Summer camp session flew by so quickly! We were happy to see many familiar faces and to welcome 33 new campers to the Camp Fireside experience.

We have created a caring, supportive culture in which our campers receive the very best care. Special thanks and a big hug to our staff members: Alicja, Brit, Casey, Courtney, Drew, Emilia, Emily, Jacob, Jade, Julia, Lauren, Monika, Natalia, Toni and Camp Director, Karen Horning, who a camper’s mother called “an angel in disguise.”

Many thanks to Rockford Dance Company, especially Theresa, who got us rockin’’ in the Farm Inn. Thanks to Anna’s Pizza, Kiki atHope Reigns Ranch, the Rockford Y, and Bryan – who keeps the camp- grounds beautifully manicured.

Already Looking Forward to 2019

Thanks for a Super Summer at Camp!And, a standing ovation to Two Fellas Band who brought concerts to our campers and our summer parties!

This year, SRCA awarded 48 full camp scholarships, made possi-ble by our generous donors and

the American Camp Association.We appreciate everyone’s unselfish efforts. Like Cubs fans used to say, “there is always next year.” The same goes for us at SRCA, we look forward to next year!

SRCA | 3309 South Harvey Avenue, Berwyn, IL 60402 | 708-788-5777 | www.srca.community

The Speaker October 2018

Since becoming board president in June 2017, SRCA has gone through many changes, including changing its name, logo and creating a new website – srca.community. The board is deter-mined to make SRCA an even more vibrant organization that improves the lives of people with disabilities. Your continued support as a volunteer, participant and donor is what makes this possible.

We have changes on the board this month. Bob Grecco and Bruce Kimball served on the board for many years and are stepping down effective imme-diately. We thank Bob and Bruce for their years of dedication to the organization and their com-mitment to the participants. They will be missed.

At the same time, we welcome two new members: Dr. Donald McKinney and Eddie Wells. Don is Superintendent of Schools at Hoover-Schrum District 157, Cal-umet City. He has been a public school educator for 31 years as a teacher, school principal and su-perintendent. Eddie Wells owns and operates a transport service in the Chicagoland area. Eddie has been an SRCA volunteer for several years. He has served as a program manager and family or classroom teacher for Glen-wood Academy, Glenwood; Koinonia House National Minis-tries, Wheaton, and Safe Haven School, Lake Bluff.

We welcome Don and Eddie and look forward to working with them to strengthen the organization. Our spring benefit is changing. In March, 2019, we will host a Sat-urday evening affair rather than a luncheon. Please plan to join us

Message from the President by Helen Kossler

at Oak Park Nineteenth Century Club, 4-7 pm, Saturday, March 23 to celebrate our 70th year. This promises to be an elegant event. Illinois Supreme Court Justice Ann Burke, co-founder of Special Olympics, will speak and present the scholarships.

Our office has changed, too. We remain at 3309 South Har-vey, but the space renovation is complete and we have updated offices in the front of the build-ing. Drop by during office hours to see the new space. A big thanks to Phil Degeratto, owner of Buddy Bear Car Washes, for his support and for being an all-around great landlord.

We’re doing a new outreach to families this year, providing free workshops in several places in the Chicagoland area to explain the Individual Education Plan (IEP). Parents with questions about their child’s IEP can get answers and referrals to other organizations that work with families. We will give them infor-mation about SRCA and encour-age them to get involved. If you want to know more about this, call the office.

In the meantime, hope to see you at our fall Halloween Party, Sunday, October 28, 11:30 am – 1:30 pm, Berwyn Moose Family Center.

Mission: Providing life-enriching

activities for adultswith disabilities.

Board of DirectorsHelen Kossler

Board PresidentOak Park

Ralph Salvino IIIPast President

Cicero

Gordie Kaplan2nd Vice President

Deerfield

Charlene R. BrozasTreasurerBerwyn

Dr. Donald McKinneySecretaryMinooka

Matt JohnsonDirectorDekalb

Frank VomackaDirector

Riverside

Eddie WellsDirector

Elgin

StaffMark Holstein

Executive Director

Karen HorningCamp Director

Melissa LoGiuratoAdministrative Assistant

Ken SzubertDesign

Typehouse Graphics

Jerry DobesPrinting

JD Pro Productions

The summer camp season is behind us and planning for summer 2019 is underway! We had a full house this summer with campers from Rockford and the Chicagoland area, including 33 new participants. But we were a little sad we could not accommodate all of the campers on our waiting list. We hope the continued support of our members and friends will allow us to accom-modate more campers next season.

Our mission at camp is to provide our campers with the very best care and to enrich their lives as they enrich ours through new experienc-es, friendships and positive interac-tions. Staff included men and wom-en brand new to Camp Fireside plus several seasoned veterans. Our international staff hailed from places as close as Rockford and as far away as the UK and Poland.

Once again campers enjoyed swimming at the Rockford Y, dancingcourtesy of Theresa from the Rockford Dance Company, Equine therapy from our friend Kiki and the volunteers at Hope Reigns Ranch, and the amazing music of Scott and Ed of Two Fellas Band who turned the Farm Inn into a concert venue every week. We closed our summer season with the staff, Two Fellas Band and more than 200 guests celebrating at our summer party at Berwyn Moose Lodge. As always, thanks to our dedicated camp staff and our Camp Director, Karen Horning, for the great care they give our campers!

Fall brings more exciting program-ming as we open our new venue, the SRCA Creative Center, 3906 Gunderson Avenue, Stickney, about 5 minutes from our office. We are also pleased to announce that Scott Licina, from Two Fellas Band, will be teaching our art and music classes. More details, including the start date, will be announced in the next few weeks.

In closing, I wanted to point out our new SRCA logo – bright, colorful and with sunshine rising out of the letters SRCA - stands for support-ive recreation, camp and arts. You

Bright Future Ahead for SRCA!by Mark Holstein,Executive Director

will find the new logo at our office in Berwyn and the new Creative Center in Stickney, and the same colorful SRCA name includedon our new Camp Fireside sign at camp. You will find this logo on our website, Facebook page, letterhead and brochures, and other publica-tions. For me it represents both the agency of our past and the agency of our future.

A group of parents 70 years ago developed programs that allowed their kids to experience our bright and colorful world in the same way that we all do, and allowed all of us to know a more bright and colorful world because of them. As we move forward, we continue to be committed to the same shared experiences that enrich our lives and theirs. The top of our logo represents the sun rising. When our campers sing the Camp Fireside song, written to the tune of You Are My Sunshine, it occurs to me this song perfectly reflects how we feel about the people with disabilities that we serve – yes, they are our sunshine!

Alfies Inn Lillian AliceaKaren BarthelMichelle BednarzMichael BenshishRita BerkosAnthony BertucaBerwyn Ace HardwareBerwyn Eagles #2125Berwyn Police DepartmentBest Way ReffinishingBrookfield ElksAnita and Charlene BrozasKarol and Jack CalvertCapri BanquetsJohn and Nancy CarrCasey’s Market, Western SpringsLinda and Tom CervankaEdwin and Shu-Pi ChenCicero Voters AllianceJoe CimfeCocalas, Westberg, Mommsen & Co., Ltd. Janice CollinsNoreen A. CostelloePat CraneCrystal SkyMary DeMarsAnn DevereuxDevon Seafood and SteakDisposall Waste ServicesAnnie DooleyDrury LaneEnterprise Rent-A-CarEmillo’s Tapas RestaurantR. W. EricksonJoyci FeldmanFlood BrothersFox Valley Fire and SafetyRobert FranklinTim and Shelly FrebergTracy Elenna FrizzellSister Theresa GalvanGarden Center ServicesFrances GeyerRon GlabGlenbard Auto BodyGoodman Theatre

Omar and Sandra GrahamBob and Ginny GreccoKathleen GreccoArt GronkowskiJanis GuggenheimJack HamiltonDeb HarrisHawthorne Race CourseAlex HazzardJoan HenzlTodd HitzemanMark and Kim HolsteinTim and Karen HorningIL Council #1691IL Council #4200Rosie JamesSusan JamrosJansen HeatingMarlene JanskyDebra JohnstonKane County CougarsGordon and Laura KaplanChris KarmagardMarge KearneyCara KellerRanse and Jane KeslRon and Esther KieferBruce and Deanne KimballLois KirshKiwanis Club of BrookfieldPeggy and Al KnezLindholm RoofingJim and Melissa LoGiuratoLyons MustangMary Ann MasonBob McClainDan MillerJames MolesJon and Eileen MontgomeryEileen Polanek MurphyRon and Bonnie NalepaDan and Katie NiedermeyerPatricia NiemanNorthlight TheatreNorton Family Amelia NowakowskiTed and Joyce OrlandTom Padilla

Patio RestaurantMildred and Emil PelusoMary Alice PovolnySharon ReaganRe/Max PartnersHilda RohmannFlorence RooneyDiane and David SalvinoDonald SalvinoSalvino HaulingRalph J. Salvino IIIRoger and Pat SalvinoGeorgann MecozziMetz PlumbingDan MillerKristine SandrickDolores SansonMelissa SchiedJoan ShortallRichard SmithClarence SmithLinda Sokol FrancisSolutions for CareValencia SteeleStickney LaundrymatDr. Kenneth StoffelMary StortoMary SullivanJohn and Rosemarie SzwajkartPhyliss and Del TedrickTheatre of Western SpringsTed and Stella TsokolasUS Charitable Gift TrustMary VanakerVictory GardensFrank and Jessica VomackaSandy VomackaAshley WalshBrian and Iris WalshVincent WalshPat WaskoJoan and Chester WiczekSophie and Maria WinnJanice and James WolakWolniak FamilyFrank Lloyd Wright Home and StudioZaniesTom Zimmerman

SRCA DonorsThank you for your support this past year! You have helped SRCA make a difference

in the lives of adults with developmental disabilities.

Thank You

Seasonal Parties, Summer Bowling, Bring Happy Times!What a great few months this has been for SRCA and our participants!In addition to eight fun weeks of camp, we hosted several special events.

• In May, more than 180 people enjoyed Jazzing with SRCA. Everyone danced to the music of Stephanie Browning and the Abilities Performers, ate Paisans Pizza, Vesecky Cookies, Cooler Affairs Ice Cream and balloons made by David Lyons.

• August brought SRCA’s All American Holiday Party with more than 220

Rolling Lanes for the hospitality and attention they gave our bowlers.

One thing for sure, SRCA’s activities and programs just keep on getting better and bigger! Thanks to everyone associated with SRCA for making this possible. So far, because of generous donors, we are able to offer these events at no cost to our participants. Please support SRCA so we may continue to serve this underserved population. And if you haven’t been to an SRCA party, you owe it to yourself to join us for a joyful celebration.

guests rockin’’ and rollin’ with Two Fellas Band, and enjoying Novi’s Beef, cookies, ice cream and face painting by B-Noz The Clown. Thank you to the Berwyn Moose for being such great party partners!

• We completed the summer bowling season with a pizza party at Michael Anthony’s Restaurant. The food was delicious and the hospitality and service were outstanding. This year, each bowler and cheerleader received a $10 cash prize. (Sure beats a bowling trophy). Thanks to

SRCA (Main Office)3309 South Harvey Avenue

Berwyn, IL 60402708-788-5777

SRCA Camp Fireside (Camp at the Farm)2567 Osborne RoadWinnebago, IL 61081

815-335-2435

info@srca.community

www.srca.community

www.facebook.com/campatthefarm

SRCA is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

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Berwyn, Il 60402

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