Naperville News Digest: Rotary Club honors local people with Community Service Awards; $25,000 donation to provide family meals at Edward Hospital; Turning Pointe holding events as part of Autism Acceptance Month

Naperville News Digest: Rotary Club honors local people with Community Service Awards; $25,000 donation to provide family meals at Edward Hospital; Turning Pointe holding events as part of Autism Acceptance Month

Rotary Club honors local people with Community Service Awards

The Rotary Club of Naperville has presented Community Service Awards to several people who have made significant contributions to helping the Naperville area.

Each of the awards are related to the Rotary Club’s core values of Club Service, Community Service, Vocational Service, Youth Service and International Service, organization leaders said in a news release.

Rotary Club leaders said in a news release that the recipients demonstrate “the spirit of volunteerism and the impact of collective efforts in building a better community.”

Club Service honorees were Danniel Dominquez and Donna O’Hara. Recognized for Community Service to improve life in the Naperville area were Kristen Jungles and Nancy Malinowski.

Maya Markovic Rama was honored with the International Service Award for a variety of projects and activities. Lynn Lowder and Abel Ruiz were recognized in the Vocational Service category for promoting high ethical standards with businesses.

The Youth Service Award was given to Mary Browning and Angie Johnson for leadership development programs, service projects and educational initiatives for Naperville children.

$25,000 donation to provide family meals at Edward Hospital

Northwestern Mutual Chicagoland has donated $25,000 to provide meals to those using the Ronald McDonald Family Room at Endeavor Health Edward Hospital in Naperville.

The donation to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana for its Meals from the Heart program provides more than 2,500 people and families affected by pediatric illness with meals for four months, organizers said.

Ronald McDonald Family Rooms offer a quiet place away from the medical area so families can regroup, eat, shower or rest during their child’s testing or treatments.

The Ronald McDonald House website says that for families with children in hospitals, the rooms gives people a way to step away from their child’s bedside to take care of themselves. They typically provide a kitchen, private bathrooms and showers, laundry service and a quiet room to recharge.

Turning Pointe holding events as part of Autism Acceptance Month

Turning Pointe Autism Foundation is recognizing Autism Acceptance Month with a series of events throughout April being held in conjunction with local businesses and organizations.

Local car dealerships, including Naperville Toyota, Gerald Nissan of Naperville, Haggerty Buick GMC, Haggerty Chevrolet, Haggerty Ford, McCarthy Ford, Gerald Kia of Naperville, Gerald Subaru of Naperville, Naperville Chevrolet and Lexus of Naperville, will be participating in the “Test Drives for Autism Awareness” initiative through which $20 will be donated to Turning Pointe for every test drive taken in April.

Seven KidSnips locations, including the one at Naperville Crossings, 2835 Showplace Drive, will donate $1 from every haircut on weekdays in April to Turning Pointe.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 27, Turning Pointe and the Sloomoo Institute will host an Open House Resource Fair at which there will be interactive, sensory and adaptive play.

During the event, community members can tour the Turning Pointe Autism Foundation, 1500 W. Ogden Ave., and pick up information about local resources, including the DuPage Children’s Museum, Shine Pediatric Dentistry, Riverwalk Adult Day Services and the Western DuPage Special Recreation Association.

On April 2, the Naperville City Council proclaimed April as Autism Awareness Month.

For more information, go to turningpointeautismfoundation.org.

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