Naperville CARES becomes eighth recipient of Martin Mitchell Mansion Friendship Plate

After Vicky Joseph received the Martin Mitchell Mansion Friendship Plate on September 20 from Laura and Mark Brown, she set a date to pass the plate in record time.

Each recipient has up to 15 days to fill the plate with a special recipe and give it to an individual or group in friendship. Yet, for a variety of reasons, Joseph, founder of Families Helping Families in 1994, coordinated her choice for the eighth presentation to take place within three days.

A regular volunteer at Naperville CARES on Tuesday afternoons, Joseph decided it would be an honor to give the plate to Naperville CARES Executive Director Janet Derrick on her next visit, Sept. 23.  So she prepared one of her favorite salad recipes, a vegetarian dish called “Quinoa and Black Bean Salad,” and made her presentation. Then she poured a large bowl of salad on the platter for everyone in the office to enjoy.

Joseph noted that she’d selected Naperville CARES as another way to celebrate the nonprofit organization during its 15th anniversary year.

“Naperville CARES has been assisting local families in financial crisis for 15 years,” Joseph said.

Naperville CARES is known to help local families in financial crisis meet their essential needs by providing emergency financial support and resources, including a car program. CARES also is recognized for its popular fundraising and awareness initiatives —Cuisine of a Cause in April and Toast for a Cause in November—that bring the community together.

Since June 29, local individuals and groups have been celebrating the 130th birthday of the grand Victorian mansion at Naper Settlement by passing the Martin Mitchell Mansion Friendship Plate.  The yearlong journey will continue through the end of June 2015.

Now the folks at Naperville CARES  will have a chance to whip up some favorite recipe and select the next recipient of the Martin Mitchell Mansion Friendship Plate within 15 days, if possible.

To follow the journey of the plate throughout Naperville, complete with recipes, visit www.napersettlement.org.

Find other posts on this website featuring the first seven presentations that began at Naper Settlement, Naperville’s outdoor history museum, in late June.  So far, the commemorative Martin Mitchell Mansion Friendship Plate has been presented to Positively Naperville, the Naperville Jaycees, Kendall Cooks of the Judd Kendall VFW, Naperville Municipal Band, Community Access Naperville, Mark Brown & Associates and Families Helping Families. Naperville CARES is the eighth recipient.