HR0455 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0455 LRB101 12766 ALS 61599 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Gretchen S. Vapnar on the occasion of her retirement from the Community Crisis Center after 44 years of service; and

WHEREAS, Gretchen Vapnar has advocated for people in crisis since 1975; she assisted in the establishment of both the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault in 1977 and the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence in 1978; and

WHEREAS, Gretchen Vapnar served as a children's worker and Assistant Director of the Community Crisis Center (CCC) before being named Executive Director in 1980; during her service at the CCC, she successfully managed the growth of the Center's shelter from a house for 14 to a historic school building, serving 40 women and children each night; she increased the CCC staff from five to 68 full-time and part-time employees; she increased the budget of $40,000, which was used as down payment on the house and for salaries and programs, to $2.9 million in 2019; and

WHEREAS, In 1982, Gretchen Vapnar established Illinois' first abuser treatment program for men, one of the first domestic violence programs to recognize the need to change the behavior of the abusers; she created new protocols and training for staffs of hospitals, police departments, fire departments, and the courts to benefit the victims of violence; and

WHEREAS, In the 1990s, Gretchen Vapnar responded to the community's need and request for "one-stop-service" by housing the community's Food Pantry and Clothing Center and, later, a Health Center and Dental Clinic, all under CCC's roof; she ensured that the Center prioritized "availability" when serving the community and made staff available at the shelter and on the hotline 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year for 44 years; and

WHEREAS, Gretchen Vapnar aggressively worked to raise funds to "keep the doors open" during two recessions, a two-year State budget shutdown, and other economic challenges by conducting three successful capital campaigns to renovate the shelter, presenting an annual gala and auction, operating Reruns Resale Shop, appealing regularly to donors, applying for grants, and creating the Legacy of Caring; and

WHEREAS, Gretchen Vapnar has earned recognition and resources for the CCC by receiving the Beatrice Award for Excellence in Management in 1989 and the Impact 100 Chicago Award in 2016; she has received recognition from local organizations, including the YWCA, Club Guadalupano, the Ecker Center, and the City of Elgin; she has received awards from many statewide groups, including the Wendell Jones Award from the Northwest Alliance on Domestic Violence and the Human Dignity Award from the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence; and

WHEREAS, Gretchen Vapnar has cultivated and supported employee recruitment and retention by providing training and staff development opportunities, opportunities for promotion, and annual staff awards and recognition; and

WHEREAS, Gretchen Vapnar is leaving her legacy of leadership and innovation with the staff and board of the Community Crisis Center, which is now a nationally-recognized, multi-service agency that provides domestic violence and sexual assault programs, a crisis hotline, an economic assistance program, abuser intervention, a children's program, a shelter, and a source for community and professional training; and

WHEREAS, Gretchen Vapnar has advocated for her belief that domestic violence is "a human problem, not just a woman's problem" and promoted the philosophy that "A time of crisis is a time of opportunity" for those seeking help and has provided the support to effect change; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Gretchen S. Vapnar on the occasion of her retirement from the Community Crisis Center after 44 years of service, and we commend her dedication to educating the public about the issues of domestic violence, sexual assault, economic crisis, and homelessness; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Gretchen Vapnar as an expression of our esteem and respect.