Fox Valley Hands of Hope opens doors to renovated facility in Geneva
The tiles featured suns and trees, hearts, flowers and families, all intended for a mosaic to be assembled at the newly renovated Fox Valley Hands of Hope building in Geneva.
Some 200 volunteers and supporters gathered Friday to celebrate the end of its seven-month renovation with a ribbon cutting, open house, tours and refreshments.
Though originally known as Fox Valley Hospice and then Fox Valley Volunteer Hospice, the nonprofit changed direction several years ago to focus entirely on grief counseling and support, spokeswoman Cindy Bravos said.
"We do not do hospice at all. That is what precipitated the renovation," Bravos said.
"When you walked into the facility, there was a massive desk that looked like a nurses' station. That was removed. Now there's a fireplace and comfortable seating and a hospitality area with coffee and water - refreshments so people can see this as a serene and safe space to come and work through their grief," Bravos said. "They can come here and be vulnerable with people who are experiencing the same thing."
The facility, at 200 Whitfield Drive, offers grief counseling and support in groups and individually, serving all of Kane County, part of DuPage County, and part of Kendall County, she said.
"Grief is not linear. It's not like there's a timeline or an end point, like at six months you should be at this level," Bravos said. "Everyone moves through that differently."
Executive Director Jonathan Shively spoke to the crowd before the ribbons were cut, thanking board members, volunteers and supporters.
"We have a staff of nine, so volunteers are critical to the work," Shively said. "We are what we are because of our volunteers."
Shively said the agency did not do a capital campaign, but relied on its own reserves and support from the Wheaton Franciscan Sisters for the $875,000 renovation of the 7,800-square-foot building.
The renovation included new furniture, technology upgrades, and making the front entrance more ADA accessible, he said.
"It's important to know some things we didn't have before the renovation," Shively said. "We were able to add three dedicated counseling rooms, which we never had before, two individual and one family counseling room."
The facility also has meeting space and occasionally can host outside nonprofits. Shively said they already have hosted the Geneva Women's Club and the Batavia Leaders Forum.
Included in the renovation is the art room, where visitors were drawing on the tiles that would be assembled as a mosaic.
By creating the space, Bravos said, people can use creative expression to help process their grief.
And that was something in which Pingree Grove resident Edgar Garcia was interested. Garcia sat in the art room with his son Bash, 5, while he colored the border of a square with bright teal, surrounding a drawing of his family.
As he is bilingual in Spanish, Garcia said he just went through the center's screening process to become a volunteer grief counselor.
"For a time, I considered going back to school to get a degree for youth counseling and I wanted to be a victims' advocate," Garcia said. "I'd like to help any way I can. When I was younger, I wished someone was there to help me. And so I feel like I'm in a place where I can do that for someone else."
Sugar Grove resident Lou Jacobs, who volunteers there with his wife, said they lost their son to a brain tumor when he was not quite 24.
"So we got involved in individual, one-on-one work, as well as doing groups," Jacobs said. "We've been sharing with others and ... hopefully helping them get through it."
The facility offers all its services without charge.
Information about receiving services, volunteering or providing support is available online at fvhh.net, by calling (630) 232-2233 or via email at info@fvhh.net or griefsupport@fvhh.net