Park Lawn 'Tag Day' Volunteers Collecting This Weekend

Park Lawn's annual 'Miles of Smiles' tag days will commence March 29-30 and April 12-13. Tag Day volunteers are needed to collect donations and smiles throughout the Southland.

Park Lawn "Tag Day" volunteers will be out and about throughout the Southland collecting donations on street corners, supermarkets and shopping centers this weekend. This is one of Park Lawn's biggest annual fundraisers. On average, Tag Days help raise more than $50,000 that directly benefits the programs and services for individuals with developmental disabilities at Park Lawn. Park Lawn is also recruiting volunteers to help on the weekend April 12-13 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. to spread the word about Park Lawn during the annual Tag Days event.   Since the first Park Lawn Tag Days in 1982, more than $1 million has been collected. This is all from loose change and bills throughout the 31 years.    Students often take this opportunity to …

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Ornament Sales To Benefit Park Lawn's Angel Fund

Standard Bank and Trust annual giving trees and ornament sales fulfill holiday wishes of developmentally disabled adults with little or no family support.

Standard Bank is rolling out the holly to deck its lobby trees and help fulfill the holiday wish lists of intellectually challenged and developmentally disabled adults served by Park Lawn. For the third consecutive year, Park Lawn is the designated beneficiary for Standard Bank’s “Holiday Hope” ornament sale. Donations will help purchase much-needed items for Park Lawn’s Angel Fund. The fund was created to enable Park Lawn to provide a warm, caring and loving environment for adults with multiple medical, physical and intellectual disabilities. The ornaments sell for $1, $5 and $10. Proceeds will be used to buy Christmas presents and other every day necessities for developmentally disabled and intellectually challenged adults living at Park…

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Local Ways to Give Back for the Holidays

Patch has compiled a list of different charitable efforts around Beverly, Mt. Greenwood, Evergreen Park, Oak Lawn and Palos this holiday season.

South Suburban Community Comes Together to Experience Gift of Giving

The Emmaus Community church in Chicago Heights served as a PADS facility on Christmas, offering meals, haircuts and a warm respite from the winter.

Carol Marshall stood in the middle of a dozen volunteers who in a moment became food servers. Prepared food had just arrived for the Christmas dinner on Saturday at The Emmaus Community in Chicago Heights. The church served as a facility for South Suburban PADS, or Public Action to Deliver Shelter, on Christmas, offering hot meals, a comfortable environment and haircuts for the homeless. A buffet line of homemade turkey, sweet potatoes, mac and cheese, and pies was set up, ready for service. But with so many people who decided to spend their Christmas helping out at Emmaus, Marshall needed to find more tasks for them. Then it hit her. Those volunteers would literally serve Christmas dinner plates to the 65 guests seated at tables within …

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Treasure Chest Chock Full of Gifts for Kids

The Orland Park-based foundation collects toys for children suffering from cancer and recently saw a 20 percent increase in donations.

Kristine Bulian knew what her family had to do. About two and a half years ago, her daughter Hannah was admitted to Advocate Hope Children's Hospital for intense chemotherapy to treat leukemia. It was her 12th birthday. When the doctors found out it was Hannah's birthday, she immediately got to pick a present from the "treasure chest," a selection of toys donated to hospitals across the country from the Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation. During 16 hospital stays that followed after her birthday, the staff would bring her toys to choose from on days when she needed rest, especially after a difficult procedure. "It was significant. She always smiled," Kristine Bulian said.  "The hospital staff would always look for the perfect …

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