Volunteers find ways to honor Sept. 11 victims

Karen Neuharth left the office early Friday, but her work was far from done.

She and about 10 of her colleagues at Hall Erickson, Inc., spent the day sprucing up the grounds at Almost Home Kids in an unincorporated area near Naperville.

"It's nice to be able to help a facility like this," said Neuharth, as she looked around for gardening tools. "This is one opportunity I am taking advantage of."

More than 1,100 volunteers decided to mark the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks by participating in about 50 projects benefiting local nonprofit agencies. The work, organized Giving DuPage, continues today.

"You look back at the momentum around 9/11, obviously people felt very moved in the earlier days to get involved," said Kathy Blair, Giving DuPage's executive director.

While the number of people who signed up for the "Days of Volunteerism" dropped compared to last year, Blair attributed the decline to groups doing more volunteering on a year-round basis.

"It's definitely down, but that's OK," she said. "If people are doing stuff year-round, that's our goal. Our goal is to promote ongoing volunteerism. It's not just about coming out on one day because other people are doing it."

Joan Bertucci, one of Neuharth's co-workers at Hall Erickson, said volunteering is her way of honoring the memory of everyone who died on Sept. 11, 2001.

"You feel like you are doing something and you are helping such a great cause," she said. "It makes you feel so good."

The volunteers from Hall Erickson cleared paths, pulled weeds and helped prepare the Almost Home Kids' two-and-a-half-acre grounds for an open house planned for Sunday.

Formerly known as CoACH Care Center, Almost Home Kids gives children with special health-care needs a place to stay for a variety of reasons. Some are there as a transition after staying at the hospital and before going home. Others stay so their families can take a few days - or just a night - off.

Tiffany Crowe, the center's external affairs coordinator, said volunteers are invaluable because they do work that the center would otherwise have to pay for.

"The budget is so tight," she said. "And we just try to be as fiscally prudent as we can because the money people donate to us is very precious. They are entrusting us to do good with their money."

Volunteer Curt Boehmke of Lockport said he doesn't mind doing his part, even if it includes washing windows and yard work.

"You get a good day's work, but it's not overly hard or stressful," he said, "and you feel good when you leave."