JUL/AUG
2021
Garden Center Services
The View From My Chair A MESSAGE FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Heidi & Gerry
INSIDE THIS ISSUE THE VIEW FROM MY CHAIR Page 1 MEET GCS’S NURSE Page 2 ADOPT A HOME Page 3 PERSONAL FUNDRAISERS Page 4
There is a tepid sense of relief that there is a letting up of the requirements to be as vigilant as we have had to be to keep the mysterious, morphing virus at bay, thus allowing us the basic human gratifications of enjoying an open, genuine smile or actually feeling the assuring hug of a friend. Slowly we are beginning to have our individuals venture back out into the community to enjoy and participate in those many activities and experiences that have been unavailable to them over the last year and four months.
We are so pleased and proud of the response of our staff to the pandemic and of how their heroic efforts kept our people safe and free from catching the virus. We only had Every time we look at the clock, we must learn to feel a sense of urgency. We must learn to realize that “now” is happening and will very soon be gone. We must look at the digits on the display and be overcome with an urge to do something before those digits change. Before “now” slips through our fingers. We must look at the ink on the calendar and see an immediate opportunity to do something wonderful, incredible, or beautiful. -Dan Pearce a handful of individuals become ill with just one participant and one staff requiring hospitalization. We are very grateful to all of you for the variety of ways
in which you supported our efforts, either by your generous donations, or your kind, timely words of encouragement. While we are joyfully embracing these renewed freedoms we have also had to cope with the reality of impermanence due to the loss of two individuals that we were honored to support. The picture you see is of me and Heidi, a lovely woman that recently passed who for years lived at one of the group homes and attended the day program. The employees and other women that shared their home with her talked about the ways that Heidi truly added to their lives and of how they will miss her. Another incredible person that left us way to soon was George, a gentleman that brought everyone around him huge amounts of joy through his ever-present smile and enthusiasm for life! continued on page 4
GARDEN CENTER FAMILY Meet Garden Center’s New Nurse, Maricela Pineda, RN, BSN Help us welcome Garden Center’s new nurse, Maricela Pineda! For Maricela, nursing was a family affair. Maricela’s father was the only first aid responder in her small town near Veracruz, Mexico. He did everything from wound care to delivering babies and Maricela went with him. She took her first nursing class when she was 16 years old. By 18, Maricela was already providing health care to her community and walking long distances to other small towns to help there as well.
Maricela Pineda, RN, BSN
After completing her nursing degree, Maricela worked as a community nurse for five years before coming to the United States. Once here, Maricela joined the Chicago Bilingual Nurses Consortium, took English classes, and completed another nursing degree - this time in English. She is currently attending Chamberlain University and expects to graduate next January with a Master’s Degree in Public Health. Over the past year, Maricela was very involved in providing COVID care at Christ Hospital. In addition, Maricela volunteered at Mercy Hospital, St. Anthony Hospital, and Catholic Charities. She also acted as a Public Health Nurse for the Stickney Township and Esperanza COVID vaccination response programs. We are excited and fortunate to have such an experienced, caring nurse as Maricela on our team!
Garden Center’s Self-Advocacy Group Highlighted in Illinois Self-Advocacy Newsletter Garden Center’s self-advocacy group, the Garden Center Dream Team, was featured in the May issue of the Alliance News, the monthly newsletter of the Illinois SelfAdvocacy Alliance. The group has worked diligently to create the vision and mission statements which were featured in the article. The group is currently working on a presentation to Garden Center leadership that will propose the purchase of assistive technologies to benefit people who attend Garden Center’s Community Day Services Program. Last week, group members Melissa, Katie, and Becca attended the Abilities Expo in Schaumburg with group leader Nicki where they researched new assistive technologies for that project.
TENDING OUR GARDEN As is likely a familiar experience with your own home, time is no friend to Garden Center homes and program sites. It requires endless effort to ensure that essential maintenance and necessary improvements to our program locations are made, as well as making our 11 homes increasingly accessible as the needs of those who live there change. Garden Center is pleased to announce that The Service Club of Chicago has generously awarded us $17,900 to remodel the bathrooms at our Lombard home. The remodels will make the space more accessible, easier for those who live there to care for themselves, as well as provide more space for staff to assist when they are needed.
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This June, GCS received a $17,900 grant from The Service Club of Chicago
We look forward to sharing pictures of the renovations in an upcoming issue of The Leaflet.
ADOPT-A-HOME UPDATE: SPRING CLEANING, PLANTING, & MORE! Recently, the Fiedler Family, who are the adoptive family of Garden Center’s Keeler home, have been busy with several spring projects at the house. The Fiedlers organized our shared spaces, updated home decor, and took on gardening and yard clean-up. It is amazing what these touches do to make the home more comfortable for those who live there. The house looks amazing! This past May, the Knights of Columbus #14553, built beautiful planters at the Kolin house. The group also purchased and planted herbs and flowers making the backyard a colorful, relaxing space to spend time, and a convenient place to grab some fresh herbs just steps from the kitchen!
The Fiedlers helped the Keeler House
y get read
for sprin g!
Projects like these make a significant difference in the daily lives of those we support, but Adopt-a-Home is about more than cosmetic The Knights built changes. Adopt-a-Home participants may throw parties for planters at Kolin new House people we support, help purchase holiday gifts for those who don’t have family, or even just come hang out for a game night. Several of our homes are still in need of a family, business, or fraternal organization that will take them under their wing. You don’t need to take on huge projects, anything you can do is a appreciated!
Contact Gerry Beagles at 708.560.4400 or gbeagles@GardenCenterServices.org for more information.
Garden Center Services’ Community Day Programs WILL BE CLOSED MONDAY, JUL 5th in observance of
Independence Day
calendar...
JOIN US
2021
AUG 7
AUG 7
Mark your
LIVE & IN PERSON for the
2021 GCS Super Sunny Walk ‘n Roll
We can’t wait to see you at the 2021 Super Sunny Walk n’ Roll! Registration is now open. Visit www.GardenCenterServices.org to Register, Donate, or become an Event Sponsor. Attendees who register by July 10th are guaranteed to receive their shirt at the walk.
SILVER SPONSORS
August 7th
GOLD SPONSOR
BRONZE SPONSORS • Burbank Park District • Pete’s Service Center
SUNNY SPONSORS
• City of Burbank • Friends of Fran Hurley • Bush Family Eye Care
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Growing dignity and independence 8333 S. Austin Ave. Burbank, IL 60459 10444 S. Kedzie Chicago, IL 60655 phone 773-941-4151 email info@gardencenterservices.org web www.GardenCenterServices.org
BOARD OF DIRECTORS President
John Dahlke
Vice President
Donna Blair
Treasurer
Anthony Di Miele
Secretary
Cindy Malloy
Members
Lisa Beemsterboer Shannon Benaitis Mary Gill Dr. Chris Grunow
A WEIRD THING ABOUT FACEBOOK FUNDRAISERS
Several people have held personal fundraisers for Garden Center on Facebook to celebrate a birthday, for a GCS event, or just for fun...and we are so grateful for your support! One thing you may not know about Facebook fundraisers though, is that when we receive the fundraiser check, it includes no information about who raised the funds for us. If you choose to hold a Facebook fundraiser for GCS - Thank You! and we’d love it if you would let us know. Just message us on Facebook and we will let you know when we receive the check so you can be sure your donations were received. Thank you!!!
ANOTHER KIND OF PERSONAL FUNDRAISER DID YOU KNOW you can set up a personal fundraiser with Garden Center that you can share with your friends via social media & email? With your Garden Center fundraising account, you can follow who donated to your fundraiser and track how much your fundraiser raised for Garden Center.
If you’d like to set up a personal fundraiser for Garden Center’s walk, visit our website for more information. Not excited about creating your page? Anne would be happy to set one up for you! Just email her at amcferron@gardencenterservices.org.
MEET YOUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS
Rep. Fran Hurley Ava Rhodes - Smith Maria Zeimen, OSF
OUR MISSION Advancing lives of connection, contribution, and meaning for persons with developmental disabilities and the individuals that support them.
Shannon Benaitis
We are so glad that Shannon has returned for her second round with our board. She and her husband Ray have both worked for agencies similar to ours, and Shannon now has her own consulting business where she provides guidance and training to providers of services to persons with developmental disabilities.
We are lucky to serve Lisa and Tom’s son Danny at our day program and they have been very involved with the agency and our events for years. They enjoy their four other children and are happy to spend time with their three grandchildren!
Lisa Beemsterboer
Chris is a clinical psychologist and is the Director of the Stickney Township Public Health Clinic and he has a long history with our agency. He and his wife Karin have two daughters and keep busy with their two grandsons.
Dr. Chris Grunow
Mary Gill
Mary is the Executive Director of the Mount Greenwood Community and Business Association and is very involved in her community and supportive of Garden Center Services. She and her husband Dan have three children and are part of the St. Christina parish family.
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Each time a person leaves us I am challenged by the question, “Did we do everything we could to give that individual the life they wanted and deserved?” We always, always, each of us, think that we’re going to be given the time we need to take care of all the things on our to do lists. When are we going to wake up and realize that this just isn’t so. This gift of now is our only reality and I plead that we develop an intense sense of urgency to live our lives fully and help others to do the same.
George
Let’s grab the opportunity to do something wonderful, incredible, or beautiful!!