Beautiful blossoms, healthy children are mission for welfare society
Nearly 100 years ago, a simple idea - that good nutrition would help build brighter futures for newborns - gave birth to the Infant Welfare Society of Chicago.
In the century that's followed, the society has grown and evolved to meet the needs of disadvantaged mothers and their infants. Though a clinic in Chicago, the organization provides services and programs to support the healthy physical and emotional development of children in needy families.
The society's mission is supported financially by the Auxiliary of the Infant Welfare Society of Chicago, an association of 15 fundraising chapters located throughout the Chicago metropolitan area.
On June 25-26, the auxiliary's Wheaton and Lisle/Naperville chapters will host GardenScapes, a benefit garden walk showcasing four private gardens in Wheaton.
The event is new to the Wheaton chapter's fundraising calendar, which also will include the 12th annual Playing Fore the Kids golf outing in September and the 41st annual Light a Candle for the Children luminaria sale, a Wheaton Christmas tradition.
Auxiliary President Rosanne Merrill, a member of the Wheaton chapter, and Wheaton Infant Welfare President Elaine Luse collaborated to tell us more about the society and the local efforts to support it.
Q. What's your mission?
A. The mission of the auxiliary is to support the Infant Welfare Society of Chicago. The mission of the Infant Welfare Society is to provide services for the healthy physical and mental development of disadvantaged children to give them a foundation for a productive and wholesome life.
Roughly 90 percent of the clinic's 12,000 patients in 2009 were from uninsured and underserved Chicago-area families.
Q. How do you work toward accomplishing that goal?
A. Wheaton Infant Welfare raises money to support the operation of the Infant Welfare Society clinic, 3600 West Fullerton Ave., Chicago. We also support various auxiliary-sponsored initiatives benefiting the patients of the Infant Welfare Society including a resale shop, a See Santa Party, a Holiday Special Gifts program for the neediest of the clinic's families and a summer reading program for clinic children.
Q. Who do you serve?
A. The Infant Welfare clinic provides medical, dental, mental health and child development services to children through age 19 and prenatal and women's health care for mothers. The state-of-the-art clinic is in the Logan Square area of Chicago and is also known as the Angel Harvey Infant Welfare Society of Chicago Community Health Center. It does not restrict its services to any specific regional area.
Q. When and why did the organization start? How has it grown?
A. The Infant Welfare Society was founded in 1911 as an outgrowth of the Milk Commission of Chicago, which was formed to address high infant mortality by providing fresh milk to immigrant families. For almost a century now, the Infant Welfare Society has provided uninterrupted care for Chicago's women and children in need. Infant Welfare services and programs have evolved over the years to respond to our patients' changing needs, but we have remained true to the mission we first envisioned in 1911. Today the Infant Welfare clinic serves more than 12,000 patients annually.
The auxiliary was founded two years after the society, in 1913. The founding chapter of the auxiliary was located in Hinsdale. The Wheaton chapter was founded in 1957. Membership has fluctuated over the years. At the present time, Wheaton Infant Welfare has 39 members, one of whom is an honorary member as she was one of the founding members of our chapter.
Q. What kind of successes have you had?
A. The Infant Welfare Society has a tradition of visionary care. Our model of care integrates medical, dental, child development and mental health services. Child development specialists participate in the medical appointments, evaluating each child's development and working with parents to help facilitate that development.
Families with mental health-related issues are referred to our in-house child and adolescent counseling services. All of the Infant Welfare counselors are licensed clinical social workers who hold masters' degrees. Dental evaluations, preventive and restorative care are provided for children from 6 months to 20 years.
Recently, the Infant Welfare Society has instituted a Mother/Infant Therapy Group for women who are experiencing postpartum depression. This group meets once a week for 12 weeks with mothers and their babies. Part of each session is spent working with the mothers and part helping the mothers and babies interact. This program has shown some great success in helping mothers cope with the factors that are contributing to their depression and in fostering the interaction of mothers with their infants that helps the all-important bonding of mother and child.
Q. What challenges does the organization currently face?
A. The financial challenge of continuing to operate in these difficult economic times, when donations and attendance at events are down, is the greatest challenge currently facing the Infant Welfare Society.
Q. What do you wish the community at large knew about the organization?
A. Among other things: We are the group that helps light up Wheaton with luminaria candles on Christmas Eve as well as any time throughout the year. Wheaton Infant Welfare's tradition of "lighting a candle for a child" has illuminated Wheaton neighborhoods and churches while the community's support has helped us reach our goals for the last 40 years.
Our chapter also awards a scholarship to a high school senior from Wheaton who understands the value of community volunteerism. Because we are a volunteer organization, we wish to recognize a local student who has exemplified the spirit of volunteerism during his or her high school years. The scholarships are funded entirely by dues and contributions from members. This year, we were very fortunate to be able to give out two such awards to two outstanding students. Our 2010 winners are Hannah Farnsworth from Wheaton North and Maeve Gallagher from Wheaton Warrenville South.
Wheaton Infant Welfare is made up of hardworking women, committed to the cause and always open to stepping in when help is needed. We welcome additional women to join us as we fundraise and friend-raise.
Q. How can readers get involved?
A. In 2011, the Infant Welfare Society of Chicago will be 100 years old. Our services are in as much demand today as they were in 1911 because we continually adapt to the changing needs of mothers and children, the changing communities and changing times.
Those who would like to support the Infant Welfare mission can become involved by attending our events, buying and lighting luminaria, making a cash donation or resale shop donation, or by becoming a member of Wheaton Infant Welfare. Those interested in getting involved or in being added to our mailing list should e-mail our chapter president, Elaine Luse, at Elaine.infantwelfare@gmail.com.
Vital statistics
Budget: The annual budget of the Infant Welfare Society is roughly $7 million, of which the auxiliary contributed more than $1 million last year; this year Wheaton Infant Welfare has contributed more than $31,000 to the auxiliary.
Funding: Wheaton Infant Welfare has three primary fundraisers, the GardenScapes garden walk with the Lisle/Naperville Auxiliary chapter, the Playing Fore the Kids golf outing in September, and the Light a Candle for a Child luminaria sales at Christmas time
Amount raised for other organizations: This year Wheaton Infant Welfare contributed more than $31,000 to the Infant Welfare Society through the auxiliary
Employees: Wheaton Infant Welfare is an all-volunteer organization, as is the Infant Welfare Auxiliary; the Infant Welfare Society operates a clinic and employs about 100 people
Volunteers: Wheaton Infant Welfare has 39 members; the Infant Welfare Auxiliary has about 750 members in 15 chapters spanning the Chicago metropolitan area from Lake Forest to Wheaton to Flossmoor.
Wish list: Monetary donations as well as clothing, baby items and small household items for the auxiliary's resale shop at the Infant Welfare clinic
To donate
Local pickup/drop off: Call Rosanne Merrill at (630) 681-9181
Drop-off: Infant Welfare Clinic, 3600 W. Fullerton, Chicago; call Auxiliary Coordinator Maria Penland at (773) 782-5041 in advance
Mail-in: Donations payable to "Wheaton Infant Welfare" to Jo Ann Miller, 26W073 Mohican, Wheaton, IL 60189
Info
Call: Elaine Luse at (630) 668-0636
E-mail: Elaine.infantwelfare@gmail.com
Website: infantwelfaresociety.org
<p class="factboxheadblack">If you go</p> <p class="News"><b>What:</b> GardenScapes, a garden walk of four gardens </p> <p class="News"><b>Why:</b> Proceeds will be donated to the Infant Welfare Society of Chicago to help continue services to children and women in need</p> <p class="News"><b>When:</b> 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, June 25, and Saturday, June 26</p> <p class="News"><b>Where:</b> Private gardens off Leask Lane on the west side of the Morton Arboretum </p> <p class="News"><b>Tickets:</b> $15 through June 20, $20 after; available at The Planters Palette in West Chicago, on the website or at the first garden, 331 S. Arboretum Circle, Wheaton</p> <p class="News"><b>Info:</b> <a href="http://gardenscapesinfantwelfare.com" target="new">gardenscapesinfantwelfare.com</a> or <a href="mailto:GardenScapes.InfantWelfare@gmail.com">GardenScapes.InfantWelfare@gmail.com</a></p>