 Amy Grant Highlights A Celebration of Special Children More than 450 guests enjoy the evening of inspiration.
A Celebration of Special Children, the inaugural benefit for Jill's House held on Saturday, May 4 at The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner, was an evening to remember. Hosted by Wayne and Catherine Reynolds and the Jill's House Board of Directors, the event raised $760,000 to serve the courageous families and inspiring children of Jill's House.
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Left to right: Brenda Solomon, Amy Grant, Catherine Reynolds and Alison Starling at A Celebration of Special Children.
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Col. Michael Johnson, a parent of Jill's House guest Patrick, shared his family's courageous story with guests, prompting Amy Grant to say that she had never heard a more true and honest thank you speech in her life. Read Col. Johnson's speech and learn more about his family's incredible story.
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Raising Her Family Alone: A Mother's Faith
Spotlight: The Clay Family
"When I first heard about Jill's House in January of 2012, my husband was on an international mission trip," said Megan Clay. "I decided to wait until he came back to take a tour of Jill's House. Unfortunately, he never returned. We know he's alive, but I believe the stress of life and raising two children with autism just got to him."
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Typical sibling Savannah (center) sometimes stays at Jill's House, too, giving her mom a weekend of total rest.
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"I have three beautiful children," Megan continued. "My oldest, Natalie, is 13 and has autism. The older she gets, the harder she is to handle. My second child, Albert, also has autism. He's nine. Savannah is eight, and she is typical."
"When we married 17 years ago, my husband and I had the same goals and purposes. I thought our marriage would last forever, through any trial. I never, ever thought I'd have to do this alone. But God gets me through it." Read more.
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Jill's House Brings Prom to Dozens of Children
A true celebration of special children
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Anna, a Jill's House guest, looked beautiful at the Joy Prom.
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On Sunday, May 19, Jill's House hosted its first-ever Joy Prom. "We wanted the children we serve to experience the joy and excitement of attending a prom," said Dana Hecht, director of family relations at Jill's House. "The children and their parents seemed to have a wonderful time, and one parent emailed the next day thanking us again, sharing that she is so grateful that her daughter will never feel deprived, thanks to Jill's House. But the memories and inspiration they gave us far outweigh what we did for them."
As the 42 children and their escorts (in most cases, their parents) arrived, they were greeted by cheering "paparazzi" (courtesy of students of The Rock Student Ministries at McLean Bible Church) and walked the red carpet into the festively decorated Jill's House. Once inside, the girls were given corsages and tiaras, the boys were treated to shoe shines and boutonnieres, and everyone -- even children in wheelchairs -- danced to music provided by a live DJ, Drew Daffron. One father lifted his child out of his wheelchair, held him in his arms and danced with him. Read more.
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Fifth Annual Ride for Jill's House
Motorcycle ride to support Jill's House grows stronger each year.
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Jill was all smiles with The Ride for Jill's House organizers.
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The Fifth Annual Ride for Jill's House is right around the corner. On Saturday, June 15, hundreds of motorcyclists will gather at MBC Prince William for breakfast. They will then take off for a 100-mile ride through the beautiful Virginia countryside. The Ride will end at Jill's House where participants will enjoy a barbecue lunch, take tours of Jill's House, and be entertained by country radio station WMZQ, which will promote the event and broadcast from Jill's House. Most importantly, participants will help raise funds to support the children and families that Jill's House serves.
 Organized by the On His Road City Impact Ministry at McLean
Bible Church, the Ride honors the memory of Steve Schirmann who shared this passion for children with special needs. Organizer Joe Livingood and the On His Road ministry are an amazing example of how one person -- or group -- can help bring renewal to hundreds of families.
Join us and help serve more courageous families and their inspiring children. We are more than half-way to our goal of $50,000, and need your help. To learn more or register, visit jillshouse.org/ride, email teresa.lee@jillshouse.org or call 703.639.5670.
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Presidential Update on June 4
Hear Cameron Doolittle share what's new at Jill's House.
Join us for a live webcast on Tuesday, June 4 from 12 to 1 pm (EDT) to see how Jill's House is growing!
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Cameron Doolittle will share innovative ways we are serving children at Jill's House. |
During this one hour webcast, Cameron Doolittle, president and CEO of Jill's House, will share the impact your gifts are making in the lives of the families and children we serve; updates on various initiatives and programs; and our vision to address the growing need for respite here locally, and beyond. You'll also hear from the families themselves as they thank you for giving them the gift of Jill's House.
This is an exciting time for Jill's House and we welcome you to be part of it. Register today at jillshouse.org/presidentialupdate. For more information, contact denise.daffron@jillshouse.org or call 703.639.5663.
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Courtney's Closet Opens in Herndon
Look great and help Jill's House too!
DeAnn Duvall has been a loyal supporter of Jill's House from the very beginning. She served as our executive director, used her creativity to design our interior, and has served on event committees to support Jill's House. Now that she has opened her own upscale consignment shop, Courtney's Closet, she continues to share her success and generous heart with the children and families Jill's House serves.
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DeAnn shares her heart for Jill's House in everything she does. |
"We have set up a Jill's House Special Needs Family Fund," said DeAnn. "This allows people to designate the proceeds from the sale of their gently used clothing to go to Jill's House."
Courtney's Closet is located at 396 Elden Street in Herndon, Virginia. To consign your clothes or shop for your new look, visit www.courtneyscloset.com or call 703.435.1700.
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Volunteer Loves Sharing the Jill's House Story
Spotlight: Amanda Bednar
 Amanda learned about Jill's House while attending the 2012 Urbana Missions Conference in St. Louis, Missouri. "I was living in Michigan at the time, but when I moved to this area earlier this year one of the first things I did was call Jill's House to see how I could help," said Amanda.
"I live about an hour away from Jill's House, so I wish I could help out more," Amanda continued. "But when I am here, I try to fill in wherever I am needed most. I've worked with the kids, at the front desk, and in the kitchen. I love it most when I get the chance to share the Jill's House story with people who call or stop by. I am so proud of the children, the facility, and the staff."
"In fact, I believe the reason Jill's House is so successful is because of the people who have come together to support these families. From the child care specialists to the administrators to the janitors, everyone I have met has a true heart for what's going on here. Every time I come in for a shift I am met with laughter, love and joy. Who wouldn't want to be part of that every day?"
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Cameron Doolittle Presents at Wilberforce Weekend
Jill's House also demonstrates ways ministries can serve children with disabilities.
Jill's House had a very busy spring! One of the many conferences at which we were invited to share the Jill's House story was right here in the Washington, D.C. area. "Making the Invisible Kingdom Visible" was the theme of the 2013 Wilberforce Weekend held April 26-28 in Arlington, Virginia.
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Cameron Doolittle shared ways churches can support disability ministries. |
As Christians we have a dual citizenship: we are citizens of the Kingdom of God, but also citizens of the earthly realm. How do we live in the in-between of the here and the not yet, making the invisible Kingdom visible in the community in which we live?
Cameron Doolittle, president and CEO of Jill's House, was invited to make a special presentation on how Jill's House is making the invisible Kingdom visible by serving families and children with special needs. Read more.
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Photo of the Month: Katie
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Katie had a great time riding a bike on the Jill's House playground with Andrew, one of our volunteers. |
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May 29, 2013
Since opening in October 2010, Jill's House has provided 216,763 hours of respite care. |
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June 2, 2013: Community Open House, 6-8 pm, all welcome
June 15, 2013: Ride for Jill's House, a 100-mile motorcycle ride
October 14, 2013: Links for Little Ones Golf Tournament, 1757 Golf Club
October 27, 2013: Team Jill's House - Marine Corps Marathon
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What Our Families Are Saying
"Thank you so much for being there for our daughter! She loves coming to Jill's House. For her, it's like a resort where she is a princess for a weekend. We live in Northern Virginia, and she met a friend at Jill's House from Maryland. We try to schedule their visits together. It's a dream for her. She is so happy, and we are so thankful."
"I love Jill's House because my son loves Jill's House. That's the bottom line. But while he's there, my family and I get to do things we wouldn't otherwise be able to do with him, as he needs constant care. And the best part is that I don't feel guilty, because he really loves his time at Jill's House, too. Thank you!" |
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Be a Part of Our Team
As Jill's House serves more children, we continue to need great people.
We are currently hiring for the following positions:
-FT Nursing Director
-PT Custodian
-PT Bus Driver
-PT Childcare Specialists
-PT Water Safety Instructors
-PT & FT Registered Nurses (RNs)
-PT & FT Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs)
View complete listing and job descriptions here.
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