Lenny Koniewicz – Hesed House

Lenny Koniewicz, facilities director of Hesed House in Aurora, Illinois, wakes up each day with a paradoxical mission: to work himself out of a job. The organization he leads—the second-largest homeless shelter in the state—operates with a vision that homelessness in their community might one day be eradicated. That, of course, would mean Hesed House would no longer need to exist. For Koniewicz and his team, this isn’t just wishful thinking; it’s the guiding star of everything they do.

“At Hesed House, we’re working to eliminate homelessness, one family and one person at a time. The ministry has been blessed with many resources to assist our guests. Often embracing these resources is a life-changing decision that places our guests on the path out of homelessness,” Koniewicz tells Blueprint during an interview in December.

Hesed House began as a coalition of local churches in the early 1980s. At that time, the growing visibility of homelessness in the Aurora area demanded action, and faith communities banded together to provide food, shelter and necessities.

Today, the organization has evolved into a robust operation that addresses far more than immediate needs. With two large buildings totaling over 70,000 square feet, Hesed House serves as a temporary refuge and a springboard toward stability and independence.

Providing for those in need

The facilities are a testament to the organization’s growth and commitment to providing dignified accommodations. A recent renovation project transformed what was once a cramped and overburdened shelter into a clean, spacious and functional campus. One building houses the family shelter, which accommodates up to 54 people on a single level, as well as the Harbor program, a dorm-like setting for 12 or so individuals who are chronically homeless. Across the street is a separate shelter for men and women, which includes a commercial kitchen, dining room, laundry facilities, bathrooms, showers, 12 counseling offices, and even an on-site clinic.

“Before we expanded, everything was squeezed into one building,” Koniewicz recalls. “We could only house about 130 people, and the facilities weren’t ideal.”

The multi-year renovation project, completed in 2024, was a monumental effort. The second renovated building was an old warehouse that used to make rubber products. It was filthy and full of grime and needed a complete overhaul. Hesed House installed new floors, walls, plumbing, electrical systems and rooftop units. Koniewicz explains it’s an entirely different space—clean, functional, welcoming and dignified.

Each resident now has their own bed, built with sturdier materials to support up to 500 pounds on each bunk.

“That might sound small, but it’s a big deal for people coming off the streets. It’s about dignity,” Koniewicz explains.

Dignity is central to Hesed House’s mission, and its services go far beyond providing a bed and a meal. Residents have access to mental health programs, domestic violence counseling through a partnership with Mutual Ground, legal aid from Northern Illinois University’s law group, and transportation assistance to attend court hearings or appointments at the DMV or Social Security office.

“Our goal is to take as many obstacles out of the way as possible,” says Koniewicz. “People can focus on becoming stable and moving forward.”

Working through adversity

The challenges at Hesed House are constant and multifaceted. The pandemic created logistical hurdles for safely sheltering people, and the ongoing affordable housing crisis makes the transition from shelter to permanent housing increasingly tricky.

“People come to us at their lowest low because they don’t want to be here,” Koniewicz says. “But we also see them at their highest high—when they’re moving into their own apartment. We furnish it, stock their fridge, and ensure they have everything to start fresh. That’s the best part of the job.”

Families present a particularly tough challenge.

“We’ve had families as small as two people and as large as 11,” he says. “You want to accommodate everyone without breaking up the family unit, but it’s difficult with limited space.”

The organization plans to remodel part of its old incineration building to expand the family shelter, but it struggles to find the funds and resources for such projects.

“There’s always something on tap,” Koniewicz notes. “We rely on private donations, grants, our development team and an incredible group of volunteers, many of whom come from local churches.”

A calling, not a career

Koniewicz’s path to Hesed House was anything but linear. Growing up in a lower-middle-class family, he developed a knack for building and fixing things early in life.

“We’d go out junking—tearing copper out of old power boxes in abandoned factories to sell at the scrapyard,” he remembers. “As a kid, I always took my bikes apart and put them back together.”

He studied machine drafting at a vocational high school, leading to a 30-year career as a design engineer creating consumer and industrial products.

Over time, though, Koniewicz began to feel a disconnect between his professional life and his deeper values.

“As a family, we’ve always been ministry-driven at one level or another,” he explains.

When he saw the job posting for Hesed House, he saw an opportunity to combine his project management skills with his desire to serve. Although he lacked direct facilities experience, his problem-solving background and hands-on approach made him an ideal fit for the role.

“Getting the job was a long process, but it’s been great since then.”

Volunteers form the backbone of Hesed House’s operations.

“It takes a special person to work here and a special person to volunteer here,” Koniewicz says. “The work is hard, and sometimes it feels like there’s only so much we can do. But the impact we make keeps everyone going.”

Koniewicz’s hands-on mentality has served him well in this role.

“Whether it’s figuring out how to make something work just to get by or finding a solution that will last for years, that’s what I’ve always done,” he says.

And while he dreams of a day when Hesed House is no longer needed, he knows the road to that goal is long.

“The dream is to get people off the streets and settled into housing. Until we reach that day, we’ll keep up the old buildings, fixing things and finding ways to help those in need.”