Alton

Alton, Illinois sits along the Mississippi River bluffs about twenty-five miles north of St. Louis, a historic river town with a rough, resilient character shaped by its industrial past and the economic struggles that followed factory closures. Average household income in Alton runs around 55,000 dollars a year, well below national figures, and poverty here is real and visible, not hidden. Madison County's point-in-time count identified roughly 250 people experiencing homelessness in 2023, a number local outreach workers say undercounts people sleeping in cars, campsites along the river, or doubled up with family. Oasis Food Pantry and Overnight Shelter has long been a lifeline for people needing a warm meal or a bed, and Crisis Food Center helps stretch what little money people have. Catholic Charities of Southern Illinois also runs programs that connect people to housing assistance and basic necessities. The town's downtown antique shops and river views can make Alton feel like it's thriving, but that surface doesn't always reflect what people on the ground are going through. If you're reading this because you're trying to make it through another night here, know that people in this town have gotten through hard winters before, and there are hands still willing to help you do the same.