News

Marklund Children's Home Holiday Party

"Children Treated to Annual Holiday Party at Marklund Children's Home," Sunday, Dec. 11, MySuburbanLife.com (click on link to view photos)

2011 End-of-Year Appeal

It’s every parent’s nightmare…in the blink of an eye, a tragic accident involving an innocent child changes life forever.

“I thought I was home free when I was blessed with four healthy children.”
--Sharon, mother and Marklund parent

When Sharon turned around, her 2-year-old daughter Brenda was not there. She and her family searched the home,
the yard, the neighborhood, and suddenly saw the open gate.

Baby Brenda was found at the bottom of the pool; she survived, but with severe brain damage and would require
24/7 care for the rest of her life. When her family could no longer provide the therapies and care she needed to
thrive at home, Marklund was there for her.

Sharon placed Brenda at Marklund 33 years ago.

“After doing extensive research, I believe that no other residential program in the country can hold a candle to Marklund! Brenda is so happy and thrives at Marklund; it’s her home. Marklund’s staff has become a part of our family.”

Founded in 1954, Marklund began as an organization that cared for children with developmental disabilities. As these children grew up, we realized we needed to expand our circle of care, and serve individuals of all ages with developmental disabilities. Now, 57 years later, Marklund has two facilities – our Bloomingdale site that serves as our children’s residence and Day School, and our Geneva campus for adults.

“I give because those before me gave; someone else made sure Marklund was there for my daughter. I can do no less for someone else’s child.”

We are only able to provide our high standard of care with the support of people like Brenda’s mom, who believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to lead a full and meaningful life. Please join us in making a difference, by offering hope, opportunity and joy to families like Sharon’s. Give a gift to ensure that if tragedy redefines a child’s life, Marklund is there to support and care for the whole family.  To give today, please click here.

With sincere gratitude,

Gilbert W. Fonger,
President & CEO

Volunteer/Musician Creates Music Video Tribute

Bob Collins never saw himself as a person who could work with children, much less children with special needs. As a man who spent his adult life as a heavy equipment operator, he didn’t think he fit the description for that role. However, these days Collins volunteers three days a week at the Marklund Children’s Home, a not-for-profit organization specializing in the care of developmentally disabled children.

Volunteering at the Bloomingdale facility since early 2009, Collins recently expressed his appreciation to the Marklund employees for all they do by writing and producing a blues-styled song and music video called, “Marklund is the Place.”

“It’s a musical thank you note to the staff,” said the Carol Stream resident. “I’ve seen them show such compassion to these children, and to go above and beyond what their duties are--it just inspired me to do this.”

A guitarist who plays with friends in local bands, Collins had no trouble recruiting musicians to help him out in this endeavor. After writing the lyrics to the song, he and bandmates—one of whom even works as a nurse at Marklund, recorded the song and followed that up with the video. New to the world of video production, he received guidance from friends and taped the video at his church, Community Fellowship in West Chicago.

“It was an interesting learning experience,” he said, “but a lot of fun. I’m proud of how it turned out.”

“Bob is a great guy,” said Lois Sheaffer-Kramer, director of children’s services at Marklund. “He is so dedicated to our young clients, always helping out with activities and outings. When he gave us the video, we were very impressed. The staff loved it!”

The video is available for viewing on YouTube at the Marklund Charities page.

Although having first heard about Marklund nearly 35 years ago during a presentation at his church, Collins admits that it took him some time to follow his path to its door. Inspired by writings of Mother Theresa and quotes by Martin Luther, he realized the importance of helping those who cannot help themselves. “It really is a special place, and they take such wonderful care of the children,” he said.

In his song, Collins even encourages others to volunteer at the organization “So come on down to Marklund, be a friend, volunteer and spend some time. ‘Cause if you miss out on this blessing, that would surely have to be classified as a crime…”

Marklund Receives Largest Single Gift to Support Aquatic Therapy

Marklund, a not-for-profit agency serving adults and children with profound developmental disabilities and special healthcare needs, received a pledge of $540,000 from the Foglia Family Foundation, making it the largest individual gift ever received in its 57-year history.  The pledge will extend over a three-year period and will support its aquatic therapy program.

“This generous gift will help us greatly expand our aquatic therapy program giving those we serve almost three times more therapy time in the pool than we currently can fund,” explained Gilbert Fonger, President and CEO of Marklund. “With this substantial gift, we plan to get the expanded program up and running by January of 2012.”

The indoor aquatic therapy pool is located on Marklund’s 20-acre Geneva campus. As Fonger explained, aquatic therapy is offered to clients as an additional service provided by Marklund, supported only by private donations, as it is not among the services reimbursed by state funding. A lack of funding restricted the organization’s ability to provide this type of therapy. Once the program is operational, Marklund will partner with a major university to document the positive effects of aquatic therapy on those with developmental disabilities.

“An aquatic therapy program this extensive is rare, and we are very excited about what this is going to do for our clients and for how the research will benefit all those individuals with developmental disabilities,” Fonger added.

Since 1994, Patricia and Vincent Foglia of the Foglia Family Foundation have contributed millions of dollars to nearly 30 organizations that serve under-privileged families and children, as well as medical facilities and educational institutions in Illinois.

“We believe in Marklund’s ability to provide exceptional care for people with developmental disabilities and are pleased to support the growth of this specialized therapy program,” stated Vincent Foglia.

Marklund’s mission is to enrich the lives of those with special healthcare needs by honoring the unique purpose of each individual. Those served by Marklund are able to enjoy a full and meaningful life supported by a compassionate nurturing environment, a strong partnership with the community and an unmatched dedication to personal growth. Marklund annually serves nearly 200 families throughout the greater Chicagoland area. It has locations in Geneva and Bloomingdale, as well as a resale shop in Wood Dale.