HR0644 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0644 LRB104 20417 LAW 33881 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to commend the establishment of the Serenity Garden, located beside Duane Dean Behavioral Health Center in Kankakee, highlighting the profound connection between community well-being, environmental stewardship, and long-term social health; and

WHEREAS, Access to intentional green spaces has been shown to support social-emotional wellness, trauma recovery, reflection, resilience, and overall mental and behavioral health for individuals, families, and communities; and

WHEREAS, Ecological stewardship is inseparable from human flourishing, and the protection of living systems reflects a shared responsibility to future generations of Illinois residents; and

WHEREAS, Pollinator conservation, specifically the protection and restoration of habitats for bees and monarch butterflies, is essential to ecosystem stability, biodiversity, food security, and environmental sustainability throughout the State of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, The Serenity Garden has been intentionally conceived as a living, restorative space that integrates social-emotional wellness, environmental education, and ecological design through native and pollinator-supportive plantings; and

WHEREAS, The Serenity Garden serves as both a functional and symbolic environment, inviting reflection, healing, learning, and stewardship while reinforcing the interdependence between human health and environmental care; and

WHEREAS, The Serenity Garden has been designated as the marquee legacy project of President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Eddy Borrayo under the long-term institutional vision known as W.H.Y. We Build-2030 (Will, Hope, and Yearning), a framework dedicated to building systems that endure, strengthen communities, and serve generations yet to come; and

WHEREAS, This vision has been stewarded and advanced through the leadership and collaboration of President and CEO Eddy Borrayo, Director of Community Engagement & Impact Ximena Siguenza Cabrera, Chief Communications & Engagement Officer Raul Tinoco, and the Duane Dean Behavioral Health Center Board of Directors, together with the health center's affiliate partners, Rincon Family Services, The Center: Resources for Teaching & Learning, and the Helen Wheeler Center, whose collective work reflects a shared commitment to service, integrity, and community impact; and

WHEREAS, The Serenity Garden exemplifies how local initiatives, rooted in care, collaboration, and stewardship, can advance statewide priorities related to mental health, environmental responsibility, and community resilience; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we commend the establishment of the Serenity Garden, located beside Duane Dean Behavioral Health Center in Kankakee, as an exemplary initiative advancing social-emotional wellness by providing a restorative environment that supports healing, reflection, mindfulness, and emotional balance, ecological stewardship through sustainable land care, environmental education, and responsible design, and pollinator conservation, with a specific commitment to supporting habitats for bees and monarch butterflies that vital to Illinois' ecosystems and agricultural future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to President and CEO Eddy Borrayo, Director of Community Engagement & Impact Ximena Siguenza Cabrera, Chief Communications & Engagement Officer Raul Tinoco, and the Duane Dean Behavioral Health Center Board of Directors and its affiliate partners, Rincon Family Services, The Center: Resources for Teaching & Learning, and the Helen Wheeler Center, as a symbol of our esteem and respect.