Lincoln Gavin Teacher Keynote Speaker at My Joyful Heart

When Patti Corcoran heard she can help her students, she jumped at the chance. When the Special ed teacher at Lincoln Gavin School in Chicago Heights heard about My Joyful Heart, she signed up students that needed help with essentials and more. Recently the teacher was asked to be the keynote speaker at My Joyful Heart fundraiser.

“What an amazing impact My Joyful Heart has had for our students” explains Corcoran. “Some of our kids in Chicago Heights come from economically challenged homes. Some of the parents are not able to provide warm coats, jackets, scarves mittens and other things that kids need. Some of my students come to school with gym shoes and no socks.”

My Joyful Heart is a non-for profit that provides basic necessities throughout the year for kids and teens from Head Start all the way up to age twenty- two.

According to their website, Through observation or family assessment, underprivileged children residing in the Chicagoland area can be recommended for enrollment into the My Joyful Heart program by: School administrators, teachers, and/or social workers, Child care professionals from licensed day care centers, Religious leaders from churches and Counselors or caseworkers from occupational centers, therapeutic centers, or agencies.

“When my kids see the white bag coming through the door from My Joyful Heart, it’s Christmas” said Corcoran.

“They are so excited, I can’t control them the rest of the day. Everything in that bag, is everything they need. “

Besides Christmas, children and teens are provided with essentials and fun stuff four other times a year, plus a bag for their birthday. “It changes their perspective” said Corcoran. “When the kids come to school feeling warm feeling safe and secure. They are ready to learn. Their minds are open, they’re peaceful. If they’re coming to school cold, hungry and tired., they’re not ready to learn. Some of my students don’t have a blanket, one student I knew never had a bed. My Joyful Heart has given them a joyful heart. I’m now looking at children ready to learn.”

My Joyful Heart began by a single mother, Diane Carroll wanting to help others. The non-profit began when she “adopted” two children from an inner-city public school.

“I was a single mom for most of my life, I know the struggles” said Carroll. “I was able to find a good job, so I wanted to help others. I began to answer Santa letters and was sending a few gifts to the schools. I then became a Christian in 2001, things changed. When I came back to work in 2002 it was heavy on my heart to help these two kids after Christmas.”

She contacted the school and they told her several children in the school had needs. “I began giving the two children Valentine’s day gifts, school supplies and more” explains Carroll. “Towards the fall of that year, I heard from 8-year old Dontrell. He didn’t understand why he was getting these things from me. The teachers let him call me, he asked me if I knew him, I said no. He asked why I was sending him gifts. I told him that Jesus loves him and so do I.”

The next year a little before Christmas, Dontrell’s teacher sent over his Christmas list. “His list came over the fax” Carroll explains. “This little eight- year old guy wrote he wanted a game, clothes, tissues, hand wipes and a hug.”

“He didn’t have a winter coat or shoes that fit. He came to school with holes in his shoes and no socks. So I gave him his list, plus a bag of Hershey hugs. I put a note on the bag, every time he ate one of those little chocolates, it was a hug from me” adds Carroll. “It was all he received for Christmas that year.”

Another story Carroll tells is of a young boy in a school in the southeast suburbs who would take salad dressing packages and stuff them in his pockets. “He told his teacher, today is Friday and there’s no food at my house “Carroll explained. A donor at My Joyful Heart donated food immediately to the family.

“We had an eight-year old ask for toilet paper” said Carroll. “On wish lists, they don’t write toys, they want shoes. There’s not many kids that I know of that ask for shoes, except for the ones in My Joyful Heart.

Carroll would like to add students in Ford Heights and high school students from Chicago Heights and surrounding areas. Children and teens have to be referred to My Joyful Heart by social workers, homeless liaisons, or teachers. “It’s hard to care about homework when you’re twelve years old and homeless. These are the children and teens of My Joyful Heart” adds Carroll.

After teacher, Corcoran finished up her speech at the My Joyful Heart fundraiser, attendees asked how they can help. “I was thinking about My Joyful Heart that they are providing” said Corcoran. My kids are bursting with excitement. It’s your joyful heart that is providing a joyful heart to all these kids and teens. Our mission on earth is to live the way Jesus lived. He gave to everyone, he gave to the poor, he loved the poor, do the mission he has called us to do.”

If you are a school staff member, pastor, social worker, homeless liaison and know of a student that could use the help from My Joyful Heart, please contact Diane Carroll at 815-806-1700.

If you would like to donate or volunteer at My Joyful Heart there are a few ways.

They take in donations of new items such as clothes, essentials, pajama’s, slipper socks the list goes on where you can drop off at the Mokena location.

For the holidays there is a giving tree inside the office of My Joyful Heart located at 9981 W. 190th Street Suite I in Mokena . You can choose to purchase a gift from the giving tree. All gifts have to be out of the warehouse by the first week in December when they are delivered to the schools.

You can also volunteer at the warehouse packing items and more. “You can also sponsor a child for a year, that is our greatest need right now” said Carroll. “There are a lot of Dontrell’s out there that are waiting to receive help in our own backyard” adds Carroll.