Hephzibah Home Open House

Please join us on Friday, September 16th, from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm. as we celebrate several milestones for Hephzibah Children’s Association.

• Tours of the newly updated spaces
• Unveiling of new Art Heals sculpture
• Presentations on new programming
• Complimentary refreshments

We will be offering tours of the updated space, as well as presentations detailing our latest therapeutic services and prevention programming. We would love to see you all there. Please register below.

More About the Open House…

In 1897, Mary Wessels opened her home to two children, and “she had begun her work”, as she wrote on a postcard to a friend. Soon after, she would again open her doors to a dozen more children displaced by a fire at a local orphanage. As Mary took in more and more vulnerable children, so did the need for larger spaces to care for these children. After a house she purchased on Lake Street also became too small, Mary built what we know today as Hephzibah Home, which officially opened its doors in 1929.

Over the years, the home’s purpose would evolve to meet the needs of local children. For a time, Hephzibah Home would serve as a day care site offering enriching and affordable day care for working parents. Today, the home is back to its roots as a residence for children suffering from severe abuse and neglect. Our therapeutic treatment program in the home serves some of the youngest children in the State of Illinois.

This year, we have several reasons to celebrate at our Open House event on September 16th. First, we will be opening the home up again to our community, welcoming visitors and volunteers after extensive renovations that have spanned over two years. These renovations include vital safety upgrades, as well as many changes designed to enhance our family visitation areas, common and therapeutic treatment spaces. The home is now warmer, more comforting and inviting than ever before. We took care to preserve areas of historical significance, which are visible throughout. All of these updates were made possible through generous private donations.

These were strategic, much needed improvements which will improve the lives of the children we serve and allow staff the space to serve every child’s unique needs. The enhancements made will allow staff the ability to help each child’s individual requirements and will ensure they are in the best position possible to receive and respond to treatment so they can safely transition to a family environment.

We will also be unveiling a new sculpture installation in front of the home as part of our Art Heals memorial fund. Created by local artist Margot McMahon, “Forms of Nature”, three beautifully carved tree trunks, is a tribute to Leslie Ann Jones and Tom Johnson, who were community leaders that supported Hephzibah tirelessly. Art Heals was founded in 2021 to honor Jones and Johnson, and is designed to support our Art Therapy program which helps children process trauma through art.

In addition to these improvements, we are continuing the celebration of Hephzibah’s 125th anniversary. There will be programs throughout the event, which will detail the depth of history of our residence, discuss changes made to our therapeutic programs, offer tours of the updated spaces and share news about future programming.

We want to welcome you back to our home and to see where all your support, for all these years, has gone and how much it has improved the lives of the children we serve.

This event is sponsored by Oak Park Bank.