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Keep Your Skin From Drying Out This Winter with Shea Butter Out of Africa!

January 29, 2013 by workingwellresources

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

This past year I was happy to find a new product line that melds skin care with social responsibility: Out of Africa (No, not the movie with Meryl Streep!) Massage therapists wash and dry our hands multiple times  a day between each client. I was so happy to learn about shea butter for my hands to keep them from becoming overly dry, especially in winter. Shea butter in general helps keep skin moist and supple year round in general.

What is Shea Butter? According to Out of Africa, it is nature’s miracle moisturizer and I agree! When I use shea butter on my hands or skin in general, I don’t get a greasy feel. The butter is absorbed into my skin, keeping it moist and supple and smelling good as well! As a massage therapist, I have to wash and dry my hands multiple times each day between clients. Over the years, I’ve found shea butter to be the one type of skin care product that never lets me down! Shea butter is also often used in massage cream products for its moisturizing properties.

whatisshea_image2

Common names: Shea, karité
Scientific name: Vitellaria paradoxa (syn/INCI Butryospermum parkii)

Shea butter is an all-natural product. It is a creamy-colored fatty substance made from the nuts of karite nut trees (Butyrospermum parkii or “butter seed”) that grow wild in the savannah regions of West and East Africa. While shea butter has a wide variety of applications, it is most well-known for its exceptional dermatological and cosmetic healing properties.

Check out the full line of Out of Africa Products here.

How Out of Africa Got Started–the Social Responsibility Aspect


Victor Lulla, a native New Yorker living in Los Angeles, has long nurtured interests in healthy lifestyles, the environment and social responsibility. After briefly considering an early retirement after the sale of his electronics firm in 2002, he instead created California Inside & Out, a manufacturing and distribution company that developed and marketed natural skin and body care products, based in Venice, CA.

Gilles Adamon, owner of Natura Sarl, headquartered in Benin, West Africa, attended the 2005 Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, CA hoping to find a distributor for his shea butter cosmetic products. As luck would have it, Victor was at the Expo looking for an interesting opportunity to help expand his product line.

The two men found that they shared not only an interest in natural products, but in social responsibility as well. A friendship ensued and Out of Africa was founded later that year as an exclusive joint venture.

The founders agreed that Lulla would purchase state of the art production equipment and raw materials, while Adamon’s team, in collaboration with a West African women’s cooperative, would supply locally-sourced pure unrefined shea butter. The company-owned factory in Benin now produces 200,000 bars of soap a month, along with an expanding array of other shea butter products. The products are shipped to California Inside & Out for distribution under the trademarked brand Out of Africa.

Out of Africa’s “other” mission: Producing premium quality skin care products is only half of our story. Lulla and Adamon’s partnership supports several women’s cooperatives and helps to create jobs in democratic Benin, West Africa. Out of Africa shea butter skin care also sponsors a groundbreaking project in Benin called SCHOOL CHILDREN UNITE. A portion of all sales is being donated to this global leadership initiative.

Purchasing Out of Africa products helps to support education and local enterprise in Benin, West Africa.

Note: Neither I, nor Working Well Massage has any affiliation with Out of Africa beyond buying their products! I do not receive any advertising dollars nor any other incentive to blog about their products or company. I simply like their products and mission!

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Learn About Common Workplace Ergonomic Issues From Your Computer Thursday, January 24, 2013

January 22, 2013 by workingwellresources

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

Humantech, offers a new webinar “Ten Common Workplace issues in Industry and How to Solve Them” from its Ergonomics Hit List©, a qualitative assessment tool used to help you identify awkward postures in the workplace.

ten_issues_webinar_2012

The webinar will describe the most common problems that Humantech’s certified professional ergonomists see while on site, and highlight some of the many effective solutions that clients have implemented over the years. Examples will be shared from heavy manufacturing, distribution centers, pharmaceuticals, and office environments.

This 60-minute online course will provide visual, real-world fixes and will give attendees a chance to see many simple and creative solutions in various environments, some of which may trigger improvement ideas at your facility.

Who Should Attend? Anyone who is responsible for making changes in the workplace, from ergonomics team members, supervisors, and health and safety members, to those involved with continuous improvement should not miss this event!

Event Time: 2pm EST Thursday, January 24, 2013.

Continuing Education: This course meets the criteria for CEUs from a number of professional associations including ABIH. All registrants will receive a certificate of completion upon full attendance of the webinar.

Cost: The cost is $69 per attendee.

To register click here.

Who is Humantech? (from their website)

Humantech Team

Humantech Team

Humantech’s staff are experts in ergonomics—the art and science of reducing problems that might arise from the interaction between, people, equipment, and the environment. Humantech is the largest consulting team of Board Certified Professional Ergonomists in North America. Humantech consultants combine expertise in ergonomics with practical industry experience and the skills of professional services delivery. Their team of highly qualified professionals with skills in financial analysis, adult education, technical writing, industrial and graphic design, and information technology supports our consulting staff. Humantech was founded in 1979 with the single focus of improving the lives of the working population.  Over the past 30 years, their approach has changed how organizations use the science of ergonomics to improve workplace performance.

Note: Neither I nor Working Well Massage is affiliated with Humantech in any way. We do not receive advertising nor any services from Humantech for blogging about their services. We simply want to offer our readers good options for learning more about ergonomics!

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Massage Therapy and the New World Of Health Care

January 12, 2013 by workingwellresources

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

I came across an interesting and, in my view, important blog today called KevinMD.com. (Founded by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading destination for physician insight on breaking medical news.)

Kevin-Pho-MD, Founder of KevinMD.com

Kevin-Pho-MD, Founder of KevinMD.com

The blog is written by medical doctors and covers topics about health care in general from a doctor’s point of view. Sadly, as I read some of the posts, I realize that doctors are as frustrated with our health care system as we are. Many of them want to help their patients but health care billing and payment cause them to make some hard choices in order to survive. In the post, Why I decided to opt out of Medicare as a provider by Dr. Natasha Deonarain, it is clear why continuing to see Medicare patients is not financially feasible for many physicians. I also believe that relying on insurance companies and Medicare separates people from their own health care decisions. Health care can be costly, but there are other options for routine checkups and basic medical needs.

In another blog post, by Dr. Doug Olson, Primary care doctors may no longer be needed, he explains how nurse practitioners (with nurse practitioners complete 2,300 – 5,350 hours of education and clinical training during five to seven years, compared to physicians’ standardized path of 21,700 hours over 11-12 years) and physician assistants can see 80-85% of the patients medical doctors see. Dr Olson believes that “we need to develop systems that get that select the 15-20% of patients that need a physician.” In his view this is  a better use of primary care physicians training and expertise is to treat the more complex medical cases while the nurse practitioners and physician’s assistants treat the remaining 80% of less complex cases. as patients relatively healthy folks can self select our health care providers by only going to primary care docs if they need complex services, and using Walgreens, Target and other urgent care centers for simple colds, flues and minor injuries and illnesses. And recently in Chicago, there is a service that offers doctors making house calls, Chicago Express Doctors.

Chicago Express Doctors

Chicago Express Doctors

Massage Therapy and The New World Of Health Care

So where does massage therapy fit into all this? First off, I acknowledge that at least in the State of Illinois, massage therapy is not really a recognized health care option. According to the scope of practice for Illinois Massage Therapists, we are to provide massage therapy for the purposes of general health and well-being, but not to treat nor diagnose illnesses. Yet one of the most reported benefits of massage therapy is stress reduction (which can be thought of as pertaining to “general health”). The health effects of stress on the body include numerous illnesses and can even lead to injuries. KevinsMD has an article on How the stress of caregiving can lead to stroke. The Mayo Clinic reports that many health problems can be effected by stress including stomach pains, headaches, chest pains, sleep problem and anxiety. According to WebMD, “Seventy-five percent to 90% of all doctor’s office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints.”

So what does massage therapy do for clients with stress-related ailments? According to one research study at Duke University, massage therapy was shown to reduce self reported stress in patients with brain tumors. Another pilot study showed that stress levels of inpatient psychiatric patients were reduced after massage therapy. And, according to the MayoClinic, massage therapy can not only reduce stress, but lead to other health benefits as well.

I do not think massage therapy is s substitute for medical care. And I do not think massage therapists should try to act as doctors nor prescribe nor diagnose illnesses. But I do believe that massage therapy sessions can be a source of relaxation, a time for our nervous systems to ramp down to parasympathetic mode versus ramping up to sympathetic (flight or flight) mode. Allowing ourselves to be cared for, relaxed and to spend time in an environment of reduced noise, stress and constant demands allows our bodies to better do what they do naturally: our hearts beat, our immune systems fight off infection and our lungs and muscles allow us to work, move and life. Allowing our bodies to stay healthy means less needs to visit the doctor so our medical providers can focus on us when we very sick, not for routine illnesses and injuries. For this reason, I think that massage therapists can offer stress relief BEFORE we get an illness, a stress-related injury or just plain get cranky from stress!

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Happy New Year in 2013 to Readers of Working Well Resources and Client & Partners of Working Well Massage!

January 1, 2013 by workingwellresources

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

Dear Working Well Resource Readers,

2013 has been an amazing year. First off, the world did not end on December 21, 2012 as some reported might happen. Getting to see 2013 is a huge success now that the Mayan’s have been disproven. Aside from this major hurdle, Working Well Massage has had a fantastic year, giving thousands of massages in the Chicagoland area, relaxing many Chicagoans (And out-of-town visitors to our corporate locations and chair massage stations inside Whole Foods Markets).

Chair massage is coming to Palatine inside Whole Foods Market!

Chair massage is our Working Well Massage specialty!

In 2012, we continued our partnership with Whole Foods Market in the Gold Coast and Lincoln Park stores in Chicago. I am very proud of our strong association with Whole Foods because I believe in their products and I am happy WWM can align with Whole Food Markets core values to provide healthy relaxation services inside two Chicagoland stores. Thanks to Rich Holley, Store team leader at the Lincoln Park Whole Foods Market ,and Mike Farmer, Store team Leader of the Gold Coast store for allowing us to operate our chair massage stations inside their stores!

Sue Shekut, Owner of Working Well Massage

Working Well Massage inside Lincoln Park Whole Foods Market

In 2012, Working Well Massage continued to provide excellent massage therapists to our retail and corporate clients–and we will do so in 2013 as well! We are happy to be able to provide high quality services at affordable prices. Notice, I don’t say high quality services at low prices. We don’t do that and we don’t recommend it. Paying low prices usually means someone is getting ripped off, either the massage therapist or the customer (because the low paid services are usually not high quality!). As 2012 came to a close, I admit I was happy to hear that the company “Groupon” has had massive layoffs and is losing investors. I have written about the negative effects of deep discounting and sadly, I am seeing my beliefs bear out. I know I am in good company when Peter Cohan, Contributor to Forbes magazine,  agrees that Groupon is a bad idea for small businesses–and I say it’s bad for small business customers as well. At Working Well Massage, we have always tried to keep our prices affordable, but we still need to make a living. By offering a living wage to our massage therapists, we can continue to provide quality services, stay in business (a very important goal for small businesses!) and treat our current and future clients with respect and care. We love what we do and we are happy to help people save money on our services..but not at the cost of our business and our personal health!

Lorian Bates, Working Well Massage Therapist inside Whole Foods Market

Lorian Bates, Working Well Massage Therapist as she prepares to provide high quality massage to WWM clients inside Whole Foods Market. Photo by Sue Shekut.

Working Well Massage corporate clients have been happy to have us provide our stress relieving services on a daily, weekly, monthly and periodic basis. For reasons of confidentiality, we do not broadcast our client companies names, but we can say that our clients include financial services, marketing companies, software manufacturers, manufacturing firms, schools, universities, police stations, private pampering parties and not-for-profits. This year Working Well Massage also donated time and money to local and national charities such as Climate Cycle among other groups.

Working Well Massage therapists give a small moment of relaxation to officers as they prepare to go out into the streets and as they come off duty after a long shift. Photo by Sue Shekut.

Working Well Massage therapists give a small moment of relaxation to officers as they prepare to go out into the streets and as they come off duty after a long shift. Photo by Sue Shekut.

Thanks to all our readers, Working Well Massage clients, Working Well Massage team members, and Chicago area police and fire fighters! We appreciate your business in 2012 and look forward to service you again in 2013!

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For a Happy Holiday, Do What You Can, Not What You Think You Can

December 13, 2012 by workingwellresources

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

When you think of health insurance companies, what comes to mind first about them? (And, no, this is not a commercial!)  Is it that your health insurance company is a great source of healthful tips on managing stress, improving your health and saving you money on health care costs? Well, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois does more than just process insurance claims. They provide some really helpful info about your health! The Blue Cross website provides members with tips to beat the holiday blues here.  

Christmas lights on Aleksanterinkatu.

Christmas lights on Aleksanterinkatu. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

And note that I am not paid by BCBS nor do I have any stock in the company. But I do think their website is a great service, even if you are not a member!

Among the helpful healthful tips: keep your holiday expectations realistic. Not low, but realistic. What this means varies from person to person. During this holiday season, there are a lot of invitations to events, gifts to buy, end of year financial obligations to handle. And for those with children in homes that celebrate Christmas, presents to buy, hide and wrap. It’s a time of family and friend visits and parties. But we still all have to go to work, school or take care of children or elderly loved ones. And adding high expectations (that everything be perfect, that our loved ones will love every gift we get them, that we can work, shop, cook and still maintain our health despite many additional demands without compromising anything) adds significant stress to our lives.

This holiday season, give yourself the gift of relaxation, either by getting a relaxing massage, taking time out to sit in a hot bath, going to the gym to work off some stress, meditation, resting, stopping and taking a walk in the woods or by the lake (bundle up though!). Your heart, your pancreas, your blood pressure will all benefit as you remove yourself from the face pace of the holiday shopping frenzy and let your body rest and recharge.

Here are some of my tips on maintaining your health and not overdoing during the holiday season:

• When someone asks you to take on one more event or obligation, say “let me think about it.”  Then take the time to really think if you have time and energy to take this on, if the event is more important than other obligations you may have, and then give your denial or approval.

• Make a list of all the extra holiday related things you need to do in the next month. Then check your list and decide if anything can go or be done in an easier way. For example, you can shop in a store or you can save time and shop via the internet. I hate to beat the death knoll for big box stores and retail shopping, but when people are pressed for time, shopping online saves the hassle of fighting through long lines and heavy traffic and lets you check an item off your to do list without leaving your computer.

• Consider giving less gifts and giving more of yourself. Not to contradict myself, but instead of rushing around to save a few bucks on the latest electronic gift or trendy item that will likely be unused and relegated to the closet  soon after unwrapping, consider giving gift certificates or coupons either for actual professional services (spa, dinner, movie passes) to be enjoyed along with you or make home made certificates for future events with you. A dinner, a back rub, a vacation, a plan for a hike, a walk, an afternoon in any of the fabulous museums in Chicago (which have free days for the budget conscious). Whatever you and your family and friends like to do together when the holidays are over and you all have more free time to spend with one another.

• Commit to spending at least 10 minutes a day laying down, either on a bed, on the floor or on a mat. All you need to do is be comfortable, focus on your breathing (counting as you breathe in out with a 4-count for inhalation and a 4-count for your exhalation) and let your thoughts come and go without getting to attached to any one thought. (Trust me, those thoughts and to do lists will be there after 10 minutes of rest and relaxation.)

• Commit to spending at least an hour a day unplugged no phone, no television, no game system, no computer. Whether you spend the hour talking in person to loved ones or whether you simply stare out the window and pet your cat, just spend one hour a day not using electronic devises and not responding to the call of a phone, television commercial or email. If the thought of doing this panics you, then you need that hour more than most!

 Overall, do less, slow down and ENJOY the time you have with those you love. Then just to prove you are not in such a rush that you forget to be kind, let the guy or gal in front of you in line or on the street. That small act of kindness may just make you feel a little less stressed and a little more in the holiday spirit!
And (shameless plug for self-promotion), feel free to stop by our Working Well Massage chair stations inside the Whole Foods Markets in the Gold Coast (30 W Huron) and Lincoln Park (1550 N Kingsbury) any time from noon to 8pm daily. No appointment needed! Just stop in and in 10 or 15 or 20 minutes we can help you feel less stressed and more relaxed! Click here for our website with more information.
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Apps That Can Save a Life

November 15, 2012 by workingwellresources

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

The American Heart Association offers a free app for your smart phone with simple instructions on how to use hands only CPR. It is called, appropriately, “Hands-Only CPR.”  I downloaded the app and the first thing you see on the screen is instruction on what to do if an adult collapses. The first instruction is to call 911. Now this mean seem obvious, but when you are in a panic situation, sometimes what is obvious normally becomes confusing. So being reminded, to call 911 is clear-headed practical advice. The other thing on the main screen is a simple direction of how to perform CPR (Push hard and fast in the center of the chest) with a link to a short video showing you how to perform hands-only CPR (no mouth to mouth).


According to the info in the app (Supplied by the American Heart Association),  studies have shown that Hands-Only CPR can be as effective as conventional CPR (with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation added). This is one app you don’t want to miss! It could save the life of someone you know.

Check out the Hands-Only CPR App on iTunes here. It also works on Android phones.

Jive Media, Inc also produces other useful life saving apps:  Pocket First Aid & CPR (for $1.99) and Pet First Aid($2.99). Apparently, it costs more to learn basic pet first aid than human first aid!

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Fall Can Be a Time of Reflection and New Perspectives

November 4, 2012 by workingwellresources

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

Fall is a time of reflection. As leaves change colors and fall, we also can take the time to discard unnecessary stressors and commitments and refocus on what is important in our lives. Spending time in nature helps us relax, rejuvenate and restore our spirits.

Yellow leaf on fallen tree in Turkey Run State Park. Photo by Sue Shekut.

Sometimes it is helpful to look at our lives in a new perspective. You never know what you may see when you step out of your daily routine and experience the wonders of nature!

Looking up at the trees at Turkey Run State Park. Photo by Sue Shekut.

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Brilliant Fall Colors and Geologic Formations Make Turkey Run State Park in Indiana a Hike to Remember

October 25, 2012 by workingwellresources

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

A few weeks ago, my boyfriend and I ventured South to Turkey Run State Park in Indiana (about 3 hours South of Chicago and about 1 hour West of Indianapolis.) A fellow hiker client has told me about Turkey Run and we wanted to see a new spot with fall leaves turning. Turkey Run turned out to be much more amazing than we expected! Similar to Starved Rock in topography, Turkey Run was formed by glacial movement many man thousands of years ago. The park now boosts a number of rigorous and moderate hikes through canyons, along streams in rock beds and along the forest and river.  I’m posted a few of the photos I took to share a bit of relaxing nature and whet your appetite for your own hike at Turkey Run State Park!

Turkey Run State Park Suspension Bridge. Photo by Sue Shekut

View of the trees reflected in the River as viewed from the Suspension Bridge. We later saw kayakers glide through the rider under the rocks!

Turkey Run State Park. Photo by Sue Shekut.

Two kayakers slowly wound their way up the river as we watched.

Kayaking at Turkey Run State Park. Photo by Sue Shekut.

Canyon hiking was wet and a feast for the eyes and camera lens!

Turkey Run State Park. Photo by Sue Shekut.

Hiking along the wet rocks was a challenge! But even a small boy was able to handle the climb so we risked it and were able to stay dry!

Canyon at Turkey Run State Park. Photo by Sue Shekut.

Hiking up these rocks is super slippery!  We saw one many go down and his arm ended up completely submerged!  The small pool of water he fell into ended up being pretty deep! Luckily we avoided the pool ourselves.

Turkey Run State Park. Photo by Sue Shekut.

See the hikers at the top of the climb! Turkey Run State Park. Photo by Sue Shekut.

Trees reflected in pools of water! Turkey Run State Park. Photo by Sue Shekut.

Fallen leaves reflect trees above in a pool at Turkey Run State Park. Photo by Sue Shekut.

Wooden stairs and ramps make hiking less slippery at Turkey Run State Park. Photo by Sue Shekut.

The geology and hiking is amazing at Turkey Run State Park. Photo by Sue Shekut.

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Working Well Massage Works to De-Stress Chicago Police Officers at the 13th District Police Station

October 21, 2012 by workingwellresources

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

Chicago police officers face a myriad of stressors: increased crime and shootings in the city, a severely reduced police  force, physical stress of carrying around all the police gear they are required to wear and now, the loss of a long time police station in Ukrainian Village.

13th District Commander Anderson demonstrates proper seating for chair massage as Working Well Massage therapist Aaron Hanna awaits officers for their massage. Photo by Sue Shekut

On September 25, 2012, four of our Working Well Massage therapists came in to give police officers at the soon to be closed 13th District police station 10-minute chair massages. Many of our team members live in the Ukrainian Village area or have family in the area the 13th District served. This police station is being demolished soon and officers from this station will be transferred to another station and District.  WWM donated our massage services to say “Thank you” for all the policing efforts our 13th District officers have provided the community with through the years.We timed our session to provide massages for officers before and after they came on duty so as not to disrupt their important police work.

Working Well Massage therapists give a small moment of relaxation to officers as they prepare to go out into the streets and as they come off duty after a long shift. Photo by Sue Shekut.

Any massage therapists that has ever massaged a police officer knows that as a result of all the stress and gear they must carry, police officers backs and necks are super strong and super tense!

Aaron Hanna mobilizes an off duty officer’s shoulder as he massages the officer’s neck and upper back. Photo by Sue Shekut

Our team of four massage therapists worked hard to give officers relaxing massages.  We were also able to give some of the 13th District office staff a “Thank You” ten-minute chair massage and they were extremely grateful! Working Well Massage plans on giving more massages to our men and woman of the Chicago Police Department in the coming year.

Working Well Massage provided chair massage in the 13th District’s old lock up room. Luckily we were OUTSIDE of the cells! Photo by Sue Shekut

The WWM Massage Challenge

Working Well Massage challenges other massage therapy companies, including Massage Envy, Urban Oasis and Spa Space, to donate massage services for Chicago’s police officers, firefighters and paramedics around the city. Providing massages to support city officers and fire fighters is not only good for our city, but also good for the massage field. The massage business is still confused with prostitution by some and building connections between legitimate massage establishments and police and fire fighters is one way to raise awareness about the benefits of legitimate massage therapy!

Related News Articles

• Tribute to officers of closing police district
• Police dinner marks station closing
• Police Commander Frank Gross leaves the 13th District for corporate America
• West Town fears repercussions of police district closure

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Do Good for Your Immune System–Volunteer to be a Mentor with Mercy Home for Boys & Girls

September 23, 2012 by workingwellresources

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

Stress can weaker our immune systems, leading to many health concerns, a weakened immune system, greater susceptibility to anxiety and depression, heart disease and tension-related disorders like tension headaches.

How Can We Combat the Negative Effects of Stress by Helping Others?

One way to reduce your own stress levels is to develop your own resilience by taking a proactive stance against stress and helping others in the process.Reach out to at risk children in our community via mentoring before kids join a gang, commit crimes or end up with substance abuse problems. Being a mentor gives you the chance to strengthen your own knowledge by teaching another, develop support networks working with other volunteers, improve your leadership skills, and feel good about helping another person!

Some of Working Well Massage client companies encourage their employees to volunteer at Charter schools and with at risk children. But you don’t need your company to start a mentoring effort to enjoy the benefits of mentoring yourself!  Chicago’s Mercy Home is one organization that already has a mentoring program in place for Chicago adults to work with Chicago at risk youth. Check out some of the success stories of past Mercy Home Kids, including the story of a young man who went on to become a Chicago Police Officer himself!

Mercy Home Mentoring . Photo from Mercy Home website

It is Easy to Sign Up to Volunteer to Mentor a Child

From the Mercy Home website ‘s Mentor a Child page: Mercy Home’s Friends First mentoring program matches adults, one-on-one, with at-risk kids from all over Chicago. You’ll have an impact on a child simply by going on fun outings to parks, zoos, museums and more. And you and your mentee will have opportunities to attend group events with other mentors too.

Our staff works hard to set up the most compatible matches, and provides mentors with training, support and encouragement to help foster a meaningful mentoring friendship. Mentors come from all adult age groups and all walks of life, but are united by their desire to make a difference in the lives of young people.

To ensure successful, impactful matches, Friends First staff offers support above and beyond what is provided in typical mentoring programs. This includes providing access to a licensed psychologist 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our staff is on a first-name basis with every mentor and child and considers all of our families and volunteers to be part of the Mercy Home community.

To learn more about the Friends First mentoring program, please e-mail or call Mercy Home at 312-738-7552. You may also complete their information request form.

Mercy Home for Boys & Girls 
1140 W. Jackson Blvd. Chicago , IL , 60607

Email: info@mercyhome.org

If you are a child in need or to refer a child, please call toll-free 1-877-24-START. To make a donation, please call toll-free 1-877-MERCY-55. For all other inquiries, please call 1-312-738-7560

Mercy Home Needs Adult Male Volunteers!

About 5 girls are on the mentoring Wait List at any one time, but as many as 75 boys may wait to be matched with a mentor.

Male Mentors needed! Photo from Mercy Home website

One of the challenges that the Friends First mentoring program faces is that it works best when female mentors are paired with girls, and male mentors are paired with boys. Currently, most of those who volunteer to become mentors are women.  Mercy Home needs more men to step up and guide a child.

Mercy Homes Opportunities for Community-Based Mentoring

From the Mercy Home Website FAQs: Some children are in need of a caring friend to help, but may not have issues that rise to the level of seriousness that they require placement in a residential setting like Mercy Home. Appropriately, while they participate in the Friends First mentoring program, they live at home with their own families. They may come from economically-struggling single-parent households or from neighborhoods with limited recreational and learning opportunities.

Mentors help children like these gain self-confidence and direction, and resist negative peer pressure. They give of their time and take these young people to places like ball games, museums, parks and more. They expand young people’s horizons through shared activities. Many of these young people may never have had ventured outside of their own neighborhood prior to their involvement with Friends First. They benefit just by experiencing new things, seeing new parts of the city, and having a friend to lend an ear and lead by example.

  • 91 matches (match meaning one mentor and one youth) were supported last year in the Friends First program.
  • Youth in Friends First are between 9-17 years old.

The common thread that connects children to Mercy Home is that they have experienced trauma and that they are committed to changing their lives.

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