For Little Friends, 2017 was a year marked by transition and incredible investment in our facilities and program infrastructure. When I took the reins as CEO in March, Little Friends had just celebrated its 41st annual Benefit Auction with a record-smashing evening, raising more than $300,000 to help us provide programs and services for the more than 800 clients and families we serve.
I have long known that we provide exceptional care and resources for those affected by autism and other developmental disabilities; we are anchored by a dedicated and generous staff. Until I had reported to the office every day, I hadn’t realized the scope of our work. And in order to sustain that quality of work and stellar reputation, investments had to be made.
We remodeled a large portion of Krejci Academy, installing new lighting, flooring, and fixtures. We made it a priority to see that all students in our school programs have one-to-one technology to assist them as they learn.
Clients in our Day Services program have kept busy with subcontract work. The work provided by area businesses allows our clients to earn a paycheck and give them a sense of pride in their work and purpose in their day. Our artists at Little Friends’ Inklude Studio exhibited original art in North Central College’s Schoenherr Gallery to great success, and recently sold numerous handmade cards and holiday décor at Naperville’s popular Washington Street Market.
The demand for therapies in speech, applied behavior analysis, and social skills groups is keeping the staff at our Center for Autism busy, and clients in our residential program continue to be integrated in our community and are welcomed at stores and restaurants throughout the area.
What we do matters — to those we serve, to those whose lives are impacted by autism, and to this community. We’ll keep building that momentum, and we’ll make 2018 yet another great year.
