Despite a light drizzle on Friday, September 12, 2014, there was a houseful of smiles inside 501 N. Madison Street, Morrison, IL. The house was literally open to all.
This is the new–and newly-renovated–location of the Whiteside County’s April House Children’s Advocacy Center and office of Executive Director and Forensic Investigator, Johanna Hager.
Tiny but comfortable, the building is a short-term haven for child victims of abuse or violence. Here, in security and complete privacy, they give testimony to Dr. Hager. This act of trust sometimes means the child will not have to tell the painful story in a courtroom.
For 28 years Dr. Hager has “worked with children in need.” In California she worked as a Clinical Psychologist. She has been in Illinois since 2002 and at April House since 2004. She conducts “about 100 interviews per year. The majority of cases are not caused by immediate family members,” which is “unique for Whiteside County,” she stated. “Families [here] are willing to seek help [for their children.]” Her subjects are “referred by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services [the Nation’s largest child welfare agency], Law Enforcement, or the States Attorney.”
April House Children’s Advocacy Center is the only agency in Whiteside County to provide specialized services exclusively to youth who have been abused or neglected.
The former location at 503 N. Madison was not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and, consequently, lost its Government funding. Overhead and maintenance expenses are funded by the Whiteside County Sheriff’s budget and generous donors.
One mandated feature was handicapped accessibility. Whiteside County Sheriff Kelly Wilhelmi, left, and Deputy Seth Janssen illustrate the finely-crafted entrance ramp. Located inside the garage, it allows visitors to enter the kitchen from a covered setting.
Chatting in the kitchen, left-to-right, were Doug Fargher, Secretary/Treasurer of the April House Board; Morrison Chief of Police Brian Melton and Sterling, IL, Chief of Police Ron Pottoff, both members of Whiteside County April House Children’s Advocacy Center Advisory Board; retired Whiteside County States Attorney Gary Spencer; Sheriff Wilhelmi; Illinois General Assembly Representative Mike Smiddy; in the background, Whiteside County States Attorney Trish Joyce.
The kitchen was well stocked with cookies, lemonade, and coffee in anticipation of a large number of attendees. Sharing a moment of hospitality, left-to-right, were Whiteside County States Attorney Victims’ Advocate Vickie Vigen; Whiteside County Assistant States Attorney Carol Linkowski;; Sheriff Wilhelmi; States Attorney Joyce.
Sesame Street’s lovable Elmo greets you in the ADA-approved bathroom. The conference room is yet to be softened with decor, as were the kitchen, family gathering room, office, bathroom, and enclosed front porch. Dr. Hager, left, and Trish Joyce stated it soon would be.
The photo below–taken at the onset of the project–shows six members of Twin Cities Sunrise Rotary Club, volunteers who assisted “in making the April House dream a reality.” Expertise and donated labor transformed the building. Now ADA compliant, April House Children’s Advocacy Center is qualified to receive funding and ready to offer comfort to children and their families.
Left-to-right, the group begins with Gary Schopp, who estimated he worked “400 to 500 man hours.” The hardest room was “the bathroom[, because] it wasn’t level.” Next are Sheriff Wilhelmi and States Attorney Joyce. These five Rotarians are Dan Ribordy, who stated, “We were all just willing workers;” Steve Majeski; Bob Hill; Contractor Marv Lofgren; RandyClodfelter.
On a wall in the family waiting room is a plaque honoring Lofgren which reads, “In appreciation for the outstanding “Service Above Self” Demonstrated by the Twin Cities Sunrise Rotary Club in Making the April House dream a reality. Presented by April House the Whiteside County Child[ren’s] Advocacy Center.”
To further support the April House Golf Outing fundraiser, a bake sale will be held at Cross Creek Golf Course, beginning at 9:00 a.m., on Saturday, September 27. The public is invited to
- bring baked goods the morning of the Golf Outing
- make a monetary donation
- purchase delicious desserts.