Baird & Warner Host Volunteer Event at St. Coletta's

Baird and Warner Downers Grove hosted a volunteer event at St. Coletta’s of Illinois located in Tinley Park on June 10th. Brokers of the real estate company met at the Tinley Park campus of St. Coletta’s to spend time outside preparing garden beds for use by St. Coletta’s Kennedy School students. The students will be learning to grow and prepare their own food as part of the Culinary Program, which is designed to teach children with intellectual and developmental disabilities kitchen basics.

Elaine Kindt, incoming St. Coletta’s of Illinois Foundation board member, organized the event and donated flowers to St. Coletta’s to help create a welcoming atmosphere. “St. Coletta’s has always been a visionary organization for the disability community. To be on a board that helps the St. Coletta's mission to serve children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities so they can achieve their greatest potential is a great honor.”

This summer the Culinary Program at St. Coletta’s is engaging in a farm to table program where students will be growing and caring for their own garden and growing ingredients that they will later incorporate into recipes for healthy meals. The volunteer’s help allowed students to begin planting their vegetables and also beautified the space.

Corporate volunteer events allow St. Coletta’s to finish projects that need larger groups and are either too strenuous for our participants or time-consuming. Executive Director Annette Skafgaard comments “St. Coletta’s of Illinois is so grateful to the volunteers from B&W and Elaine Kindt for organizing the wonderful clean up at our Tinley campus. The group worked really hard in the nearly 90-degree weather. The students at the Kennedy School were thrilled to get their garden planted and to soon be able to cook their harvest in the Culinary Classroom.”

St. Coletta’s mission is to serve children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities so they can achieve their greatest potential within society. Founded in 1949 by the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi, who continue to sponsor us, St. Coletta’s provides a life-long continuum of care beginning in early childhood. Our residential, educational, and vocational training programs provide services for individuals that enhance their independence and well-being. For more information or to schedule a tour, please call (708) 342-5200 or visit www.stcolettail.org.