JAN/FEB
2026
Garden Center Services
The View From My Chair A MESSAGE FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
to the commitment made by our wonderful employees to the core values of respect, empowerment, and compassion. 2025 Accomplishments Gerry, Nancy & Cindy
INSIDE THIS ISSUE THE VIEW FROM MY CHAIR Page 1 RAY BENAITIS Page 2 BUILDING ADVENTURE Page 3 THRIFT SALES Page 4
Dear supporters and family members of Garden Center Services! Cindy and I want to wish everyone a happy, healthy, and safe New Year. We thought it would be helpful for this first Leaflet newsletter of 2026 to reflect back on some accomplishments our agency made over the past year. I want to share with you that while generating this list I truly experienced strong emotions such as pride, gratitude, joy, and weariness. The fact that we made these positive strides in a time that is so affected by needless disharmony, misinformation, and blatant self-interest is a true testimony
We filled open leadership positions with top notch individuals: • Ray Benaitis accepted the Director position for oversite of Supportive Housing, Quality Assurance, Thrift Shoppe, and Maintenance & Transportation. • Elle Liberty accepted the Clinical Director position to support our Qs. • Zach Apt accepted a position as our newest CILA Q. • Kelly Drudi accepted the position to be our new onsite Nurse Practitioner. We also had some established staff move into new positions: • Sheryl Kincinas accepted the Director position to
support our clinical services including Nursing and the Behavioral Health Program. • April Watkins accepted the position of ICF Administrator. In addition to these staff changes, here are other strides that were made: • Acquired license for our own Behavior Health Clinic. • Moved forward with construction of our first Supportive Housing Apartments and purchased the land for our second. • Started our first Host Home and added a new CILA home. • Continued moving toward our goal of all residents having a private bedroom with five more added! • Had our first Sunny Days initiative resulting in three days of celebration of the people we support! • Updated two ICF bathrooms and flooring. • Updated flooring, painting continued on page 4
GARDEN CENTER FAMILY RAY BENAITIS BRINGS DECADES OF EXPERTISE TO GCS’ HOUSING PROJECTS
With more than 20 years of experience in the field, Ray has become an expert in the development of Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH). He has already contributed to the construction of four PSH Apartment Buildings before joining GCS this past August. Now, Ray is applying that expertise to Garden Center’s two new PSH developments projects designed to provide stable, affordable homes paired with supportive services for individuals who need them.
Garden Apartments: Opening Summer 2026: One of Ray’s primary projects for Garden Center is the Garden Apartments, located in Worth, Illinois. Scheduled to open in Ray Benaitis Summer 2026, the building will feature 16 units, including: 12 one-bedroom apartments and 4 two-bedroom apartments. The development will also offer on-site staff support for residents who require additional assistance. Ray is also working on our second PSH project, Brush Hill Apartments, which will also be located in Worth, IL. Individuals interested in living in one of our apartment buildings can get started by applying for a voucher at the Housing Authority of Cook County. Once you receive your certification through the Cook County voucher program and our building construction is at 80%, you will be able to apply for one of our apartments on the housing authority site. Visit www.thehacc.org/landlords/housing-choice-vouchers to get started.
Garden Apartments Summer 2026
¡ES UN FIESTA! IN CDS’ SPANISH CLUB
Spanish Club has been a fun and hands-on way for participants to explore the Spanish language. Our DSP, Griselda, does a great job engaging club members in a variety of activities. Everyone has enjoyed tracing Spanish words, learning simple greetings, practicing days of the week, and identifying parts of the body. For the holidays, the group enjoyed candy from Mexico and wrote what they were thankful for in Spanish - making learning both fun and meaningful. Stay tuned for more stories on the exciting Clubs at GCS’ Community Day program!
Spanish Club
SNAP Funding Update During the November federal budget shutdown, SNAP benefits were abruptly halted. Thanks to your generous support, Garden Center was able to bridge the gap, covering the nearly $12,000 in delayed SNAP benefits to ensure the people we serve had the food they needed. Your support also allowed us to provide grocery gift cards to twenty employees who were personally affected by the disruption. Your generosity did more than put nutritious food on tables. It offered reassurance and stability during a deeply uncertain moment, reminding us that we are not facing these challenges alone. We are profoundly grateful for you and your steadfast support. It unfortunately appears likely that funding disruptions of this kind will continue. In preparation for these types of unplanned crises, our agency has prided itself on being a good steward and placing our revenue in interest bearing savings accounts.
TENDING OUR GARDEN
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We’d like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Ms. Annmarie Caulfield for connecting us with MBS Pilates of Downers Grove. We were honored to be chosen as the MBS 2025 Holiday Charity, and we are so grateful for the generous donations of board games, card games, and craft supplies contributed by their members. We are definitely putting them to good use! If you know a business interested in partnering with Garden Center whether by hosting a donation drive, a fundraiser, or supporting us in another way - please reach out to Hailey Kmetty at hkmetty@ GardenCenterServices.org.
BUILDING ADVENTURE: GCS Activity Coordinators Help People Get Out And Get Involved Garden Center expanded its Residential Activity Team last November by adding two new coordinators, bringing our total to three. This growth has opened the door to even more opportunities for people to get out into the community, try new experiences, pursue their interests, and (most importantly) have fun. With the support of our coordinators, individuals have been enjoying a wide variety of activities, including workouts at the Fusion Rec Plex, an overnight getaway to Galena, attending church services, touring the many holiday light displays around town, shopping trips, karaoke nights at a local restaurant, and so much more. Our Activity Coordinators (Kathy, Ron, and Bre) have been doing an outstanding job helping people discover new passions, build meaningful connections, and engage more fully in their communities. Join us in thanking Kathy, Ron, and Bre for their incredible work, and stay tuned for more great stories about the latest adventures they help make possible.
SECOND CHANCE VOLUNTEERS MAKE A HUGE IMPACT! This December, volunteers from our Second Chance Thrift Shoppe came together to celebrate another year of meaningful impact. As government funding becomes increasingly uncertain, securing reliable support to sustain Garden Center’s essential programs is more important than ever. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our incredible team, Second Chance raised $179,400 last fiscal year to support GCS programs and services, a milestone we’re truly proud of. A heartfelt thank‑you to our amazing volunteers, and to Tina (Manager) and Olga (Assistant Manager) for leading the way. We appreciate you more than words can say! Second Chance Team Celebrates their 2025 success
Mark your calendar...
Do you love thrifting and giving back? Join our volunteer crew at Second Chance and help empower people with disabilities!
Community Day Services will be closed...
JAN MLK Jr. Day 19th
FEB CDS In-service 11th
NEXT GCS OPEN MEETING JAN 20th - 8333 S. Austin Ave Burbank, IL MEETING FOCUS 9am: People Receiving Services | 2pm: Staff | 6pm: Families
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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/CEO
Gerry Beagles
CHAIR
Jenny Wojcik
VICE CHAIR
Dr. Chris Grunow
SECRETARY
Shannon Benaitis
TREASURER
Mary Ann Lema
MEMBERS
Kathleen Akin
SECOND CHANCE THRIFT SALES
L A I C E P S Sales
SECOND CHANCE THRIFT
ALL JANUARY
All Linens on sale! check out our new clearance rack
jewelry sale
JAN 31st
FEB 28th
Special Tag Sales YE L
50LOW % JAN
General Store Hours: Tuesday through Saturday 10am to 4pm Donation Hours: Thursdays & Saturdays 10am to 2pm
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30LU%E
50ED % R
FEB
GIVE THE GIFT OF TIME
Any time you can help is appreciated. If you can sign up for one three-hour shift a week, that would be terrific! Visit our website and follow the THRIFT link for more information OR reach out to Gerry directly at 708-560-4400. We want to express our gratitude to all who supported our Giving Tuesday campaign that closed out 2025! This is an especially incredible feat seeing that the month before, so many of you generously contributed to our relief effort during the SNAP Crisis. The combined effort raised over $51,000! Our hearts were touched by your back-to-back support, and we hope you know that you are truly making an impact during these difficult times.
Rep. Mary Gill Cindy Malloy
rdening C Ga
NT
As we head into 2026, we would like to remind you all about the Gardening Club, our new monthly giving program. Monthly donors have proven essential to our financial stability as their consistent, unwavering contributions are a godsend when unexpected costs arrive. Monthly donors will receive unique GCS updates informing you about the ways your monthly contributions have been put to work.
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Kari Riordan
Advancing lives of connection, contribution, and meaning for persons with developmental disabilities and the individuals that support them.
50% off EVERYTHING Store-wide!
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John Considine
OUR MISSION
SUPER SALES
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Lisa Beemsterboer
gcs
ALL February
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GIVIN G
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Use our donation page or contact hkmetty@ gardencenterservices.org to get started. Any amount is helpful!
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• and windows at several CILAs. • Completed significant renovations at our Moody, 50th, Otto and Lombard homes. • Added an additional accessible bathroom at our Community Day Services building. • Completed our first partnership with Moraine Valley for Leadership Development. Twentyfive people participated in this 5-month online program. • There are many, many more! Now it is 2026, and there is much that we hope to accomplish this year. We are committed to making real changes in the lives of the people we serve, but we really need your help to make this happen. Many of you that receive this newsletter are already generous financial donors to our cause! As I’m wanting and needing to share our story with a larger audience, that’s where I could use your help. If you want to be part of the resistance to the growing lack of concern and support for all the people being marginalized and minimalized, please help me connect with those persons in your circle that you believe would be touched by our stories. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly at 708-560-4400. Thank you for everything!