Community Connections

Community Partners

It has been said that it takes a village to raise a child. Well, it takes the effort of many individuals and groups working together to build a healthier community. For over a century, Silver Cross has formed valuable partnerships with many organizations throughout the area to improve the health and quality of life of all those within the all communities we serve. Here are just a few of our partners:

Cardinal Fitness
Caring for the health of area residents has always been a concern for Silver Cross Hospital. With this in mind, the hospital has entered into a partnership with Cardinal Fitness to offer a variety of health education programs, events and screenings throughout the southwest suburbs. In addition to health education, as a part of the partnership, Cardinal Fitness is offering discounted memberships to hospital employees, volunteers and physicians and their immediate family members as well as bariatric surgery, cardiac rehabilitation phase III and physical rehabilitation patients.

Harvey Brooks Foundation
The Harvey Brooks Foundation (HBF) is an organization formed by professionals within the All Nations Church of God In Christ to address the needs of area youth, adults and families in its surrounding low-income community. All Nations Church is located on Joliet's southeast side and has served the community for almost 70 years. Over the years, HBF has offered a variety of programs that positively impact youth development and leadership, which is an ultimate correlation to employment, income potential, neighborhood stabilization, business development and community safety. The Silver Cross Healthy Community Commission has chosen the HBF to receive a grant of $25,000 to help fund positive community programs and the daily operation of the center. The grant awarded by Silver Cross Healthy Community Commission will enable the HBF to continue many of their programs, including after-school tutoring, parent education, computer literacy, recreation and health/wellness programs.

Joliet Community Action Network (JCAN) — Male Mentoring Program
JCAN's Male Mentoring program was formed to address the needs of African American males ages 12 to 18 in the Joliet area. The mentoring initiative focuses on building character, decreasing the high school dropout rate, preventing the use of alcohol and other illegal drugs and preventing their involvement in gangs and other illegal activities. The program's mentors are professional men from Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and several other volunteers from the Joliet community. The Silver Cross Healthy Community Commission recently awarded $12,000 to the Joliet Community Action Network (JCAN) to help with the operating expenses for 20 students enrolled in the Male Mentoring Program.

Joliet Junior College C.N.A. Program
Silver Cross in conjunction with Joliet Junior College (JJC) has developed a C.N.A. program on the hospital's campus. The C.N.A. program has been offered by JJC since 1979. After successful completion of the 121-hour program, which includes theory, laboratory, and clinical content, the course rewards 7.5 college credit hours. These credit hours are transferable toward the college's registered nurse program. The course meets the requirements of the State of Illinois Department of Public Health. Successful completion of the C.N.A. course, a criminal background check, and the state competency exam qualify the candidate to be a certified nurse assistant and work in a hospital, nursing home, or other extended care facility. As part of the Silver Cross Healthy Community Commission's workforce development initiative, Joliet Junior College scholarship recipients, Marion McFarland (Joliet resident) and Tamara Veasy (Joliet resident), have completed the Certified Nurse Assistants (C.N.A.) program and passed the state certification exam.

National Hook-Up of Black Women, Joliet Chapter
The National Hook-Up of Black Women, Inc. (NHBW, Inc.) is a national, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of women and their families through support of the arts, culture, health and human service initiatives. Together, with Silver Cross Hospital, the Joliet chapter offers health education and screenings to the community. In addition, the NHBW and Silver Cross Hospital have partnered to increase literacy through the Reading For Life Literacy Program. As part of a two-year, $10,000 pledge, the hospital donated funds, furniture and computers to help establish the NHBW & Silver Cross Reading Room which is located in the Unity CDC at 1 Doris Ave., Joliet, IL 60433. Hours are 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on the 2^nd and 4^th Saturdays of the month.  Call 815-722-9200 for information. The group opened a second NHBW & Silver Cross Reading Room in the Forest Park Community Center 1017 Woodruff Rd, Joliet, IL 60432 which is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Questions? Call 815-727-7898. A third location opened at the Salvation Army at 300 3rd Ave, Joliet, IL 60433.  This Reading Room is open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Call 815- 726-4834 for information.  A fourth Reading Room is located at the Shiloh Baptist Church, Oak Avenue, 18101 Lockport, IL  60441. Call (815) 774-1016 for information.  At the Reading Room, children and parents are able to swap, borrow or take a book to keep in their own personal libraries. Further, Silver Cross assists NHBW-Joliet in organizing “Reading Circle” events where hospital employees, physicians and volunteers read to the children at the Center. Events include Real Men Read Night, Book Chat, Book Swap, and a Family Read Night with Open Mic. During 2010, the Reading for Life Literacy Program provided more than 6,700 books to over 2,100 children and adults in the community.

Safe New Lenox
"Safe New Lenox" is comprised of four organizations that work in collaboration with the Village of New Lenox. These groups include New Lenox Safe Communities America Coalition, New Lenox Citizen Corps Council, New Lenox Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and New Lenox Medical Reserve Corps (MRC). The New Lenox Safe Communities America Coalition and New Lenox Citizen Corps Council include representatives from over 20 organizations that are located in New Lenox, Will County and beyond. These public and private sector organizations provide a wide variety of services to our community. These organizations include, but are not limited to: Law enforcement, fire service, emergency management, schools, health and safety, faith-based, recreation, transportation and a variety of businesses.

Will County Community Health Center
The Will County Community Health Center—a division of the Will County Health Department—provides preventive and primary health services to the medically underserved people of Will County regardless of age, sex, color, and ability to pay through direct care and partnerships. Through a five-year $450,000 pledge, Silver Cross helped to fund the construction of the Will County Community Health Center, which opened in 2006. Through our relationship, Silver Cross is the only hospital providing pre-natal and maternity services to over 1,000 expectant mothers and newborns at the Health Center.

Will County Workforce Investment Board — Work Certified Program
The Work Certified Program enables individuals with certification that verifies that a job seeker has the reading and math skills, problem solving and critical thinking skills, workplace behaviors and personal habits that are the foundation of success in the workplace. Joliet Junior College's Institute of Economic Technology has been contracted to teach the skills and run the certification program, which consists of 90 training hours spread across nine modules. The Silver Cross Healthy Community Commission has chosen the Will County Workforce Investment Board's Work Certified program to receive a grant in the amount of $13,340 to fund 20 individual scholarships. Scholarship recipients must live within the zip codes 60432, 60433 and 60436. Since the Work Certified Program was launched in 2002, more than 800 workers in Will County have been certified. The role of the Workforce Investment Board of Will County is involved in a consortium comprised of the eight Workforce Boards in the Chicago metropolitan area. This consortium is focusing on a number of regional initiatives aimed at supporting business, the community and the region's economic vitality. These initiatives provide for broader career awareness for individuals at all levels.

Will-Grundy EMS System
For over 35 years, Silver Cross has served as the resource hospital for the Will-Grundy EMS System, which includes over 1,200 EMS providers, 30 fire departments and ambulance services, and six hospitals.

Will Grundy Medical Clinic
The Will Grundy Medical Clinic provides free medical and dental care to individuals who cannot afford medical care. Many physicians and nurses at Silver Cross volunteer their time to staff the “Free Clinic.” The hospital also provides thousands of dollars in free healthcare services including testing and surgical care.