It is that time of year again! September is National Preparedness Month. The devastating natural disasters of the past year have reminded us that we must be ready for anything. Many times, the people of a community are the first ones to take action after a disaster. It is more important than ever to be prepared. National Preparedness Month is a time for you and your family to discuss important questions about disasters, make plans, and learn practical safety or life-saving tips.

The theme for this year is “Disasters Happen: Prepare Now, Learn How.”

So, how should you prepare?

1. Make and Practice Your Plan: Learn what types of disasters can affect you. Then, ask how you will receive emergency information and warnings. Discuss your family’s shelter and evacuation plans and create a communication plan. Do you know where to go, what to do, and how to reconnect? How will you contact family members when disaster strikes?
2. Learn a Life-Saving Skill: This can be anything from CPR and First Aid classes to knowing how to turn off the utilities in your home.
3. Check Your Insurance Coverage: Does your insurance cover flooding? Even just a few inches of water can cause thousands of dollars in damage. Will you be able to get your home back after a disaster?
4. Save for an Emergency: Do you have copies of your personal, financial, legal, and medical documents stored in a safe place? Do you have cash on hand in case ATMs do not work? Do you have an emergency savings account for crisis situations?

For more information about National Preparedness Month and how you can be ready, visit ready.gov. Being prepared can reduce fear, anxiety, and losses. Minutes can matter during a disaster.

Contributed by Maria Pergi, MPH, Kane County Health Department

A shining example of Aurora’s industrial and artistic history is now on display at the Governor’s Mansion in Springfield, Illinois, thanks to the Aurora Historical Society.  It is an ornate silverplate water pitcher made in 1892 and the public can see it while taking free tours of the mansion through the end of Illinois’ bicentennial year, 2018.

“The art historian for the exhibit came to us several years ago,” said John Jaros, Executive Director of the historical society, “wanting to know if we had anything special enough for this first-ever public presentation of historical art in Illinois.  She loved several of the things we showed her, but decided on the Aurora Silverplate Company pitcher because it tells so many different stories at once.”

Part of the story is the growth of consumerism in America.  The discovery early in the 19^th century of how to electroplate common metals had made it possible for the average household to own attractive silver tableware and decorative items at one-tenth the cost of fine silver.

Another part of the story is the growth of industrialism in the north.   After the Civil War, city leaders in Aurora were fretting over the lack of diversity in manufacturing which, in their opinion, made local merchants too dependent on the railroad for business.  They managed to persuade a startup silverplating business in Chicago to relocate to Aurora.

With rail and river access to vast swathes of a barely-settled country, and with eager local investors and a swelling work force of European immigrants, the Aurora Silverplate Company flourished from 1869 until 1919.  After the first factory burned down, a second one was erected on Fox Street (now Downer Place), this time made of brick over limestone foundations.  It was three stories high, encompassed 20,000 square feet of manufacturing space and boasted 185 windows.  Today a small portion of the building remains at 6 East Downer Place, the northeast corner of Downer and Stolp Avenue.  The business was sold to Mulholland Brothers Silver Company, which continued to manufacture silverplate for several more decades.

The art piece on loan from Aurora is a tilting water pitcher with outrider goblets.  These were popular wedding and special-occasion gifts in the Victorian era and this particular one is a brilliant example of the work of the firm, which had a national reputation for quality and artistry.   Heavily engraved with the good wishes of the board of directors, it was presented to the company’s president, William Dickinson, on the occasion of his 78^th birthday in 1892.

It is on display in a third-floor sitting room at the mansion.

The exhibit, which celebrates the Illinois bicentennial, is entitled Art of Illinois, and presents 93 objects made in Illinois over a period of 750 years, most of them on loan from private collectors or museums and historical societies, with a few being the property of the State of Illinois.  It coincides with the reopening of the Governor’s Mansion, which received a $15 million, privately-funded makeover in the last two years.

The exhibit will run through the end of December, 2018.  Sixty-minute guided tours are free and are currently offered every half hour from 1-4pm daily.  The mansion, built in 1855 and, thanks to a 1970s addition, the second-largest governor’s mansion in the country, is at 410 East Jackson Street in Springfield.

In honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September, Aurora-based Quality Logo Products is launching a community toy drive to support the Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation in Orland Park, Illinois.

The Hope Chest Toy Drive comes at an optimum time, with childhood cancer rates higher than ever before. According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 10,590 children and teenagers in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer this year.

Founded in 1996, The Treasure Chest Foundation is a national organization that provides comfort to kids diagnosed with cancer by offering them the special experience of selecting a gift from a treasure chest after each medical treatment. While it does not change the reality of their circumstances, these small gestures mean the world to children who would do anything for a distraction from their discomfort.

During the month of September, Quality Logo Products will provide Aurora-area businesses with their own treasure chest to place in their lobby or office to collect donations for the organization. All contributions will be picked up by Quality Logo Products at the end of the month and donated to the Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation in Orland Park.

“Cancer is indiscriminate,” said Bret Bonnet, president of Quality Logo Products. “Being a new parent myself, I can’t imagine what it must feel like to be in these parents’ or kids’ shoes. We all need to do more to help our friends, neighbors, and families in need. After hearing about the Treasure Chest Foundation during the Daily Herald Business Ledger’s Annual Awards for Business Excellence, I was deeply moved. I knew there had to be something Quality Logo Products could do to help in a meaningful way.”

Treasure Chest Foundation CEO and Founder Colleen Kisel said, “We feel so blessed and honored to have the support of Aurora-based Quality Logo Products. Their upcoming community-wide toy drive will help support thousands of children and teens who endure years of unending cancer treatments by rewarding the children with a toy, gift, or gift card after every procedure.”

Local businesses who are interested in placing a treasure chest in their office for donations may contact Kelsey Brown by emailing press@qualitylogoproducts.com.

On June 29, Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry and Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry will be joining forces to end summertime childhood hunger. The two food pantries, both located in Aurora, will be taking part in the annual Matching Pallet fundraiser, with a goal of $25,000 – an amount that will be matched by six local businesses: Dolan & Murphy Real Estate, Erie Insurance, Gerald Subaru, Konen Insurance, The Lakone Company, and Mooney & Thomas, P.C. for a total of $50,000!  The event will kick off with an all-day Radiothon on Friday, June 29, on 95.9 The River.

The summer is a critical time for food pantries. Opposite the holiday giving season, summertime is when pantry shelves are at their lowest stock. Compounding the problem is that thousands of children are no longer receiving free/reduced price lunches in school. Within some of the area school districts, anywhere from 65% to 100% of the students at some schools are receiving free lunch.

“Good nutrition is important for everyone, but especially children,” said Marilyn Weisner, executive director of Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry. “Kids should be having fun during the summer, not worrying about where their next meal is coming from or being unable to play and exercise because they haven’t eaten.”

The Matching Pallet fundraiser will get food to where it is most critically needed. Donations will fund pallets of food that the pantries are able to acquire at discounts through Northern Illinois Food Bank. Each donation will be matched by the fundraiser’s sponsors, greatly increasing the impact. For example, a $105 donation will provide an amazing 1,000 bags of pasta.

Live remote broadcast of The River’s Radiothon on June 29 will be held at Spartan House (1032 Prairie St.) from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

“Every single dollar will change a child’s life, and thanks to our generous sponsors, every dollar will be worth two,” Weisner said.

Online donations can be made by visiting aurorafoodpantry.org and clicking on the Matching Pallet link. Donations may also be mailed to either pantry; donors should write “Matching Pallet” on check’s memo line. Donations may also be made by phone by calling (630) 692-3056.  Additional information can be found on aurorafoodpantry.org or mariewilkinsonfoodpantry.org.