Supporters tip their hats to Resources organization

At Sunday's fall benefit luncheon to benefit Resources for Community Living, spring hats were the order of the day.

And guests got into it, donning their fanciest bonnets for the affair.

The event took place in the banquet room at Kemper Lakes Golf Club in Kildeer, where guests looked out over the club's championship golf course, as seen through the room's floor-to-ceiling windows.

"This was our eighth annual fall luncheon, and we've always had glorious weather," said Geanie Kuehnau of Rolling Meadows, "so we thought, 'why not celebrate it with hats.' "

Organizers hooked the entire event around the bonnets, calling its theme, "Hats ON to Independence."

Consequently, there was no formal fashion show. Instead, guests enjoyed a gourmet luncheon, seated with other parents and supporters of the Rolling Meadows organization, while taking in one another's hats, with one more colorful than the next.

The only presentations of the day were made by some of the agency's clients, who described their experiences living independently in their own apartments and condos in the community.

That is one of the organization's missions, after all --to empower individuals with disabilities to achieve greater independence in the community. Staff members help by finding affordable housing and offering regular support visits, as well as monthly social outings, needed to thrive.

"For over 13 years, Resources has been working to make the dream of independent living a reality for adults with disabilities," said Dr. Robert Walsh, executive director. "For many, this means leaving their family home and moving into their own apartment, often with a roommate.

"Some of our participants choose to live alone," Walsh added, "and still others make their dream of homeownership a reality."

The experience of moving into their own place, with the regular support services, has served as a springboard for many of the higher functioning clients, parents said.

"These are the people who would be falling through the cracks, if it were not for RCL," Kuehnau said.