Treasure Chest Foundation Honors Evergreen Park Resident as Volunteer of the Year

The Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation (POTCF) recognized it’s Volunteer of the Year, Evergreen Park resident Janet Wilschke, during their seventh annual Treasuring Our Kids fundraiser in Oak Forest. Janet is one of a core group of senior age volunteers who convene each and every Friday at the Foundation’s Orland Park warehouse to prepare hundreds of toys for shipping to children and teens who are battling cancer.

POTCF Founder and CEO Colleen Kisel said, “Janet brings a special skill to her position. Whenever we need a job done right and done right away, we know Janet’s the one. She’s definitely our ‘go-to’ person to meet a deadline! It’s not unusual to see her standing up for hours on end while she works, a reflection of the energy and enthusiasm she brings to her role here.”

When asked what appeals to her most about volunteering for the Foundation, Janet said without hesitation, “Just about everything! Toy wrapping, fundraising, the people, atmosphere and my co-workers. We’re all one big family!”

“I met Colleen my very first day at the Treasure Chest Foundation,” recalls Janet. “She taught me the importance of matching the toy dimensions with its package.” Janet quickly forged a common bond with her co-workers who all marvel at her natural ability to eyeball a donated toy and instantly prepare the appropriate wrappings for delivery. Her remarkable skill is critical to the success of the Foundation as it serves more than 9,300 children and teens monthly. On average, the Foundation ships between two and three tons of toys each month, an amazing figure made possible by the hard work of volunteers like Janet.

The POTCF is a unique organization whose services impact more than 9,300 young cancer patients each month in 49 hospitals across 17 states. Nowhere else in the nation does such a program exist. Ms. Kisel founded the organization in 1996 after her then seven-year-old son Martin had been diagnosed with leukemia in 1993. She discovered that giving her son a toy after each procedure provided a calming distraction from his pain, noting that when children are diagnosed with cancer their world soon becomes filled with doctors, nurses, chemotherapy drugs, surgeries and seemingly endless painful procedures. Martin celebrated his 23rd anniversary of remission from the disease earlier this year.

If you would like further information about the Treasure Chest Foundation, please contact Colleen Kisel at 708-687-TOYS (8697) or visit the Foundation’s web site at www.treasurechest.org.