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March 31, 2015
EVENTS
FAMILIES
NEWS
IMPACT
GIVING
SERVING
Since opening our doors in 2010, Jill's House has provided 457,302 hours of respite.
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Joel Dillon to Serve as President and CEO of Jill's House
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Joel Dillon joins Jill's House as its new president and CEO.
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After an extensive executive search and interview process, the Jill's House Board of Directors is pleased to announce Joel Dillon as its new president and CEO.
"We are humbled and thrilled that God has led us to this position of service to these wonderful children, their loving families, and the dedicated and excellent staff at Jill's House," Dillon said. "God has done mighty things through Jill's House, and with total and complete reliance on his guidance and blessing, we are hopeful that there are many more bright days ahead for the children and families we serve."
Denny Harris, chairman of the Jill's House Board of Directors, said he is confident that Joel is the right leader for the next chapter of the Jill's House story. "Joel's genuine heart for those affected by disability is evidenced by his significant personal commitment and participation in disability ministry," said Harris. "He also brings to Jill's House solid performance in fundraising, one of our primary needs as we grow the ministry."
Located just outside Washington DC, Jill's House is a highly respected and innovative ministry for families of children with intellectual disabilities. Its one-of-a-kind respite resort in Vienna, VA serves 400+ families in the Washington DC metro area, and its partnerships in Maryland, Virginia, California, Texas, and Indiana (with more locations coming soon!) help it serve many more families around the nation. Read more.
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EVENTS
A Celebration of Special Children Gala
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Multi-platinum country music star Clint Black headlines the evening.
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A Celebration of Special Children brings together more than 400 guests to celebrate the impact of Jill's House on the courageous families and inspiring children it serves. Award-winning musical talent will highlight the elegant evening along with an exquisite dinner, inspirational stories of restoration and the Light of Hope award presentation.
Multi-platinum country music star Clint Black will highlight the evening with a special performance by child music sensation Lexi Walker, along with the McLean Bible Church Orchestra. Alison Starling and Leon Harris of ABC 7/WJLA-TV News, will be our guest emcees.
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Child music sensation Lexi Walker will also give a special performance.
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Graciously co-chaired and produced by Bob and Joyce Johnson of the Johnson Group and hosted by our Steering Committee members:
- Bob and Susie Buck
- Randy and Cheryl Byrnes
- Rui and Karen Garcia
- Dave and Amy Hunt
- Billy and Denise Oorbeek
- Wayne and Catherine Reynolds
Thank you to these gracious partners (as of 2/15/2015): The Johnson Group, Dave and Amy Hunt, Acuity, The Catherine B. Reyonlds Foundation, Bob and Susie Buck, Randy and Cheryl Byrnes, General Dynamics, The Oorbeek Group, AOG Wealth Management, John and Lee Ann Brownlee, Buffy and William Cafritz, Cork and Carole Colburn, and Glenn and Kim Finch.
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Enjoy a day of golf and give the gift of renewal to families raising children with special needs.
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Tee off to celebrate and honor the courageous families and inspiring children Jill's House serves. TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm, a familiar stop on PGA tours, is the championship course for this year's Links for Little Ones Golf Tournament.
Chaired by Senior Vice President Joe Livingood at Billy Casper Golf, the event includes lunch, a reception and dinner, an awards ceremony and exceptional giveaways. But the greatest gift is the part you play in celebrating special children and renewing their families.
Mark your calendar to play in the Links for Little Ones Golf Tournament on October 19, 2015.
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Strength Despite Disability and Deployment
Family Spotlight: Meet The Work Family
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The Works will share their inspirational story at the 2015 Celebration of Special Children Gala.
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Twelve years ago, Pat Work walked out of combat and into a neonatal intensive care unit. His wife, Mara, was there caring for their firstborn, six-day-old son, JP. The doctors explained that JP was in critical condition and missing a segment of his 11q chromosome. At the time of his birth, JP was the only child known to have this specific segment deletion. Without a textbook prognosis, the Works waited until JP was finally ready to come home a month later.
JP's chromosome deletion resulted in a series of cognitive and physical disabilities. He can't do things that most people take for granted. He can't chew food thoroughly; he's not potty-trained, and he has no sense of safety. He has ongoing health challenges and one to two surgeries each year. "Nothing is easy for JP," said Mara, "but he's a champion who endures hardship better than most we've seen. He's resilient, tough, loving and gentle."
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JP and Mara could not stop smiling at this year's Jill's House Night to Shine Prom.
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These traits run in the family. Pat and Mara are committed to each other, to JP and to their ten-year-old daughter, Sally Ann. They do all they can to remain a close-knit family through disability, displacement and deployment. They've moved six times since JP was born in 2002. "That's hard enough with a typical child," said Pat, "but imagine what it's like when you have to change doctors and find good schools and the right supports for a child with special needs, like JP."
In addition to these frequent moves, Pat has been deployed ten times to Afghanistan or Iraq since September 11, 2001. "Sometimes he'll be gone for a few months. Sometimes he's gone more than a year," explained Mara. "This may sound strange, but I try not to make Pat's deployments a big deal for the kids. I want them to feel like it's normal so they won't get upset." Thankfully, Pat's current assignment keeps him grounded in the DC area. Read more. |
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I'm so grateful that my daughter can go to Jill's House. It's truly the only time that I don't worry about her when she's away from me. It's total relief and relaxation, something I only get when she's there. I seriously don't worry because I know she's in such good care and having fun. She loves Jill's House and looks forward to it all week. A simple thank you like this doesn't seem enough or convey what this means to me, my family, and my marriage!
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NEWS
Jill's House Receives Donation from Walmart Foundation
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Walmart donates to support Weeknights at Jill's House for local students with special needs.
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Jill's House received a $33,200 grant through the Walmart Foundation's State Giving Program to support the Weeknights at Jill's House program, a special partnership with area local schools that provides children with special needs recurring overnight respite care and enrichment activities during the week. In 2014, this program alone provided 21,000 hours of care. No center in the world provides more overnight respite to families affected by intellectual disability than Jill's House.
Jill's House is a non-profit organization that provides support for families raising children ages 6 through 17 who have intellectual disabilities. It provides short-term overnight care and activities designed specifically for children with special needs, offering worry-free breaks from caregiving to their families. Read more.
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IMPACT
Area Pastors' Wives Learn to Partner with Jill's House
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We were honored to give local pastors' wives a chance to fellowship and learn about embracing families raising children with special needs.
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This month Jill's House and the North American Mission Board invited a group of local pastors' wives to learn how their churches could partner with Jill's House.
Alyce Metallo, worship leader at McLean Bible Church opened the event with praise and worship. Then Kathy Litton, a pastor's wife from Mobile, AL, encouraged the women to embrace their unique callings as pastors' wives. Kathy Litton is the director of Flourish Ministries, an online community for ministry wives created by the North American Mission Board.
Brenda Solomon also shared wisdom from her years of marriage to Lon, senior pastor at Mclean Bible Church. She encouraged the wives to "fan the inner flame of the heart" through prayer and Bible study, so that they might put Jesus first in their marriages and families. Denise Daffron, vice president of advancement for Jill's House, closed the event by sharing the impact of Jill's House's work and inviting the wives and their churches to partner with Jill's House to embrace families raising children with special needs. Read more. |
GIVING
A Special Assignment Opened a New Door
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Barbara Hill understood the need for respite and has sponsored a child ever since.
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Barbara went from holding a door open for a child with special needs to keeping our doors open as we provide overnight breaks to hundreds of families in our community and across the country raising these special children.
For years, Barbara Hill and her husband, Chad, served as Sunday morning greeters at McLean Bible Church. One morning, they were assigned to greet near the Sunday school classrooms for children with special needs. She watched as moms and dads helped their kids walk or wheel up the path. "They looked happy and relieved to be on their way to church," shared Barbara. But as she held the door for them she realized that these parents would never see their kids grow up. They'd never know the joy of seeing their kids go to college or get married or work in a field they love. She said, "This reality hit me in a very personal way as I thought about my two, healthy grown-up kids." Read more. |
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SERVING
Four Years of Faithful Service
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After volunteering at Jill's House, Leena Alattar considers a career in special education.
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Leena Alattar is a senior at Langley High School. She's been volunteering at Jill's House almost every week since 2011. She's a huge help to our childcare team and a shining example of joyful service.
1. How did you hear about Jill's House?
My high school theater teacher told me about it. She suggested I volunteer because it would be good experience for me. That was in 2011, and I've been volunteering ever since.
2. What do you do at Jill's House?
I'm an extra set of hands at Friday night check in. It's always a busy evening as the staff prepares for the weekend. I help them greet the families, carry the weekend luggage to the bedrooms, and take inventory of child items brought from home. I do whatever I can to help. I've also served as a pool volunteer, kitchen helper, and group buddy. Whether I'm playing with the kids or helping make their meals, I love seeing the weekend run smoothly. The staff and volunteers work as a team to make an awesome weekend for the kids. Read more.
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April 11, 2015
Come dance the night away to the big band sounds of Radio King Orchestra in the ballroom of a private home in McLean.
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May 9, 2015
Clint Black headlines the black-tie gala. Join us at the Hyatt Regency Tysons Corner Center for an evening of inspiration honoring the courageous families and children Jill's House serves.
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A 100-mile motorcycle ride through Northern Virginia raises funds to serve more families. Includes breakfast, lunch and a day of fun and inspiration.
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Jill's House | 703-639-5660
PO Box 9104
McLean, VA 22102
CFC #22742 - United Way #8244
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