Batavia woman honored for volunteerism by TriCity Family Services

Growing up in a Jewish family, Joanne Spitz of Batavia had the term "Tikun Olam" ingrained in her mind at an early age.

It translates to "Repair the World." And repair, she did.

In honor of her tireless efforts to help families in the Tri-Cities area, Spitz was named recipient of TriCity Family Services' 2014 William D. Barth Award for community service. The agency celebrated the 30th anniversary of the award Thursday night at Riverside Banquets in Geneva.

"I know that I can make a difference - not by myself but within the community," Spitz said of her various charitable efforts. "I think we have wonderful communities, and people want to know how they can help. You just have to tell them."

Reluctant to draw attention to herself as the inspirational leader behind nearly every project or organization she has touched, Spitz said, "If I hear about something like a homeless person, I say I want to help and if I want to help, I know others who do as well."

After learning that more than 40 children in Batavia public schools were homeless in October of 2013, Spitz went to work quickly in bringing Batavia churches and service organizations together to create Community Helpers Impacting People In Need, also known as CHIP IN.

A month later, those organizations and about 50 other volunteers were following Spitz's lead in assisting those students.

More recently, as a founding member of the Batavia Bike Commission, she organized an effort to provide repaired bikes to children whose families cannot purchase a bicycle. With the support of the Batavia Rotary Club, Spitz helped more than 65 children receive bikes.

Nearly 10 years ago, she began volunteering for the Friends of TriCity Family Services. Eventually, she became a coordinator for all of the agency's key fundraising events.

She has been especially active the past nine years in growing the agency's Adopt a Family program, designed to provide gifts to families in need of help during the holidays. Spitz estimates the program has helped 450 families in that time span.

In one instance, she took a single mom under her wing, making sure the woman had some gifts of her own at Christmas and also paid for woman's children's swim lessons that summer.

"Everything kind of works together," Spitz said of her efforts when she focuses on a worthy cause.

"It's magical, because I don't know how the connections begin or end, but I know people from the city, the park district, the libraries and the schools," she added.

Spitz first got active in volunteering through the PTO ranks of schools Louise White and Hoover Wood elementary schools in Batavia.

Her community involvement includes work with the Batavia Foundation for Educational Excellence, the Batavia Fine Arts Centre and Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry.

Spitz said her involvement with TriCity Family Services and CHIP IN stems mostly from wanting to help children.

"Everyone deserves a Christmas and some happiness and hope," she said. "I hear so many stories about families with electricity being turned off or a father with cancer, and if we can give a little hope, that's what we want to do."

Spitz also received the TriCity Family Services annual Judy Burgess award for volunteer service last year, and has been a past Batavia Citizen of the Year nominee.

TriCity Family Services also acknowledged those who were nominated for this year's Barth Award.

They were Patrick and Sharon Brazill for establishing Kane County Triad and their work on the Geneva Senior Center; Janet Craft for her role with the Visiting Nurses Association; and Keith Gollwitzer and Scott Kurth for support of mental health issues through the Accelerators Running Club.

Also, Melinda Kintz for various volunteer projects, including Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity, and Don Regole for his tireless efforts to raise money for community causes through the Exchange Club of the Tri-Cities and the St. Charles Jaycees and helping train volunteers at Delnor Hospital.