HR1077

LRB093 22620 KEF 52217 r






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HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 
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Representatives wish to recognize the Pioneer Center of McHenry 
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County on the occasion of its 45th anniversary; and

 
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    WHEREAS, In 1957, a small group of parents organized the 
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Pioneer Center of McHenry County; their founding vision 
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entailed addressing the needs of under-served adults and 
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children in McHenry County; specifically, they wished to 
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provide unique and much-needed services for individuals with 
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cognitive, developmental, physical, emotional, or other 
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related disabilities; in 1967,  Robert Lambourn, was appointed 
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the first executive director; and
 
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    WHEREAS, True to its name, Pioneer Center has always been a 
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trailblazer, continually placing itself on the cutting edge of 
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breakthroughs in the arenas of health and human services to 
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better serve their clients; they offer a wide array of services 
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including Early Intervention, Vocational and Rehabilitation 
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Training, Mental Health and Rehabilitation Counseling, a 
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continuum of Assisted Living Services, and Community Linkage; 
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and
 
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    WHEREAS, Many additions to the center have been made to 
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help expand services since 1959, such as adding the  Community 
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Living Facility, the Transitional Living Facility in 
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Woodstock, and the addition of  the Dayton Street facility; the 
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center added a group home in McHenry, the Community Residential 
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Alternative group home, the Ponca Street group, the Johnsburg 
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group home, and the Manke group; and
 
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    WHEREAS, In 1999, Jeff Epstein was hired on as the 
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Executive Director; and 
 
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    WHEREAS, What began over 40 years ago as a single day 
 


 






HR1077
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LRB093 22620 KEF 52217 r




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school program now helps over 1,000 people to achieve their 
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life goals; although its service area is typically limited to 
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McHenry County, the Pioneer Center assists clients from 
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peripheral counties such as Cook, Kane, Kendall, Lake, and 
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DuPage;  therefore, be it

 

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    RESOLVED, BY THE  HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
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recognize the McHenry County Pioneer Center on the occasion of 
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its 45th anniversary and applaud its efforts to better the 
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lives of
 citizens of this State; and be it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
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presented to the Board of Directors of the Pioneer Center of 
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McHenry County as a token of our admiration.