About us
Success Stories
For nearly 50 years, Aspire has changed thousands of lives through our commitment to children and adults with developmental disabilities and their families. At Aspire, we celebrate every milestone, whether great or small!
- Joel Rides Roller Coaster
Yolo and Donald Adams wondered if their son Joel was just going through the “terrible twos,” but Aspire confirmed Joel did have delayed sensory issues. He was hyperactive and afraid of slides at the playground. After only a year of therapy at Aspire, Joel is able to express his feelings without screaming. He recently went to Kiddieland and was able to ride the roller coaster. Read More- Todd at Home in the Community
When Todd Fritz was born in 1963 his mother Elizabeth was told her newborn, diagnosed with Down Syndrome, wouldn’t live past the age of 2. Todd is 46 now and relishes his shiny red walker, which he pushes with cheerful abandon, despite the ill effects of having severe arthritis in one hip and three open-heart surgeries.
Read More- National Van Lines Plays Santa
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What’s on your holiday wish list? Winter boots, a Chicago Cubs calendar, an Elvis Presley CD, and a manicure set are a few gifts National Van Lines donated to individual men and women at Aspire, making their holiday cheerful. Read More - Employees That Care
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Every year, the employees of TradeLink LLC, an asset management and trading firm in Chicago, are given three days of time off to engage in volunteer work. Aspire is fortunate to be on the receiving end of the good deeds offered by that charitable and forward-thinking company. Read More - Volunteer Spotlight: Judy Lorch
Volunteer extraordinaire Judy Lorch has racked up some pretty impressive stats in her many years “on the job” at Aspire.
She’s donated 750 hours to Aspire on Broadway (AOB), our resale shop in Melrose Park and last year alone, she sold 376 donated items on eBay and raised $12,000 for Aspire. Read More - The Chicago Fire Foundation Teams Up With Aspire!
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The Chicago Fire opened its doors to Aspire on May 31 – and helped raise more than $1500 for Aspire. Aspire volunteers took to the aisles of Toyota Park during the Chicago Fire Game to sell “split-the-pot” raffle tickets. Read More - Fraternity Brothers Lend a Hand
- So, what does Phi Kappa Psi fraternity at DePaul University in Chicago have in common with Aspire? As it turns out, quite a bit. When Paul DiMasi and his fraternity brothers investigated community service opportunities, they chose Aspire. Last year, 45 students worked many hours to paint the inside of Aspire’s two resale shops, where they also found themselves sorting through donations. Read More
- Sarah's Story
- Sarah was one of the first participants to live at Aspire on Eastern—our intermediate care facility for adults. Like many residents there, it was the first time Sarah lived outside of a state institution. Read More
- Participant Spotlight: Meet Michael
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Michael Bevan, an in vitro baby, was born three weeks early just nine months ago. His sibling twin didn’t survive, a heartbreaking outcome of the third pregnancy for the Bevans of River Forest. Read More - Answering the Call, Filling a Need
Barb and Doug Prine have been involved with Aspire since their son Ben, who contracted meningitis as a newborn, was just three months old. The hospital’s intensive care unit staff suggested the Elmhurst couple investigate physical therapy when it became apparent Ben had vision impairments and developmental delays. Read More
- Camden Reaches for the Future
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When Cris Shepard was pregnant with her second child, testing revealed her unborn son would have developmental disabilities. Camden Morris was born 19 months ago with a cleft lip and palate and a chromosome disorder (he has a partial duplication of the 9th chromosome). Read More - Sally Soars
Margaret and Herman Schult didn’t know anything was wrong with their daughter Sally until she was two years old. The year was 1950 and after seeing a parade of doctors and specialists the diagnosis was made: Sally was born with a birth defect that had caused brain damage and mild retardation. She went to special education schools until she was 17, but it wasn’t until Sally exhibited behavior problems when she was 27 that her parents were told she needed to learn socialization skills and have some distance put between herself and her parents, her lone caretakers. Read More
- Emerson
Emerson was born with a rare chromosomal disorder resulting in mental retardation and ongoing heath problems. “Throughout our journey we’ve been fortunate enough to have Aspire as our support and shoulder to cry on (literally),” says mother Candi. Read More - Employees as Volunteers: Banco Popular’s “Caring Around the Year” Program
Aspire has enjoyed a long-term and fruitful relationship with Banco Popular, the Rosemont-based community bank with 20 branches in the area. The employer and its staff have generously supported Aspire’s programs for years. Employees of the bank serve as volunteers in its “Caring Around the Year” program. Read More- Employees as Volunteers: UPS “Make a Difference Day” on Martin Luther King Day
- On Martin Luther King Day, January 21, a crew of 25 staff members from United Parcel Service in Hodgkins donated their time and talents to benefit Aspire. UPS has a corporate philosophy of community involvement and on that day UPS employees participated in service projects at human service organizations throughout west suburban Chicago. Read More
- Celebrating Life Through Service
This year Aspire volunteer Steve Motykiewicz is celebrating his one hundredth birthday, but it’s Aspire that is receiving the best gift of all: Steve’s dedicated service to our Melrose Park resale shop, Aspire on Broadway. Steve and his wife Mary became involved with Aspire more than 25 years ago when a friend of Mary’s encouraged her to come out and work at the store. They have worked in various capacities at the shop, from bringing in donations to pricing and organizing the store. Read More