Northwest Suburban Guild touches young lives
A 5-year-old girl undergoing chemotherapy gets a respite from treatment as she sits cross-legged on the floor of Children's Memorial's Janice and Kimberly Brown Family Life Center, giggling as a volunteer reads “Green Eggs and Ham.” Two floors up an 11-year-old boy confined to bed lights up when Project Open Book volunteers come in with a cart full of books for him to choose from. And, on the hospital's 4th floor, an 8-year-old girl with a brain tumor is cheered up by working on a project with an art therapist.
What these children have in common is that their lives have been touched by the Northwest Suburban Guild. The Guild, an affiliated organization of Children's Memorial, has raised more than $700,000 over the last 33 years to support the hospital's Family Services Department. The department's programs address the non-medical needs of patients and families, and include social work, pastoral care, child life, art and play therapy and the hospital's closed-circuit television station, Skylight TV.
“For three decades, the Northwest Suburban Guild has helped us offer comprehensive, family-centered care to patients and families facing some of the most difficult challenges of their lives,” says Donald Camp, administrator for Family Services and Case Management at Children's Memorial.
The Guild was founded in 1976 by a committed group dedicated to volunteer work, fundraising and increasing awareness of Children's Memorial. Many of the original members had a direct connection with the hospital through experiences with either their own children or children they knew.
“Our members are compassionate, and care a great deal about children's health care,” says Lynn Hughes, a founding member of the Guild. “They work tirelessly, and there's also a great sense of community among the group.”
Hughes says from the very beginning the Guild was involved in volunteer work. One of their first efforts was a coffee cart to provide comfort for parents spending long periods of time at their children's bedsides. Northwest Suburban Guild president Kathy Zweidinger says members continue to actively donate their time to work directly with children.
“Volunteering makes you feel connected,” says Zweidinger, whose 22-year-old son, T.J., has cerebral palsy and has undergone multiple surgeries at Children's Memorial. “Organizing fundraising events is wonderful, but sometimes you really need to see first-hand how your support is helping kids.”
Janice Brown was a member of the Guild, whose commitment to Children's Memorial continues to impact thousands of patients and families each month. After Janice and daughter Kimberly died in a 1986 plane crash, her husband, Terry, made a gift to establish the Janice and Kimberly Brown Family Life Center, a bright, colorfully-decorated treatment-free area where kids can play games, read books, take part in live TV broadcasts, meet visiting celebrities and much more.
The Guild's funds are raised through a variety of events. The group's signature event is the Celebrations house walk tour of country homes in the northwest suburban Inverness area, and is held every three years. On May 13, 2009, The Guild hosted their wine tasting event “Cross-town Classic” at Abruzzo Kitchen Designs in Schaumburg. This was an grand introduction to kick off their tri annual signature event, Celebrations XI, to be held on Friday, September 18, 2009 at Honquest Furniture for Living in Barrington Illinois. For further information or to purchase tickets. please click here.
Hughes says that by staying true to the group's original goals, Northwest Suburban Guild members have found their efforts to improve the lives of sick and injured children rewarding.
“Knowing that we can help make life a little bit easier for children and families going through a difficult time is a wonderful feeling,” she says. “Through a group like this we can accomplish far more than one individual ever could.”