The Needs in our Community
Naperville is the fourth largest city in Illinois with 135,000 residents and growing every year. It has been ranked as one of the best towns to raise children, retire and start a home-based business. It is home to nationally acclaimed schools and has an exceptionally low crime rate. Still, health and human services are needed in many areas?caring for children with special needs, support for mental health, care for senior citizens and financial stability for the working poor.
For children with special needs, an initial diagnosis is just the first step. Gaining medical attention, therapeutic education and recreation specific to special needs children can be a struggle throughout the child?s life.
With cost-of-living increases and the scarcity of employment for low-to-moderate income persons, homelessness is on the rise in Naperville and its surrounding communities. In fact, in the last 10 years, the rate of increase of working poor in the suburbs was much sharper than the City of Chicago?s rate of increase.
Public funding for mental health services is limited and focused on severe and persistent mental illness, such as schizophrenia. However, equally serious issues, such as depression, martial problems or grief from loss, have serious implications on the families of the sufferer. Yet, mental health counseling is not widely available to those without insurance.
Studies confirm that as people age, they prefer to remain in their own homes, or at least outside institutional settings. In order to keep their physical and mental health intact many seniors rely on care givers, usually familymembers, to assist them. While care-giving is a role that many adult children tend to take on, it can be stressful for the entire family.
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