DAP operates in-person the 1st and 3rd Thursday’s of the month from 12 noon – 3:00 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church, 1300 Kishwaukee Valley Road, Woodstock, IL
The Direct Assistance Program (DAP) is sponsored and funded by the Woodstock Area Community Ministry (WACM). This program provides financial help to residents in need who live within Woodstock School District 200 boundaries.
This program operates under the guidance of the Woodstock Area Community Ministry Board of Directors and offers the needy in our community a centralized location in which they can ask for financial assistance.
Currently households are limited to $300 of financial assistance in a calendar year. All financial assistance is rendered in the form of vouchers or check requests for payment to prearranged vendors. No cash is ever given to our clients.
Kinds of assistance we provide:
- Transportation – Assistance is given in the form of a gasoline voucher. Drivers must provide driver’s license and up-to-date car insurance information each time a request is made.
- Clothing – Voucher to resale shops (Sparrow’s Nest in Woodstock and Salvation Army Thrift Shop in McHenry).
- Shoes/Boots – Voucher to Farm and Fleet; client is limited to two (2) shoe/boot purchases a year.
- Utilities – Assistance may be provided for bills past due 1 month or more for gas, electricity or water. Account numbers must be included so verification can be provided by the utility provider.
- Prescriptions – Help with a prescription being filled at Walmart, Osco, or Walgreens. Information is verified with a pharmacist.
- Car Repairs – An estimate of the repair cost must be provided by our vendor Allstar Auto Repair, 11913 Industrial Heights Drive, Woodstock, phone (815)337-2277. Based on household assistance already provided during the year, we pay toward the repair bill. The client must pay his portion first before assistance is sent to Allstar Auto Repair.
- Rent – Help with a security deposit, 1st month’s rent or past due rent of 1 month or more is based on assistance received during the year. Verification is made with the landlord and payment sent directly to that person/company.
The Direct Assistance Program does not discriminate in the provision of any aid on the basis of race, sex, religion or any other criteria.
The Direct Assistance Program (DAP) was started in the 1992 by the Rev. Dan Larsen of the Congregational Unitarian Church and his mother Madalin Prentiss.