossFit’s spacious property for “Murph” heats held on May 26 and May 27.
Alyson and Jose Favela from Wadsworth run one mile on May 27 at CrossFit Tri-Cities during the 10th annual Murph for Miller in St. Charles. PHOTO: KAREN NAESS FOR SHAW MEDIA A DJ and various vendors augmented the atmosphere, which only offered seclusion if athletes separated themselves during the runs around the perimeter of the building. Two times around equaled one mile. Those completing a half “Murph” traversed the perimeter once.
from California and Oregon.
Andrew Pollock, 30, a military veteran and Marmion graduate from St. Charles, purchased the gym in 2015.
“We were introduced and I counted for him, and we told him good job and he hugged me afterward, and he was all sweaty,” said Melissa Schimer, a 2017 event coordinator. “He said, ‘I’m going to hug you anyways.’“
An increased organizational role kept Pollock from completing the “Murph” in weighted military gear as Kaye and others did, but he still could attest to the challenge in shorts and a Tshirt after fulfilling his heat earlier in the day. Pollock said most competitors aim for finishing times between 50 and 60 minutes. “It’s so much harder with the boots and the vest and the uniform,” Pollock said. “You’re just so hot the whole time.” Kaye said organizers are optimistic about continuing to grow “Murph for Miller,” and are aiming to recruit enough veterans or active military to fill two “Hero Heats” of 25 members apiece to benefit the shelter. A number of participants traveled from out of state for the Memorial Day weekend event, including some
Sometimes, the “Murph for Miller” nets more than athletic and patriotic achievement. Melissa Schimer of Elburn met her husband, Kevin, while counting calisthenics for him during the 2014 “Hero Heat.”
Kaye played matchmaker for the couple; he knew Melissa Schimer through the gym and Kevin Schimer from the military. Bringing people together for a cause seemingly comes second-nature to him. “We want to stay local, but we want to go military due to the fact that it’s Memorial [Day] weekend,” Kaye said of the shelter. “It’s a veteran organization run by veterans and it’s owned by veterans, so what better way to do it than that?”
Support the Midwest Shelter’s mission of helping homeless and at-risk veterans regain the self-sufficiency they have earned through their service to our nation. Donate or volunteer today.
The Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans is hosting its 12th Annual Golf Outing and Texas BBQ on Friday, Sept. 29 at Bloomingdale Golf Club in Bloomingdale. Tee-off time is at 9:00 a.m. “We thank our golfers and sponsors for their support of the Midwest Shelter’s programs by participating in this fun event,” said Jane Tyschenko, MSHV Executive Director. “Since its inception in 2006, the MSHV golf outing has raised more than $280,000 to further our mission of providing housing and supportive services to homeless and at-risk veterans and their families.” Golfers can register via the MSHV website www.helpaveteran.org. Fees are $150 per golfer or $550 per foursome, which includes 18 holes of golf and a BBQ meal. Play is limited to the first 144 paid golfers, so please register early. The registration deadline is Sept. 19. Sponsorship opportunities are also available, For more information please visit the MSHV website or contact MSHV’s Lynne Rowe at 630-871-VETS (8387), ext. 613 or via email at
[email protected].
Join the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans on Friday, Sept. 29 when it hosts its 12th Annual Golf Outing & Texas BBQ at beautiful Bloomingdale Golf Club. Tee-off time is at 9:00 a.m. To register, visit the MSHV website www.helpaveteran.org. PHOTO COURTESY OF BLOOMINGDALE GOLF CLUB
