Garden Center Services

Seventy Years of Progress - And the Work Still Ahead

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 19:15:38 GMT

March is National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, a time to recognize progress, celebrate inclusion, and recommit ourselves to ensuring that individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities have the opportunity to live full, meaningful lives in the communities they call home.

This year holds special significance for us at Garden Center Services as we are celebrating our 70th anniversary of serving individuals with disabilities. For seven decades, our organization has walked alongside individuals and families - evolving, learning, and growing together. What began as a small effort driven by the compassion and determination of parents, has become an agency woven into the fabric of the communities we serve.

Over the past 70 years, the landscape of services for individuals with developmental disabilities has transformed dramatically. We have witnessed the shift from institutionalization to community integration. We have seen the expansion of employment opportunities, residential options, educational access, and self-advocacy. Most importantly, we have seen individuals once marginalized become leaders, coworkers, neighbors, and friends.

These gains did not happen by accident. They are the result of persistent advocacy, visionary families, dedicated staff & professionals, and communities willing to embrace inclusion.

At Garden Center Services, we are profoundly grateful for:

• The people we serve.

• The families who entrusted us with their loved ones and who have been our partners in advocacy and growth.

• Our extraordinary staff whose compassion, professionalism, and daily commitment make independence and dignity possible.

• The generous individuals, foundations, and businesses whose financial support has sustained and strengthened our mission over the decades.

Because of this collective effort, thousands of lives have been enriched - and our communities are stronger for it.

Yet, while we celebrate progress, we must also acknowledge the challenges that lie before us.

Recent funding and policy changes at the federal level have created significant fiscal pressures for agencies like ours. Across the country, nonprofit providers are navigating rising operational costs, workforce shortages, regulatory shifts, and uncertainty in reimbursement structures. For community-based organizations, even modest reductions or delays in funding can have profound impacts - not just on agencies, but on the individuals and families who depend on consistent, high-quality support.

The reality is simple: community inclusion requires community investment.

As we reflect during Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, we are reminded that progress is never permanent without vigilance. The rights, opportunities, and services that individuals enjoy today were secured through decades of advocacy. Sustaining and expanding those gains will require the same courage, collaboration, and commitment.

Garden Center Services remains steadfast in our mission. For 70 years, we have adapted to changing environments while keeping one constant focus - improving the quality of life for the individuals we serve. We will continue to advocate, to innovate, and to stand with the people and families who rely on us.

In this issue’s insert, you will see information from Fund Development Associate, Hailey Kmetty, explaining our kickoff of a Monthly Giving Initiative and how you can easily participate.

This month, we celebrate how far we have come.

And we renew our promise to keep moving forward.

Together.

Gerry

2025 in Review & a Look Toward 2026

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 15:30:38 GMT

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 to the commitment made by our wonderful employees to the core values of respect, empowerment, and compassion.

2025 Accomplishments

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 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. Twenty-five 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 at gbeagles@gardencenterservices.org.

Thank you for everything!

Gerry

Cuts to SNAP and Other GCS Updates

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 21:14:16 GMT

Dear friends and supporters,

We are reaching out today to share both the challenges and the bright spots that are shaping life at Garden Center Services this season.

Due to the ongoing federal government shutdown, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits have been temporarily put on hold. Judges have ordered the administration to resume the payments, even if partially, but they have not figured out how to at this point. For many people with disabilities, SNAP benefits are not just supplemental - they are essential. Without this vital support, many individuals and families in our community are struggling to keep food on the table.

This crisis is being compounded by the rising costs of food and supplies, driven in part by the recent tariffs enacted under President Trump’s administration. Prices for basic groceries and essential goods have climbed sharply, making it more expensive for the individuals receiving our services to shop and more costly for our agency to provide the same level of assistance and care we always strive for.

Despite these serious challenges, we continue to find reasons for joy and gratitude - because the people we serve, and those who support them, show us every day that perseverance and hope are stronger than hardship.

In October, we celebrated the opening of two new group living homes, where residents are thriving in supportive, inclusive environments. The individuals living there have shared their excitement about their new homes, new friendships, and the positive changes these opportunities have brought to their lives.

We’re also thrilled to report that construction of our Permanent Supportive Housing project, the Garden Apartments, is right on schedule. The building is progressing beautifully and is expected to welcome tenants by May or June of next year - a major milestone in our ongoing mission to expand accessible, affordable housing options for people with disabilities.

Our Second Chance Thrift Shop has also been a wonderful source of community connection and vital support. The shop has provided much-needed revenue that helps sustain our programs and services - and it’s also a joyful place where volunteers, shoppers, and staff come together for a great cause. As the holidays approach, we invite you to shop for your Christmas décor at Second Chance or donate a few hours of your time as a volunteer. Every purchase and every helping hand makes a real difference.

And in September, our community came together for our annual Walk n’ Roll event - a day filled with laughter, friendship, and purpose. Thanks to your generosity, the event raised over $50,000 in much-needed revenue to support our programs and services.

As we approach the holiday season, we are also looking ahead to Giving Tuesday on December 2nd, a national day of generosity when individuals are encouraged to support the charities that matter most to them. Especially this year, we would be deeply grateful if you could find the time to make a contribution to Garden Center Services. Even more, we invite you to consider becoming a monthly donor, helping us sustain our mission year-round and continue providing life-changing support to people with disabilities.

These successes remind us that the best way to respond to difficult times is through action, compassion, and joy. Each achievement - each person given a home, each volunteer who steps up, each dollar donated - helps us build a stronger, more inclusive community.

We are deeply grateful for your continued partnership and support. Together, we can meet these challenges head-on and ensure that the people we serve not only survive, but thrive, with dignity and happiness.

With heartfelt thanks,

Gerry

DSP Week 2025 and Medicaid Cut Concerns

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 21:04:30 GMT

In a couple of weeks, service providers like ours will be celebrating Direct Support Professional Recognition Week (September 7th – 13th), during which we put extraordinary time and effort toward recognizing Direct Support Professionals (DSP) for the incredible work they perform.

I am so uplifted by the respect and compassion I observe every day as the staff work with the individuals we serve.

I think the fact that many of us in leadership positions at Garden Center started out as DSPs provides us with the insight into how strenuous their jobs can be at times. DSP Recognition Week is a great opportunity to focus on the incredibly committed, attentive direct support workforce that is the heart and backbone of services for the individuals with disabilities that Garden Center cares for. The majority of the agency’s employees are DSPs, and many of them have been with us 5, 10, 15 years, or longer! Though this week is established nationally to recognize DSPs, we try to express throughout the year how vital and valued our employees are.

We are asking for your help to make this the best Direct Support Professional week ever, and invite you, the parents/guardians/families/& friends to join us in the effort to really show our gratitude and respect to these individuals. Inside the Leaflet you’ll find an article sharing ideas on how you can help. We’re also looking for any gift cards that you would like to donate which will help with the many raffle drawings that we hold during the week.

Taking care of our staff so they can care for the people that attend our programs is weighing on me heavier than ever. As I shared with you in my last articles, changes that are being made in Washington is making it more difficult and riskier to commit ongoing funding to certain positions/programs at the agency. As we prepare to deal with the impact of projected cuts to our budget I am focusing intensely on targeting and amassing additional discretionary resources to sustain our quality programs.

This is where YOU come in. I greatly enjoy speaking passionately about Garden Center Services and the awesome individuals we support, but I need new people to tell our story to. I will deeply appreciate any contacts that you would share with me to help this effort. Contact me directly at 708-560-4400, or at gbeagles@gardencenterservices.org.

Thank you so much.

Gerry

Response to the recently passed Reconciliation Bill

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 14:42:39 GMT

Dear Garden Center Services Family & Friends,

I want to start off by wishing each of you a happy and safe summer! Even though we’ve had times where the temperature has been a little toasty, I so appreciate the sun-drenched days with all the opportunities for fun and frolic. It does my heart good to view the posted pictures of the individuals we support enjoying all kinds of activities and experiences out and about in the community. I want to give a big shoutout to the staff at our homes and day services that use a lot of energy and creativity to make these outings possible!

I must admit that the recognition and celebration of Independence Day last week had lost some of its childlike excitement and meaning for me due to the passage of the Big ##### Bill in Washington. Though the supporters of this bill claim that it only focuses on “waste, fraud, and abuse,” the projected cuts that it contains could devastate millions of people with disabilities who receive life sustaining and enhancing services through Medicaid and other safety net programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

For some time one of my favorite quotes has been from former Vice President Hubert Humphrey. When dedicating a building in D.C. on Nov. 1, 1977, he spoke to the treatment of the weakest members of society as a reflection of a government: “The moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; those who are in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy, and the disabled.”

I was personally drawn towards working in this field in the mid-1970s because I could sense that there was a sincere and genuine movement underway that would alter the approach to serving people with developmental disabilities. The 1980’s was a time when many states started to close their large institutions and through Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services allow individuals with disabilities to receive services and supports in their family homes, in their own homes, acknowledging and honoring the contributions they make as members of our neighborhoods and communities.

To toil and struggle and rejoice in the accomplishments this movement has made in the last 5 decades has been incredible, and to see the changes we’ve made at Garden Center during the last 22 years as my time as the Executive Director, fills me with gratitude. And, we’ve still have a lot more that we’re planning on accomplishing on behalf of the awesome individuals that we’re honored to spend time with!

So, what is our response going to be to the recently passed Reconciliation bill? We’re going to keep holding our heads high as we fight the good fight at the state level and keep focused on the multiple essential projects that are underway. What I am keenly aware of is my need to bring more discretionary, non-State funds, into our agency. Most of you reading this newsletter are already generous supporters of our agency, and so I’m not necessarily asking you to open your pocketbook. What I am asking, is that you would please share any contact information with me of people, or businesses, that you think might be interested in supporting a worthy cause like Garden Center Services! I just want the opportunity to share our story, the stories of the brave people we support, with a larger audience. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me by email, or you can call me at 708-560-4400. Thank you for everything!

Peace,

Gerry

I Still Have Passion for This Work

Wed, 14 May 2025 21:59:33 GMT

Little did I know, on May 2nd, 2003, that I would be undertaking the role as Director of Garden Center Services that I am blessed enough to still be fulfilling today! Some of you probably remember that at the time I came on board, the name of our agency was Garden Center for the Handicapped. Changing the wording was easy; changing the approach to how the individuals we support are emboldened to make their own choices and create their own lives has been exhilarating and extremely hard work. There are many reasons that my passion for this work hasn’t waned but let me just share a few with you.

First and foremost, it is the people we serve. I have spoken frequently, especially when spending time with new employees, about the tangible benefit that comes with working in this field; interacting with caring, curious, resilient adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, who are the most unpretentious people you could ever spend time with.

Next, if you are lucky, you end up working side-by-side with so many compassionate, committed employees that are like-minded and spirited in their desire to raise up the individuals we support and help them to have the lives they deserve. At Garden Center Services I have often felt the line between fellow staff members and chosen family gets quite blurry.

Lastly, it is an incredible opportunity to be working in the disability services area during a time of change, when individuals are being empowered to learn and use their own voices, to advocate for themselves, and to make choices such as where do they want to live, who do they want to live with, how do they want to spend their days, …etc.

I want to express a deep appreciation for the families, parents & guardians, friends, and the local business community that have been exceptionally supportive of the direction that we have taken the agency. Change can be difficult, and that’s why I am so thankful for the open-mindedness, trust, and respect that I have experienced as the Executive Director. We have a very committed, involved group of individuals that serve on the agency’s Board of Directors. They give up their time, energy, and often their resources to ensure that Garden Center is following through on our commitment to the people we serve.

I want to express my gratitude to three members of the board that stepped down after serving 2 three-year terms. Ms. Donna Blair, Mr. Tony DiMiele, and Ms. Ava Rhodes-Smith. Their guidance has been invaluable over the last six years! Let me also introduce the four new people that have just joined the board. Ms. Kate Akin, Mr. John Considine, Ms. Kari Riordan, and Ms. Jenny Wojcik. You will learn more about them in the coming newsletters.

A Happy Spring to All,

Gerry

Response to US Health Secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr.'s, April 16th Briefing on Autism

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 19:29:37 GMT

Any of you that listened to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s remarks yesterday about the “autism epidemic” would have spent your time more intelligently if you had watched an episode of the Three Stooges. Kennedy referred to autism as a ‘disease’, versus a developmental disability, and stressed how it destroys families and greatly limits the contributions that persons with this neurological condition can make to society. What a bunch of hogwash!

There are many individuals dealing with autism that are living contented, productive lives filled with connection, contribution, and meaning. There are people in the arts, playing sports, employed, paying taxes, enjoying loving relationships, and certainly sitting on the damn toilet! The Secretary’s message is just more misinformation and simply reinforces the stigmatization that holds individuals with an autism diagnosis down and keeps so many in our country from experiencing the gifts and positive impacts that they share.

Please join us and the many advocates supporting persons with neurological differences in seeking a future for these incredible, courageous individuals, where they are suitably championed to create and enjoy the lives they deserve!

Elation to Anxiety

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 21:12:34 GMT

The joy and happiness of inclusiveness and acceptance were all around us, fanned by the heavy beat of 70’s rock music being played by the volunteer DJ. It was our agency’s Valentine’s dance, hosted by the varsity baseball team over at St. Laurence High School, and both the individuals we support, and the student-athletes were having a blast. One of the major changes I have personally experienced over the last 50 plus years around services to persons with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities has been the movement to see all of us as people first, realizing that it is all the marvelous differences that brings life its’ juiciness!

I was very impressed with the welcoming spirit of the baseball team and their strong determination to ensure that our folks would have a terrific time. The entire coaching staff, led by head coach Pete Lotus, demonstrated true leadership as they jumped in and enjoyed the party as well. Whatever the baseball teams’ record is at the end of the season, the Valentine party was a huge W!

Sadly, it only took a few days for the elation we had experienced from the dance to change into stress and anxiety due to statements and actions taken by President Trump and those that seem to be blindly following his agenda. Initially, it was the attempt to stop Federal funding that was a threat to the continuation of our services which caused intense fear and worry with many of our parents, guardians, and families.

There was a short reprieve as that executive order was rescinded, only to be followed by the next gut punch in the form of a bill that would cut $880 billion in Medicaid funding, which is the main source of financial backing for disability services in Illinois and throughout the country. It has become the highest priority for all of us to communicate to state and U.S. legislators the unfathomable negative ramifications of this bill becoming law! Some of my colleagues and I are traveling to Washington D.C. next week to share our collective stories with as many congresspeople as possible.

Inside the March/April special issue of The Leaflet are some heartfelt reflections by persons whose lives are uplifted daily by the services we provide. I hope you will take a few minutes to reflect on the stories they share.

May you be safe, and LOUD!

Cutting Medicaid Funding Hurts Disabled Members of Our Community

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 20:07:38 GMT

Across the many neighborhoods that make up the metropolitan Chicago area, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) rely on an array of support services to live, work and thrive.

Nationally, 69% of the community providers that deliver these services are turning away new referrals while 39% are discontinuing existing services because they lack the funding needed to recruit and retain qualified workers. This puts access to services in jeopardy at a time when nearly 512,000 disabled Americans are languishing on their states’ waiting lists.

Now, another crisis looms. Community-based services are almost exclusively funded by Medicaid, and in Congress, the House recently approved a budget resolution directing the committee that oversees Medicaid to slash $880 billion in spending. Such a drastic cut will all but dismantle the federal Medicaid program, leaving hundreds of thousands more Americans without the services they need.

As a provider of these services, I know firsthand that every community, including this wonderful city of Chicago, is better when it includes everyone— regardless of their disability. If Senators Durbin and Duckworth and Representative Casten agree that our community is stronger when it includes people with disabilities, then they must reject any proposals to cut funding from the federal Medicaid program.

Sincerely,

Gerry

Welcome 2025!

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 16:12:51 GMT

Looking forward to the new year at Garden Center.

It’s so hard to believe that we are already halfway through the first month of 2025! I guess it’s a good time to check how many of our New Year resolutions are still in place!

On behalf of myself, my wife Cindy, and our Board of Directors, I want to wish each of you a safe, healthy, and joy-filled 2025. I want to use my article for this Leaflet to mention a number of exciting goings-on at Garden Center Services that will be happening over the coming year. But first, let me take a moment to express my deep gratitude for the incredible outpouring of moral and financial support that so many of you provided during this past year. The lives of the individuals that we are honored to serve are truly made better by your generosity!

One of the positive changes that you will observe throughout this year will be the enhancement of our services as we implement the recommendations made by the accrediting body, the Council on Quality Leadership. The Council represents and advocates for the highest standards pertaining to the supports and programs for individuals with intellectual/and or developmental disabilities. We were very proud to have obtained accreditation status last year and will work hard to maintain it in the coming years.

I’m happy to share with you that sometime next month we will finally be closing on the Garden Apartments project. Once that occurs, then as soon as the weather permits, the digging will begin! The final result, a year to a year and a half later, will be a beautiful, sixteen-unit apartment building that will become home for persons with disabilities that can live somewhat independently. It makes me very proud that our agency is so committed to doing whatever it takes to help provide a home for those that otherwise may be without. Truly living our mission!

We are also looking for a home to purchase that would be the initial site of the shared living program that we’ve been wanting to start. This is a living arrangement model where one or two individuals that are funded for residential support choose to move in and live with a family that is committed to being their caregivers as they now all share a home together. The house we’re purchasing can be rented by the couple or family that would be welcoming the individuals into their home.

In terms of living our mission, at Garden Center Services we are also very committed to taking care of our employees. For a couple of years we have been providing free counseling to the staff through an on-line program named TalkSpace. Now I am pleased to share with you that starting this January, 2025, our employees can register for a membership at the Burbank Recplex with the costs being covered by the agency! They will also have the opportunity to sign up family members at a discounted rate. They will cover the cost of any family members on their own.

Finally, I’ll mention the Spring Fling that we’re working on putting together for March 30th. We’ve heard from a number of you that it would be nice to have an agency sponsored dinner again where old and new friends of Garden Center could gather, break bread together, and hear more about our great agency. The event will differ from our past galas, as there’ll be no models or raffles. But we hope folks will enjoy seeing one another, sharing a good meal together, watching a professionally produced film about our agency, and listening/dancing to a live music trio! More info to come!

Whew! These are just some of the highlights of things happening at your agency! Looking forward to seeing you in the coming year.

Looking forward to seeing you in the coming year.

Peace,

Physical Plant Updates & Giving Tuesday

Fri, 08 Nov 2024 20:50:17 GMT

It’s hard to believe that soon it will be mid-November and we’ll all be making plans for our Thanksgiving celebrations. With all the tension and conflict that are present in many parts of our world, it is still very true that we have much to be grateful for. I have been emphasizing to our staff recently that my gratitude for our agency just continues to grow as I experience Garden Center Services as being a haven of safety, support, and kindheartedness for the individuals we serve and for our employees.

I have frequently spoken about our services and programs and how proud I am regarding the quality of our supports and the high marks we get from the state surveys. An additional massive area of responsibility that we deal with is the upkeep, maintenance, and repair of the agency’s many properties and vehicles! We currently have 10 group homes, the 15 bed ICF, the State Road community day services program, the thrift shop/administrative offices on Kedzie Avenue, and 25 vehicles at last count! Now, knowing the wear and tear on your homes and cars, can you the imagine the impact over time on our holdings!

Overseeing this huge task are the two fine gentlemen you see pictured here; Mr. Bryan Kochanny, Director of Maintenance and Transportation and Alan Maciel, Maintenance Specialist. Yes, you heard me right, TWO!! I am amazed at what these guys are able to take care of. Under the direction of Mr. Ralph Storino, Director of Fiscal Management, Bryan and Alan repair many things on their own and also manage the subcontractors that are brought in to work on more complex concerns or new installations.

Just in the last six weeks or so here are some of the projects we’ve tackled; painted multiple bathrooms at the Moody CILA, completely redesigned two bathrooms at the ICF to be totally accessible, painted one of the BMA Manor apartments, laid the extensive in-ground piping needed for the new generator that will power the ICF in case of a natural disaster, and mechanical work on multiple vehicles. Please realize these are the projects dealt with in addition to all the daily crisis that come up.

The other fact that I can share with you is that there is very little state funding provided to cover the extraordinary expense of these physical plant needs. We spend hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to keep our properties safe and looking nice, and it is our fund development efforts that help make this possible, which is a great opportunity to talk about Giving Tuesday!

This year, Giving Tuesday will be on Dec. 3rd. This is a day identified nationally when individuals and businesses are asked to consider making charitable donations to non-profits as a way of kicking off the Christmas Season of caring. Here at Garden Center Services we would certainly appreciate it if you would choose our agency as one of the organizations you donate to.

Thank you, and on behalf of myself, Cindy, and the Board of Directors,

May you all have safe, healthy, and joy filled holidays.

Gerry

Fulfilling Our Mission

Fri, 21 Jun 2024 18:22:43 GMT

Inside this month’s Leaflet you will find an article speaking about the accrediting body, the Council on Quality and Leadership (CQL). We decided to seek out this accreditation to ensure that the focus of our programs and supports at Garden Center Services will always be on each individual that we serve, and will be driven by what each person wants as we give the utmost respect to the inherent rights and personal choices that every individual has. We believe that we have a really strong and positive culture at our agency, but we can always do better, and I am very pleased and proud that we have taken this step and are now accredited by CQL. This formal status is recognized widely as an agency’s commitment to offer the best practiced programs and services to this population and will be helpful as we go forward applying for grants and financial assistance from charitable foundations and major gift donors.

I also wanted to gratefully announce that the Illinois’ legislature has once again demonstrated their understanding and support of disability services in our state by voting in a $1.00 an hour increase for our Direct Support Professionals in the coming fiscal year budget. Even though Governor Pritzker’s original projected budget contained no increase for services like ours, the intense work and advocacy of our professional associations, our families and supporters, our staff themselves, convinced the House and Senate of the importance of providing a decent living wage for those employees that provide compassionate assistance to persons receiving services.

In terms of fulfilling our mission statement here at Garden Center, I am also pleased to share that all the final items have been addressed regarding our Permanent Supportive Housing project that will be located in the town of Worth will begin construction this August! This beautiful apartment building will provide a home for 16 individuals with disabilities that can live independently in the community with minimal support. I am very grateful for the support that we have had from so many for this project, and really appreciate how this enhances Garden Center’s view as an agency fully committed to all persons with disabilities.

Finally, I want to express so much gratitude for everyone that found ways to support our recent fundraiser, the Sunny Smash softball tournament. Or, as some of us have been saying, the Soggy Smash tournament, due to the rain that visited us on the day of the event. I’m pleased that even with the drizzle and rain we were able to get some games in, had numerous raffle prize won, enjoyed delicious food provided by Calabria Imports and Cravings Ice Cream Shop, and people were able to stick around and enjoy each other’s company. Even with the inclement weather we overshot our financial goal and raised over $45,000 for the agency programs. I want to specifically give a well deserved shout out to Anne McFerron and Shannon Voves, the two staff that put a lot of time and energy into planning and running the event!

Please be safe out there and continue to enjoy what I hope will soon be a cicada free summer.

Peace,

Gerry

Taking Care of One Another

Thu, 23 May 2024 18:41:51 GMT

Every year, since 1949, the month of May is designated as Mental Health Awareness Month. This observance is used to shed light on the importance of mental wellbeing by raising awareness and addressing the challenges faced by all of us due to the stress and insecurities of being human. I do feel that this is true now more than ever because of all the divisiveness and self-centeredness we seem to be bombarded with.

I am so grateful for this agency and the core values of respect, empowerment, and compassion that I observe multiple times each day through the interactions of our dedicated employees and the individuals supported through our programs. I have just celebrated my twenty first anniversary as the Executive Director here and in so many ways it has come to feel as a second home. But as is true with most homes, there may be individuals that are struggling with such troublesome difficulties or losses that it can drain their positive energy and will. I am always amazed and heartened how our staff can show up each and every day, no matter what they may be dealing with, and provide caring assistance to the persons we serve.

One of the ways we have chosen to support our employees’ mental health and well-being has been by providing them and their families with an on-line counseling program called Talkspace.

Our staff, and their family members (13 years old or older) are eligible to receive two live, web counseling sessions per month and unlimited texting with their therapist.

This program has been well-received by our staff and we are hopeful to fund a third year of Talkspace therapy for our staff through the funds we will raise at this year’s Sunny Smash Co-Ed Softball Tournament, but we need your help!

Please visit www.GardenCenterServices.org and sign up to Play, Volunteer, or Sponsor the event to help us provide these valuable supports for our dedicated and caring staff.

March is Developmental Disability Awareness Month

Thu, 07 Mar 2024 16:41:00 GMT

Wow, it’s hard to believe it’s already March! The new year has been flying by and it feels like we’ve hardly had any winter. Trust me, I’m not complaining!! You’ll find in this Leaflet a nice article by Associate Executive Director Cindy Haworth about Developmental Disabilities awareness month. It was President Ronald Reagan that formally […]

Supporting Individuals with Disabilities by Caring for the Individuals Who Serve Them

Thu, 01 Feb 2024 22:19:00 GMT

Hello Everyone, and a Happy & Healthy 2024 to you! I’ve shared with you before that I truly believe Garden Center Services has the finest, most loyal employees of any agency I have knowledge of. I would imagine any of you that have direct contact with them would heartily agree. Cindy and I, as the leaders of this fine organization, understand that the quality of the care we offer to the individuals supported by our agency is directly connected to the respect, empowerment, and compassion that we demonstrate to our staff.

Over the past few years our agency has worked in collaboration with the associations that we are members of and the They Deserve More coalition to strongly advocate with our legislators to increase the hourly wage for our Direct Support Professionals. We were very pleased this past summer when we were informed that our activism had been successful and that the approved budget for this current fiscal year included a $2.50 an hour increase for those employees that work directly with program participants. We were fortunate to be able to give this increase to our staff early; raising their rates by $1.25 in both July and again in November last year. This was their biggest increase in quite some time and I want to express my gratitude to each and every one of you that took part in our advocacy efforts by calling, writing, or emailing your personal legislators. It is really true that the squeaky wheel gets the grease!

There was some anxiety recently however when our state funder informed providers like us that the Department’s way of calculating our rates this year would lead to a deep cut in the number of hours our direct support professionals would be funded to work. Some providers were going to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in financial support and find it necessary to terminate some individuals from their programs. It’s unfathomable that the staff at DHS thought that agencies like ours could accept a situation where we were now able to pay staff higher wages, but that the number of hours allocated to each agency would be cut!

Having worked at the Division of Developmental Disabilities for years and now as a community provider, I know the importance and necessity of all of us working together in unity on behalf of persons with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities to offer them the lives they deserve. There has been such an outcry from providers, families, advocate groups, and even legislators themselves, it does sound like state is now determined to address this rate setting calculation concern in a way that will lead to zero cuts in our DSP hours!

Meanwhile, here at Garden Center Services, we will continue to work tirelessly on behalf of those individuals that we are lucky enough and honored to serve.

It’s Time to Give Thanks

Wed, 01 Nov 2023 16:45:00 GMT

Be Mindful, Be Grateful, Be Positive, Be True, Be Kind” -Roy T. Bennett As much as I enjoy the season of Christmas, I feel that at this time in our lives Thanksgiving needs to be our most revered and celebrated holiday. Not so much for the history and myth that are its underpinnings, but because […]

DSP Appreciation Week is Here!

Mon, 11 Sep 2023 22:36:00 GMT

You will see in the September/October issue of The Leaflet where Cindy Haworth, our Associate Executive Director, and several other leadership staff at Garden Center Services, started off as direct support professionals. I myself, after a life changing experience spent volunteering at a church program supporting children with developmental and learning disabilities, decided at the age of 16 that I wanted my life’s work to be serving these incredible individuals that had already taught me so much! So as I began accumulating hours toward a degree in Special Education at Illinois State University, I started working as a direct care staff at a state operated facility for children and adolescents with developmental disabilities and/or severe behavior disorders.

I believe it is very beneficial that a number of us in leadership positions at our agency have had experience as DSPs because it makes us more sensitive and aware of what it takes to provide ongoing support to our individuals in an effective and compassionate way. I believe the agency’s mission statement, “ Advancing lives of connection, contribution, and meaning for persons with developmental disabilities and the individuals that support them.” demonstrates the understanding that there is a direct correlation between how we care for and support our employees and how well they assist and respond to the persons attending our programs.

The September/October issue of The Leaflet is dedicated to our phenomenal and very compassionate DSPs. I wanted to take a moment here to share the responses from some questions I put forth to a few of Garden Center’s Direct Support Professionals.

What’s the most rewarding thing about being a DSP at Garden Center?

It’s about being surrounded by awesome people every day, staff and consumers alike.

The consumers are just great and GCS really has your back.

The consumers are a varied group of individuals with different difficulties and interests. They keep me teaching and learning and wanting to know more.

I also asked a few DSP’s, What do you wish you could do more of/better for our individuals?

I would like more time and dedicated space to teach art to our individuals.

I’d like to take our folks on more adventures and to get away on vacations with them.

Wishing there were more free activities in the area. Also, I’m hoping to find more businesses that would consider employing our people.

Please, next week during National Direct Support Professionals Appreciation Week, find time to reach out and express your gratitude for all that our fantastic staff do.

I truly am not exaggerating when I state that Garden Centers group of DSPs are the finest to be found. They are the backbone of this agency.

Illinois Grants an Increase!

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 18:15:00 GMT

Through the efforts of the They Deserve More Coalition, the Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities, and the Institute on Public Policy for People with Disabilities, all of which Garden Center Services belongs to, an incredibly focused and convincing message was delivered to the Illinois legislature advocating for a much needed increase in the rates we are funded at for the services we provide. The positive outcome is that the state has granted an increase of $2.50 per hour effective January 1st, 2024, to help raise the hourly wages for those employees that work directly with our participants, and to cover other costs as well. This increase is one of the largest the state has awarded for some time, and gets us closer to the amount of necessary funding as identified by the Guidehouse Rate Study.

We have a profound understanding at our agency that the quality of the services we provide our individuals is directly tied to the value of our workforce, and how well the management of GCS is taking care of them. At agencies such as ours there are always many things we can spend money on, but we are choosing to flow through 100% of our increase to our incredible staff! This is borne of our promise to keep strong our mission of “Advancing lives of connection, contribution and meaning for persons with disabilities and the individuals that support them!! And we will accomplish this by always holding true to the agency’s core values of Respect, Empowerment and Compassion!!!

I’d be remiss if I didn’t take this opportunity to thank all of you that took the time to email, write or phone your legislators. It is really so true that the squeaky wheel get the oil!! Your efforts are also part of the reason for the increase.

We still have uncovered expenses at the agency and that is why we continue to hold various fundraisers throughout the year. I want to express my gratitude to all of you that helped to make our 2nd Annual Sunny Smash Softball Tournament such a success! After costs we netted over $34,000 to help support the agency’s programs and to maintain our physical properties. And as a reminder, our next event will be the Walk & Roll that will be held September 23rd at St. Christina’s field in Mt. Greenwood.

20 YEARS!

Tue, 02 May 2023 15:46:00 GMT

Before coming to Garden Center Services twenty years ago today, I had many mentors and teachers that helped shape my vision of how individuals should be seen, heard, and supported. I am thankful to all of them but I realize that the instructors that made the strongest impact on my philosophy, and my life, have been the individuals with developmental disabilities themselves. I am awed by the unconditional regard and acceptance that they have bestowed on me as they allowed me to participate in their life’s journeys.

And words alone cannot express the gratitude and admiration I feel for all of you that have demonstrated such dedication and compassion as we have worked together to improve the quality of life for those persons we are honored to serve. I am confident that our employees, all of you, the Direct Support Professionals to the Executive Team, are the strongest group that I’ve ever encountered!

Over the years at the agency I have had an abundance of moral and financial support from our families and from our friends! All the hours and hours volunteering at our events and donating to the various fundraisers we’ve held has been instrumental to getting us to where we are now! I also want to recognize those parent/guardians, family members, business & community leaders that have provided such encouragement and guidance by serving on the agency’s Board of Directors.

Last, but not least, I want to thank my wife and partner Cindy, that has provided me more support, assistance, and inspiration than any man could hope for!

I have been so blessed, and as I am given the strength and energy, it is my hope to continue walking this path with all of you for years to come!

Peace and Love,

Gerry

Our Mission

Wed, 01 Mar 2023 14:43:00 GMT

Advancing lives of connection, contribution, and meaning for persons with developmental disabilities and the individuals that support them. – Garden Center Services Mission Statement It’s been thirty-six years since President Reagan recognized March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month to increase “public awareness of the needs and the potential of Americans with developmental disabilities” and to […]

I’ve got the best job in the world!

Sun, 01 Jan 2023 14:12:00 GMT

Acceptance is created from an empowered movement that educates others to embrace diversity and love life by seeing beyond abilities. -Annie Hopkins If you count the two years I spent volunteering at the Special Religious Education Program at Blessed Sacrament parish in Springfield, I have been working with and advocating for adults with intellectual and/or […]

Time is Flying By

Tue, 01 Nov 2022 19:51:00 GMT

Always remember people who have helped you along the way, and don’t forget to lift someone up. Roy T. Bennett As I write my article for this end-of-year edition of The Leaflet, I find myself very aware of how quickly time is flying by. It seems as if just yesterday I was writing my New […]

DSP Week 2022

Fri, 30 Sep 2022 15:48:00 GMT

Compassion is the keen awareness of the interdependence of all things. -Thomas Merton In a couple of weeks we, and all agencies like ours throughout the country, will be celebrating Direct Support Professional Recognition Week (September 11-17). It is a great opportunity to focus on the incredibly committed, attentive direct support workforce that is the […]

Celebrating our Interdependence

Fri, 08 Jul 2022 17:18:00 GMT

None of us can ever save himself; we are the instruments of one another’s salvation, and only by the hope that we give to others do we lift ourselves out of the darkness into light.

-Dean Koontz

I was thinking this past weekend, as many of us were finding ways to celebrate July 4th, a holiday set aside to recognize our declaration of independence from our British forebears, how what is truly needed is a daily acknowledgment of our real interdependence on one another. I appreciate the quote you’ll find on this page as it emphasizes that our journey towards real liberation and understanding can only come about if we are making that walk hand in hand.

I want to believe that it is this quality of connection that makes Garden Center the nurturing place that it is. There is constant experience of how the overlapping lives of the individuals that attend our programs, their families, and our staff, become a source of joy and healing for all of us. During the on-boarding of new employees at the agency, they participate in a 120-hour training program, and during that time I’ll have an hour or two to discuss the history of Garden Center and more importantly, our philosophy around service delivery. I will typically weave into the conversation how for me, over the many years that I’ve spent time with persons with disabilities, one of the greatest perks has been the incalculable impact of being with others that accept you as you are, and to know that you can provide that to them as well!

One of the new sites where these wonderful connections are happening is the Second Chance Thrift Shop that opened June 15th at the 10444 S. Kedzie location. We’re very pleased to have the store opened and have been happy with the steady flow of customers that are stopping by. It brings me great joy that every weekday, Tuesday through Friday, there is a small group of participants from our Community Day Services program accompanied by a staff person that are providing real help at the shop while receiving training on a myriad of skills.

The store is generating some revenue for the agency and is also helping us to have a greater presence in the Mt. Greenwood community. I also want to stress that we are still in need of volunteers! If you have a few hours a week you can dedicate to help us out, it would be greatly appreciated. Just contact our delightful store manager, Alaina Roche, at aroche@GardenCenterServices.org

Please have a safe and happy rest of the summer. I hope to see many of you at the 15th Annual GCS Walk ‘n Roll. Don’t be surprised if I try to reach out and hold your hand!!

I think we can see things moving in the right direction…

Fri, 06 May 2022 14:55:00 GMT

Dance. Smile. Giggle. Marvel. TRUST. HOPE. LOVE. WISH. BELIEVE. Most of all, enjoy every moment of the journey, and appreciate where you are at this moment instead of always focusing on how far you have to go. -Mandy Hale The Illinois legislature concluded their budget session early this year and I am personally heartened by […]

A Simple Meditation

Wed, 27 Apr 2022 15:53:00 GMT

Due to the pandemic the last two and a half years have been very challenging because of the isolation and the heightened concern over our loved ones – those we serve – or ourselves, contracting the COVID-19 virus. This situation, in addition to the divisive social and political atmosphere in our country, as well as […]

Supporting Individuals with Disabilities in Ukraine

Tue, 05 Apr 2022 18:39:00 GMT

At the same time that we are busy reaching out to our state legislators, advocating for an increase in funding for the services we provide for persons with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, we are in contact with groups located in Belgium and Moldova to discuss strategies for supporting individuals with disabilities that live within or […]

Disability Awareness Month 2022

Tue, 08 Mar 2022 21:41:00 GMT

It has been 35 years since President Ronald Reagan made a formal proclamation that the month of March would be recognized as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. Three years after that, in 1990, the Americans With Disabilities Act was passed that helped to advance the rights of millions of Americans with developmental disabilities. Currently, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that 1 in 6 children and 1 in 4 adults in the United States are living with a developmental disability.

With all the proclamations, acts, and exposure we’ve had, one would think we’d be further along with putting into place the necessary services, programs, opportunities and funding that would truly allow persons with a developmental disability to have the lives of connection, contribution, and meaning they deserve. There’s no doubt that there have been some positive changes for individuals with disabilities over the last few decades, and we are grateful for those changes. However, the truth is that those changes were just the basic building blocks and there are so many people that were not even exposed to them!

The state’s financial situation has just recently become more stabilized and positive. The years of economic variability, indebtedness, and downgrading of our bond status had led to years of minimal rate increases which meant our funding became increasingly inadequate. We’re finally coming off an FY22 budget that made a historic investment in I/DD services and supports, and we need to ensure that the legislature continues this trend.

The picture on the cover of the March/April issue is of The Leaflet is of me and Carol, a beautiful, caring woman that just passed after living in one of our homes for 31 years. In addition to Carol, we’ve sadly had several other precious individuals pass away from natural causes over the past year. It was an honor and privilege to serve these persons, and I always find myself asking, “Did we do enough for them?” , “Did we have the financial support to give them the lives they deserved?”

Over the next month as you receive advocacy alert emails from me, please follow through and reach out to your legislators imploring them to increase funding for the inspirational individuals we support, as well as a living wage for our heroic employees.

Who knows, maybe someday we won’t need a Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month and we’ll just have a Human Beings Awareness Year! That would be cool! Please have a safe and joyful Spring and Easter!

Peace,

Gerry

We Have Much to be Grateful For

Thu, 13 Jan 2022 21:05:00 GMT

It’s a funny thing about life, once you begin to take note of the things you are grateful for, you begin to lose sight of the things that you lack.

– Germany Kent

It is very apparent that we have many things to be grateful for here at Garden Center Services. We are honored to serve a group of the most genuine and tender- hearted individuals on the planet!

We have a collection of caring, capable employees that during this challenging time have demonstrated time and again the depth of their commitment and compassion. And we have people like you, those reading this newsletter, family and friends of our agency, that continuously amaze me with the generosity of your donations and unfailing moral support! So even as we deal with the fatigue and restrictions of this virus, it is very beneficial to stop, breathe, and reflect on the blessings in our lives.

A specific blessing I experienced recently was a call from a couple living near Lemont. I didn’t remember ever meeting them but they had frequented our Second Chance thrift shop and had attended one of our galas. They were contacting me to let me know that as they were recently redoing their will, they wanted to make sure that Garden Center Services would receive a portion of their estate! I was just astounded. This gracious couple, with no formal ties to our agency, had decided to help ensure the ongoing presence of Garden Center Services in the lives of adults with developmental disabilities. This was very timely as our fund development team has been working to establish our agency’s planned giving program called Seeds for the Future. You can learn more about this option on the Other Ways You Can Help page on this site.

Please watch for our action emails requesting your support of certain congressional activities. If the Build Back Better Act is passed and becomes law, people with disabilities and the direct care staff who support them will directly benefit from approximately $150 billion dollars of federal investment in increasing access to Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS). This is so important as we consider all those individuals on waiting lists for services like ours.

Finally, on behalf of myself and my wife Cindy, and our agency’s Board of Directors, I wish you all a joyful and healthy 2022!

Be safe and take care of one another.

Walking in Joy

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 16:46:00 GMT

I’ve had several people over the years who have approached me with somewhat disgruntled expressions and asked, “Why are you always coming up with different ways to try and get money from us? You’ve got the Walk ‘n Roll, the Gala, Giving Tuesday, heck, you even get some money from the Tootsie Roll days. What’s the deal?” Well, the deal is that our agency’s mission statement is one that I’m incredibly proud of and I will unabashedly do whatever it takes to ensure that we have the resources necessary to care for the adults with developmental disabilities that we serve, and also to support the incredible staff that assist them!

Even though Garden Center’s mission statement is found elsewhere on the site, I want to put it here, front and center: “Advancing lives of connection, contribution, and meaning for persons with developmental disabilities and the individuals that support them.”

Years ago, Cindy Haworth, Associate Executive Director, and I were exposed to the truth and benefits of the leadership philosophy titled Servant Leadership. Servant leadership is a management style in which you lead by putting the needs of your employees first. Servant leaders believe that when their staff members feel personally and professionally fulfilled, they will be empowered to provide more consistent and compassionate care. I am proud that as an agency we have demonstrated our commitment to this approach by working to identify substantial programs and means which can lift up our staffs’ individual and work experience. We have a truly awesome team of managers and administrative professionals that work tirelessly to demonstrate to all of Garden Center’s employees that they are personally valued and cared about. For several years running our agency has been an active contributor to the They Deserve More coalition which has advocated with the Illinois’ legislature to provide an adequate living wage for our Direct Support Professionals (DSP).

So what’s the potential outcomes for attending to your staff in this way? All I know is that nearly half of our direct care staff have been with us for over five years, and some for many more! As of today’s date we have only three staff vacancies at Garden Center! Through conversations with my colleagues at other agencies I know this is unparalleled. 100% of our staff are vaccinated! We have a very dedicated executive staff team that have years of experience in this field who have now been with this agency for some time. At the end of the day I truly believe that the proof is in the pudding!

Please take care of yourselves and one another. Have safe, healthy, and joyful holidays.

DSP Recognition Week 2021

Thu, 09 Sep 2021 18:57:00 GMT

The National Direct Support Professional (DSP) Appreciation Week this year is being held from Sept. 12th through Sept. 18th.

Let’s Do Something Wonderful

Thu, 01 Jul 2021 19:47:00 GMT

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 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!

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.

Let’s grab the opportunity to do something wonderful, incredible, or beautiful!!

Updates and a Request for Your Legislative Advocacy

Mon, 17 May 2021 14:24:00 GMT

As executive director of Garden Center Services, I can say that this challenging past year of the pandemic has been especially stressful for community-based agencies like ours that provide residential support to adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. GCS currently serves 140 individuals who are either living in one of our 12 community living arrangements […]

Looking Back…and Forward

Tue, 04 May 2021 14:37:00 GMT

It’s somewhat hard to believe that a couple of days ago, on May 2nd, I celebrated my 18th year anniversary as the Executive Director of Garden Center Services. To say that the decision to accept this position changed my life would be such a huge understatement! After a long career working in this field, beginning […]

Black History Month

Thu, 11 Feb 2021 21:28:00 GMT

A lot of people are waiting for Martin Luther King or Mahatma Ghandi to come back – but they are gone. We are it. It is up to us. It is up to you. Marian Wright Edelman As an agency, Garden Center is committed to recognizing both the valuable contributions made by Black Americans throughout our […]

COVID-19 Update

Tue, 17 Nov 2020 23:09:00 GMT

Garden Center Family, We’ve been on quite a journey these past seven months and we wanted to give you an update on where we are as an agency regarding the coronavirus. We closed the Day Programs and sheltered in place starting March 13th. Soon afterward, the Illinois Department of Human Services mandated that […]

A Word from Gerry

Tue, 07 Jul 2020 16:15:00 GMT

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

– Martin Luther King Jr.

Over the past few weeks and months our community has been forced to deal with multiple difficult challenges – the COVID-19 pandemic, the resulting economic fallout, brutal scenes of racial oppression, and the following civil unrest. As an organization committed to the core values of respect, empowerment, and compassion, whose mission is to advance lives of connection, contribution, and meaning for persons with developmental disabilities and the individuals that support them, we must strive to be there for all people, whatever the source of their pain and loss.

Regarding the coronavirus, this unprecedented health crisis has led to demonstrations of such incredible selfless acts of dedication and service that often my heart is overflowing with gratitude. The fact that as of yet we have not had one positive case of the virus at any of our homes is certainly directly linked to those staff that volunteered to move into and work at the sites for weeks on end, and to the steadfast effort that we’ve made towards everyone adhering to the social distancing guidelines. I publicly want to express my deep appreciation for the direct care staff and our management team that has truly stepped up to the task over these past few months.

We also witnessed amazing support through the generous donations that many of you made to our COVID-19 Response Fund! Due to the shelter in place directives, we were unable to hold our annual Walk ‘n Roll and were disheartened by the lost revenue this would cause. Well, with the $42,000 in donations made to the Response Fund added to the $25,000 sponsored match, we have surpassed the $67,000 mark which is just unbelievable! Thank you so much.

The high incidence of the virus among African Americans and the unpardonable death of George Floyd and many other persons of color, has brought a laser focus to the deep and ever present biases in our culture. For over 60 years it has been Garden Center Services’ aspiration to protect and advocate for those members of our society that are marginalized and discriminated against. We must be committed to this not just for persons with developmental disabilities, but all persons. The diversity of our staff and the individuals we serve is one of the greatest strengths of our agency. Each of us must do whatever we can going forward to concretely demonstrate acceptance, empathy, and understanding.

Please, now more than ever, let us be kind to one another.

Peace,

Gerry

GCS COVID Update

Tue, 12 May 2020 16:25:00 GMT

Earlier this week we were notified that the test for two of the individuals we support for the coronavirus came back negative. This was cause for much joy and relief, and also a recommitment to the strategies that we had put into place to keep our consumers and staff safe.

To be this far into the shelter in place and not have one individual we support or staff infected by the virus is incredible! I want to express gratitude for our wonderful, dedicated employees, the front line staff and those that support them, for adhering to all the specified Covid-19 safety guidelines, and keeping our folks engaged and happy!

A Story of Safety and Sacrifice

Wed, 29 Apr 2020 16:27:00 GMT

During this unprecedented novel coronavirus epidemic our agency’s top priority has been the safety and health of the wonderful individuals we’re honored to serve. We discerned that the best way to do this was to limit the exposure to the virus as much as possible. When we reached out to our staff to inquire if […]

Heroes Right in Front of Us

Wed, 25 Mar 2020 16:28:00 GMT

Certainly now is one of those times that really identifies those individuals that are able to turn away from their own needs, and maybe their own fears, to be in a position to care about, and for, those fellow humans that are unable to independently care for themselves. I am so thankful and proud that our dedicated staff are certainly part of this group! Many of them also have spouses, children, and parents that require their love and attention, yet day in and day out, shift after shift, they are showing up at our homes providing compassionate, specialized care. We are constantly looking for ways to demonstrate our appreciation for our staff, ways to boost their morale, and our continuous efforts at getting congress to increase funding that will help with DSP overtime pay, paid leave, and multiple other increased expenses agencies are incurring at this time and would invite any of you reading this blog that want to help us recognize our incredible direct care staff to leave a message of gratitude and praise on the agency’s Facebook page! If you don’t do computer then just leave a good ole phone message at 708-560-4400.

Please stay safe and be kind to one another.

It’s National Direct Support Professionals Appreciation Week!

Wed, 12 Sep 2018 16:30:00 GMT

This week all disability agencies are celebrating National Direct Support Professionals Appreciation Week. I think on a regular basis we strive to have our staff experience how much their dedicated, compassionate service means to us, and more importantly, to the men and women with developmental disabilities that are supported through our programs. But this week is set aside nationally to recognize and show gratitude towards all those persons that work directly with individuals with disabilities, assisting them to accomplish their goals.

I began working in this field over forty years ago as a direct care staff, and I’m so glad that I did. That experience has given me strong insights into the numerous duties that our staff are responsible for, and a deep appreciation for the fine group of direct support professionals that we have working at our agency. I’m very touched and inspired by the committed care provided by these staff, especially given many of these individuals are also providing upkeep and provision for their own families.

I encourage anyone reading this blog to reach out to any persons they know that are caring for individuals with special needs, thank them, and let them know how much their efforts mean!

Thank you.

Kindness Happens

Thu, 08 Dec 2016 16:31:00 GMT

Recently, the Chicago Tribune published a two-part series discussing abuse and neglect in CILAs (“community group homes”). Within part one it is suggested that because of the dire state of funding, agencies like ours (GCS) can only attract the sort of employee from whom we cannot expect high-quality and compassionate care. I find statements like this deeply troubling. DSPs are among the most valuable assets an agency can have. They are what ultimately determines the condition of the services we are able to provide. While it is true that funding for IDD services in the state of Illinois is gravely inadequate, DSPs can be highly compassionate, motivated, hard working, and talented long-term employees.

In fact, in my world, this is the norm! Everyday I see GCS staff members who really care about the persons they support. I see DSPs developing true personal relationships with the persons we serve. I know I am not alone in noticing this. It is common at the end of tours with prospective consumers for their loved ones to say “WOW, your staff really seem to enjoy being here and spending time with the people they support!” These relationships and that type of work satisfaction can only come about if you’re in it for the right reasons and the long haul.

This is not made possible because GCS has some secret financing scheme. We believe that every individual has untapped gifts, and until they find employment in an environment that truly values them and lifts them up, only then will that person cultivate and harvest those gifts.

Across my 14 years at GCS, and over 40 years working with persons with disabilities in Illinois, I have seen many direct care staff obtain certifications and degrees, move up to leadership positions, and who routinely go the extra mile for those they serve.

There are many areas where services for persons with disabilities can be improved, and that’s why we’re all still here working hard every day. Let us also shine light on those things that are going right. In my next few posts, I’ll be sharing some of those wonderful stories and experiences with you, as well some of the reasons behind those successes.

The Gift of Girl Scout Cookies

Mon, 20 Apr 2015 16:32:00 GMT

I recently received a phone call from a Mrs. Foley that I had met a couple of months ago at a memorial we had held for a wonderful man named Tim that had passed way too soon due to a chronic illness. Mrs. Foley was family to Tim, and she had spoken to me the […]

Neither Rain, Nor Hail, Nor 19.3 inches of Snow ….

Tue, 10 Feb 2015 16:33:00 GMT

A week ago at this time we were still digging out from the blizzard the blew through Chicago land. This time the weather forecasters weren’t out to just scare us, as they were fairly accurate about the amount of the white stuff that we were going to be dealing with. I think the gods mistook […]

People Can Be So Good!

Tue, 27 Jan 2015 16:34:00 GMT

I just felt the need to share what a great couple of weeks I’ve had, meeting with various individuals throughout the area to share stories from the lives of the persons we support, and then inviting them to join our efforts to help create more and better stories. Specifically, given that we will shortly have […]

Why We Do What We Do

Fri, 31 Aug 2012 16:35:00 GMT

I recieived this marvelous letter from one of our guardians and wanted to share it with you. I am so proud of our staff and the differnece they make in the lives of our consumers every day! The sentiments expressed below are exactly the reason we choose to work in this field, and are so […]

My First Blog Ever!

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 22:23:00 GMT

I’ve been wanting to do this for a while, but like to many things, it’s gotten put at the bottom of the pile. Today I’m making the commitment to jump on and blog at least three times a week. I don’t know if that will be enough because there is so much happening at the agency, […]