Hephzibah Children's Association Identity Brochure

What is Hephzibah Children’s Association?

Hephzibah is Oak Park’s oldest social service agency— founded in 1897

Hephzibah’s mission To help children thrive and families flourish through innovative, community-based programs.

How you can help Enrich a child’s life as a Hephzibah volunteer.

Open your home and your heart to a foster child.

Attend a fundraising event.

Become a Corporate, Foundation or Community Partner.

Join one of our three auxiliary boards.

Become a benefactor.

Remember Hephzibah in your will.

hephzibah c h i l d r e n ’ s

GR O U P H O ME S

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FO S T ER C A R E

946 North Boulevard 1144 Lake Street, 5th floor

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a s s o c i a t i o n

FA MILY S ER V I C E S

Oak Park IL 60301 Oak Park IL 60301

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DAY C A R E

708.649.7100 708.649.7140

www.hephzibahhome.org

Helping children thrive and families flourish since 1897

hephzibah c h i l d r e n’ s

GR O U P H O ME S

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FO S T ER C A R E

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a s s o c i a t i o n

FA MILY SER V I C E S

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DAY C A R E

when a village resident named Mary Wessels opened her home to two young boys. A postcard addressed to a friend is the only remaining record of Hephzibah’s beginnings. It reads, “I have begun my work. I have two boys, ages six and seven.”

Later, when a local orphanage was destroyed by fire, Mary took in more than a dozen orphans and made it her mission to care for “society’s most vulnerable children.” With Mary, these children found safety, sustenance, comfort and love. She called the fledgling children’s home Hephzibah, after her mother. The name, which means comforting mother in Hebrew, was a perfect expression of Mary’s founding mission to create a nurturing haven for children in need.

Today, more than a century later, Hephzibah’s mission is a multifaceted one. We offer short- and long-term group homes for children traumatized by neglect and abuse, child welfare and family services,

Hephzibah’s world-renowned programming — including group homes for neglected and abused children, comprehensive services for children and families in crisis, foster care, adoption and day care — is designed to enhance the safety and well-being of children while preserving the dignity of parents and families.

foster care and adoption programs and award-winning day care on a sliding scale for families of all income levels.

Our internationally recognized children’s home is built in the shape of the letter H, which stands for healing, hope, happiness and, of course, Hephzibah!

“Our work at Hephzibah is about transforming lives. We bring to Hephzibah, on a daily basis, a deep passion for creating an environment where children can grow into beautiful, strong, caring members of society.”

M ary A n n e B row n Executive Director, Hephzibah Children’s Association

Hephzibah’s internationally recognized programs for children and families Group Homes Hephzibah operates two group homes for children: our Diagnostic Treatment Center, where abused and neglected children undergo a ninety-day period of stabilization and evaluation, and our Residence, a longer-term therapeutic program for severely traumatized children who need more time to heal and develop the skills necessary to succeed in a family setting.

A typical child admitted to our group homes has experienced heartbreaking emotional and physical traumas, numerous failed foster care placements or the devastating disappointment of a failed adoption. Many suffer from anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. As we help these children heal from some of the worst cases of child abuse and neglect in the State of Illinois, we nurture them with love, buoy them up with therapeutic supports and broaden their horizons by exposing them to a wide variety of enrichment activities.

Family Services Because every child deserves to live in a safe and nurturing environment — free from abuse and neglect — Hephzibah offers a wide range of support and intervention services for families struggling with issues such as joblessness, poverty, chronic illness, mental instability and substance abuse. These include family assessment services, family reunification services, intact family services and family support services.

We can’t do it without you!

Volunteer Opportunities

Foster Care and Adoption Services Helping a child may also mean finding a loving, caring and safe environment outside of the home. When this is the case, our Foster Care program ensures that there are licensed foster homes for children in crisis. Sometimes foster care is a temporary arrangement while parents and children receive the counseling, services and support they need to succeed as a family unit. At other times, foster care can be a steppingstone to a warm and loving adoptive home. We are always in need of loving families to care for our foster children.

Award-Winning Day Care Our Day Care program offers a nurturing, enriching and dynamic day care experience for Oak Park children in grades K-5 after school, on school holidays and during the summer months. Our day care activities promote the well-being of children by fostering the development of a wide variety of skills, as well as social competence and a positive self-image. Fees are assessed on a sliding scale and offset by financial aid when necessary to ensure that every family in our community has access to high-quality day care. We also enhance the lives of our Day Care families with social services such as parent education and support groups, referrals for services or information and direct assistance such as bus passes, grocery store gift certificates, clothing, school supplies and respite services when needed.

Find out more about our programs for children and families at www.hephzibahhome.org. Have questions? Give us a call at 708.649.7100.

To ensure the safety and protect the privacy of the neglected and abused children living in our group homes, we have not featured their photos in this brochure. All of the children pictured are enrolled in Hephzibah’s award-winning Day Care program.

From Hephzibah’s earliest days, our mission to enhance the lives of children and families has been supported and sustained by a dedicated corps of volunteers. These generous and compassionate individuals come to Hephzibah at many different stages of life — as preteens, teenagers, young adults, mid-lifers and retirees. They help out in a wide variety of ways, from serving as homework helpers to mentoring the children living in our group homes. Come join our warm and welcoming volunteer community!

Corporate, Foundation and Community Partners This highly successful program offers corporations, foundations and organizations a valuable opportunity to raise their visibility in the community while boosting morale and fostering a culture of teamwork and civic responsibility. Our partners can choose from a wide variety of activities with the children living in our group homes or suggest their own activities or projects. Partner with us

Members of the Hephzibah Huskies, a service club spearheaded by two Oak Park RIver Forest High School students with big hearts and an even bigger commitment to Hephzibah’s kids.

and find out why many organizations come back year after year to enrich the lives of their employees and members while enhancing the lives of Hephzibah’s kids.

Auxiliary Boards Our three amazing auxiliary boards energize and inspire everyone at Hephzibah with their boundless enthusiasm as they raise awareness of Hephzibah’s mission, host fundraising events to make our mission possible and organize activities for the children living in our group and foster homes. As a Hephzibah auxiliary board member, you’ll form new friendships, discover a new purpose in life and have a lot of fun as you help build a better future for our young survivors of neglect and abuse.

To learn more about Hephzibah volunteer opportunities, please contact our volunteer coordinator at 708.649.7122 or volunteers@hephzibahhome.org.

Interested in becoming a corporate, foundation or community partner or joining one of our auxiliary boards? Please contact our Development Office at 708.649.7140 or development@hephzibahhome.org