A 110-year-old brought home 30 of its children last weekend for the first time since they left home.
It wasn’t a person, but the Hephzibah Children’s Association, 946 North Blvd., a children and family services organization located in the area for over 100 years, held its first ever reunion.
Over 30 residents attended the weekend-long celebration, which included a tour, reception and pancake breakfast.
Keith Elkins, a Buffalo, N.Y. resident who lived at Hephzibah in the mid-1930s, was the driving force in making the reunion happen. Elkins, 75, also spoke at Saturday’s reception.
“I think this was one of the most terrific events of my life,” Elkins said at the breakfast Sunday. “To reconnect with Hephzibah, and to see that the place still represents the same values [as it did in the 1930s] is very meaningful to me.”
Elkins felt a calm, peaceful high fall over him when he entered Hephzibah for the reunion, and listening to other former residents speak on Saturday reaffirmed that the organization is unique in its humanity for children.
“I was crying thinking of the all the good times [at Hephzibah],” said Eric Bickler, 18, a Park Ridge resident who lived at the organization in 1996. “I love Hephzibah; they help give kids the strength they need to overcome what they’ve been through.”
Bickler’s mother abandoned him at age 4, and the Department of Child and Family Services placed him in a couple different group homes, which were abusive. He spent time at Hephzibah, and when he was sent to other organizations, he’d always run away and come back to Oak Park.
Chicago resident Crystal Kaboske, 28, lived at Hephzibah for a year in 1991. She spent time in several other homes, but Hephzibah’s compassion stood out.
“They really cared,” she said. “They just went the extra mile.”
“It was the only place that wasn’t abusive,” said Chicago resident Melissa Strong, 19, who lived at Hephzibah in the late 1990s. “No one had to worry about going to the hospital.”
Mike Flynn, 46, of Elk Grove Village doubled as a volunteer and former resident at last weekend’s reunion. He lived at Hephzibah in the late 1960s and is a 20-year employee of Budget car rentals, which sent 23 employees to volunteer at the event.
“It does feel like a homecoming,” Flynn said. “To see how the association has grown is fantastic. It’s always changing to meet the community’s needs.”
Flynn was moved by speeches given by Strong and Bickler the previous night and said, “You realize what a positive force this home can be.”
“This weekend reminded me of the happiness I’ve had and tears I’ve shed,” said Vicky Eells, 20, a resident from 1995 to 1999. “Nothing compares to Hephzibah. It’s always been where I can call home, and I can always come back. That’s one thing that keeps me going, coming back, seeing the kids grow and seeing how the organization changes.”
Executive Director Mary Anne Brown feels the reunion was the beginning of a new era for Hephzibah, with the organization starting to build an alumni network and connections throughout the country. What struck her most about the weekend was seeing Hephzibah’s current residents watching Elkins speak on Saturday.
Elkins has a doctorate and a successful career behind him as a college professor. Hearing a former resident’s success gave the children a ray of hope.
“The kids got enthusiastic when they heard that someone had made it,” Brown said.
