Faithful Volunteers: The Heart of Jill’s House 

It’s April 1 and do you know what that means? National Volunteer Month is here, no joke!

At Jill’s House, we provide rest, renewal, and relationships for families raising kids with intellectual disabilities. Through our overnight respite programs, kids experience adventure, joy, and connection, while parents receive the priceless gift of rest. None of this would be possible without our incredible volunteers, whose dedication and selflessness make every camp weekend possible. 

Honoring Our Windy City Volunteers 

Recently, at our Windy City camp, our Chicago-area location on the shores of Lake Geneva in Wisconsin, we had the privilege of recognizing a remarkable group of volunteers who have dedicated countless weekends to serving Jill’s House families. 

As a small token of appreciation, we gave them matching Jill’s House sweatshirts—a simple way to express our gratitude. But the truth is, no gift could ever fully capture how much they mean to us. Their unwavering commitment has made an incredible impact, not just on the kids they serve, but on the families who depend on these weekends for rest and renewal. 

Dedicated Volunteers, Lasting Impact 

Across all of our Jill’s House camps, volunteers give their time, energy, and love to the kids and families we serve. They don’t just stop by for a few hours—they commit entire weekends to ensuring every kid feels celebrated and free to be themselves. 

Their impact goes far beyond supervision. Volunteers laugh, play, and encourage, helping kids try new experiences and celebrating their victories. Whether it’s cheering them on as they zip-line, guiding them through creative projects, or simply sharing a meal, they bring warmth, kindness, and unwavering support. 

As one volunteer shared, “My favorite thing about Jill’s House is meeting and connecting with all the campers! It’s so important for the campers’ families and the campers to experience respite and camp.” 

Extraordinary Commitment, Life-Changing Results 

The dedication of our volunteers is truly humbling. At Windy City, some have given 10, 11, even 17 weekends to Jill’s House—totaling hundreds of hours of service. One extraordinary volunteer has committed 19 full weekends to ensuring that kids experience joy and parents receive much-needed rest. 

These volunteers sacrifice time with their own families so that others can rest, recharge, and experience peace. Their selflessness doesn’t just impact the kids; it transforms entire families, offering relief to parents who carry the weight of round-the-clock caregiving. 

We Can’t Do This Without You 

To every Jill’s House volunteer: Thank you. For every smile, every hug, every game played, every moment of kindness—you are the heart of Jill’s House. 

But we need more people like you. On this first day of National Volunteer Month, will you take the next step and sign up to be a volunteer at Jill’s House? We need volunteers at all five of our camp locations across the country.

Make a difference in the lives of families raising kids with intellectual disabilities. Your partnership can mean the world to Jill’s House kids and their families!