Marillac's Monthly Highlights - September 2011

September 16, 2011

Facilities

Both Centers were closed during the week of August 29 for cleaning and painting.  When the doors re-opened on September 6, both buildings looked like new.  With all the young people we serve day-in and day-out, our buildings are well-used.  We are fortunate to have a hard-working Facilities Department that repairs and maintains the buildings at a very high level.  We are grateful to be able to carry out our mission in such beautiful facilities.                                             

Staff Retreat

On Tuesday, September 6, the staffs of Marillac House and St. Vincent de Paul Center gathered together for the first time for an in-service lead by Craig Atkinson, who facilitated the Board retreat in May.  Craig had sent a survey to all staff members in preparation for the day, and he remarked that there was a good response.  Results of the survey will be included in the Strategic Planning process.  The in-service was quite dynamic and interactive.  It was an opportunity for people to get to meet and know each other, and to experience ourselves as members of the same family – even though we may work at different agencies.  We discovered that we have more in common than different.

Service Awards

At the retreat, awards were given to staff who have worked 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 years.  Four persons were chosen by their peers to receive the Award for Excellence: Edna Brown and Zola Womack of Marillac, and Carla Crumb and Robert Ellison of St. Vincent’s.  After the awards were given, lunch was served and both staffs had the opportunity to break bread together.  There was a great spirit of camaraderie that allowed us to begin the year on a very positive note.

Staff Update

Arnez Cooper recently received her bachelor’s degree and has been promoted to Family Support Worker in the Social Service department.  Congratulations, Arnez!  Loretha Weisinger, one of our Doulas, has been invited to participate on a committee with Healthconnect Once, which will develop a national accreditation process for Doulas.  Chris Johnson, our Social Worker, has received an award for her work on low-income housing from the Institute of Real Estate Management.

Project Hope

Throughout the month of August our teens and children enjoyed trips to water parks, boat rides, picnics and other activities that afforded them the opportunity to enjoy themselves in a safe, nurturing environment.  They particularly enjoyed the pampering they received on “Spa Days.”  Many of the young moms observed that they felt special and cared for.

Hope Junior will be honored by the Paluch Family Foundation at a dinner on October 26, 2011.

Hope Junior/After School Matters

After a busy summer of sports, field trips, camping, drama, arts-and-crafts, writing, reading, music and life-skills groups, members of Hope Junior and After School Matters finished the summer with a wonderful picnic and a trip to the spectacular Skokie pool.  The 6 summer teen counselors celebrated the end of their successful internship by going to China Town.  They did a wonderful job.

Thanks to the generosity of the people from St. James Parish in Arlington Heights and Communities that Care, all of our young people received back-to-school backpacks filled with school supplies.  This generosity enabled our children to return to school prepared and ready to learn!

Child Development

This year Marillac begins a new partnership with St. Anthony's Hospital, whose staff will be offering speech therapy to our children.

Senior Services

On August 11, 40 of our seniors enjoyed an outing to Navy Pier that included a Shoreliner cruise on Lake Michigan.  It was a perfect day for a cruise and participants especially enjoyed being able to see the Tall Ships that were visiting the city.  After the cruise, the seniors scattered from one end of Navy Pier to the other, seeking their favorite spots for lunch.

Each year, members of Hope Junior paint the porches of some of our Seniors.  This year, Sr. Rita selected 2 homebound Seniors and 2 Take-Charge Seniors whose porches were in need of painting.  The members of Hope Junior did an excellent job on the porches, prompting one Senior, Annie, to say, “All my neighbors on Mozart are jealous of the wonderful painting job the young ladies did on my porch!”

Family Services

The Food Pantry continues to be an important resource to many of the families in our community of East Garfield Park.  Statistics say that 1 in 4 children in the United States goes hungry each day.  That seems credible given the needs of the families that come to us.  We are serving hundreds of people each week.

Recently, we began a new season of taking applications for utilities assistance for seniors, the disabled, and those who have had their utilities cut-off.  The demand has been great.  Each day over 50 people come to us in the hope that we can help them find assistance with their utilities.  The application process is lengthy and tedious.  We are fortunate to have a staff that is able to handle it with competence and compassion.

Adult Literacy

Sr. Judith has been receiving more requests than usual from people who want to participate in her adult literacy tutoring.  She is excited to be working with a new group of students and is confident that they all have the potential to succeed in obtaining the GED.