LAGRANGE PARK, IL – At a time when everything seems to be in constant flux, Pillars, a leading mental health and social service agency, recognized the service provided by staff who were celebrating significant anniversaries ranging from 5 to 35 years service. The 31 staff members honored at the event have provided 410 years of service, and six of them have been with the agency for 25 years or more.  Among the staff honored were Lupe Lopez (35 years), Harriet Stock (30 years), and Karl Knoble, Carol Ann Lebesnsorger, Kathy Noha and Rosa Rubino (25 years). 

The event, held on May 18^th, also featured a number of special awards for both the staff and the community:

Bev Lindburg (Brookfield) and Joanne Forner (Chicago) each received the Nancy Vinkler Award. This award is a given in honor of support staff who, while not providing service directly to clients, are integral to our service delivery and as a result, make very real differences in the community every day. Lindburg and Forner have each quietly provided outstanding service for many years in their respective offices.

Maria Elena Humphrey (Oak Park) and Ann Schreiner (Oak Park) both received the Non Finkelstein Award. Named in honor of Non Finkelstein who served as a therapist, associate director and mentor for many years at Community Family Service (a Pillars predecessor organization), this award is only given on occasion.  This award recognizes exemplary clinical contributions by professionals working at Pillars, whose contributions broadly impact the community, staff and clients of the agency.  Schreiner, Senior Vice President for Programs, and Humphrey, have brought the grace, integrity and creativity to their positions which was emblematic of Finkelstein's service to the community.

William and Rebecca Courtright (LaGrange) received the Helen Sauer Brown Leadership in Development Award. This award was presented by and given in honor of Helen Sauer Brown and her extraordinary commitment to the advancement of mental health services and philanthropy in the community.  As the founders of the Phoenix Society, a fundraising board, the Courtrights connected with the agency more than 15 years ago and have remained committed advocates, volunteers and supporters to the agency.

Lynda Nadkarni (LaGrange Park) received the Speciale Award. Given for outstanding volunteerism, the award was named in honor of Shirley Speciale, a former board member, and community volunteer.  Nadkarni, a former Pillars board member, has followed in Speciale's footsteps.  She has served on numerous boards, and is very involved at her church and in Kiwanis and has a long history of volunteerism.

Dennis F. Trybus, Ph.D. (Oak Park), the Executive Director of Helping Hand, received the Fillmore Award. The award is named for Lorin Fillmore and his mother Lucile Fillmore, long-time supporters of mental health causes.  It is given for outstanding service to community through the promotion of high quality, affordable mental health services.  Trybus, who prior to his work at Helping Hand, spent almost 20 years as the Executive Director of The Community Mental Health Board of Oak Park Township, has devoted his career to helping people living with disabilities and mental health issues.

The David Hinton Family (LaGrange) and the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Women's Club (LaGrange) as well as Robert Klinker (Downers Grove) and the Village of LaGrange received the Community Collaborator Award. Keri Hinton, her parents and siblings, and the Women's Club were recognized for their longstanding support of Buddy's Place through the Mothers' Day Walk, held in honor of Hinton's mother.  Over the past 9 years, the walk raised more than $60,000 to support grief counseling services for parentally bereaved children at Buddy's Place, a program of Pillars.

Klinker, a Village of La Grange employee and the Village were recognized for working collaboratively, creatively and economically with the agency.  ""Because Pillars places a high value on collaboration, we admire that quality in our staff and other organizations and appreciate the contributions of all of these award winners,"" said John W. Shustitzky, Ph. D., President and CEO of Pillars. 

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Pillars is a leading mental health and social service agency.  Pillars serves 36 communities in the west and southwest suburbs, and Chicago's Midway Airport neighborhood. Pillars programs and services  include: mental health services, domestic violence services, sexual assault services, Head Start and early childhood programming, behavioral health care including substance abuse/addiction services, LaGrange Area Transitional Housing, and bereavement support.  To find out more about these and additional services, please visit the Pillars website at www.pillarscommunity.org. 

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