Maryville Crisis Nursery to benefit from third annual Light Up a Child’s Life fundraiser May 29

Maryville Crisis Nursery on the Northwest side of Chicago is more than just a place where parents can drop off their children, birth to under 7, to run errands or go to an important appointment. It serves as their lifeline.

This was the case for Jenna, who found the Crisis Nursery online at the time when she was homeless. She and her 3-year-old daughter were sleeping in her car, and she needed a safe place for her child to stay while she was setting up and attending job interviews and housing appointments.

When Jenna contacted Crisis Nursery, the family advocate workers were able to assist her and her daughter in getting into a shelter in Chicago that also provides child care when she needs it so she can continue to look for employment. Beyond that, the Crisis Nursery family advocate workers follow up with Jenna to see how they could further help her with her goals.

On Wednesday, May 29, Maryville will be hosting the third annual Light Up a Child’s Life, co-chaired by Beth and Curt Coolidge and Cece and Jack Hartman, to benefit the Maryville Crisis Nursery and help parents like Jenna.

Now in its third year at Navy Pier’s Offshore Rooftop, at 1000 E. Grand, in Chicago, the fundraiser will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. and will be followed by Chicago’s firework show.

To support the fundraiser and Maryville Crisis Nursery, visit bit.ly/3xJuLmA to purchase your tickets.

“When we planned the very first Light Up a Child’s Life fundraiser in 2022,” said Megan Biasco, director of development at Maryville, “we were not sure what kind of support we were going to get, but here we are on our third year and it’s very exciting to have a successful fundraiser that supports the Crisis Nursery.”

Proceeds from the fundraiser will help the critical services offered by Maryville Crisis Nursery to parents, such as free round-the-clock child care services from four to 72 hours or up to 30 times a year, crisis counseling, referrals to community resources and support programs.

Maryville Crisis Nursery, a family program of Maryville, is the only crisis nursery serving Cook and Lake counties. It provides free short-term care for parents in distress and in a crisis due to domestic violence, medical issues, illness or hospitalization and economic hardships. It protects their children from abuse, neglect or trauma.

For information on the May 29 fundraiser, contact Tina Hock at (847) 294-1982 or email restivo-hockt@maryvilleacademy.org.