January 14, 2025
Local News | MidWeek News
Local News

'Taking Care of our Care Takers' raises more than $14,500

By Katrina J.E. Milton

Members of the fundraising group Taking Care of our Caretakers pose for a photo wearing face masks and plastic gloves to show their solidarity with health care and medial workers. The T-shirt designs the members are wearing can be purchased online, with $5 benefiting the fundraising efforts. From left, Katie Norris-Geer, Patricia Meyers with the NIU College of Business, Jennifer Yochem with the Housing Authority of the County of DeKalb, Brenda Jergens with the DeKalb School District, Sue Christiansen with the CNA program at Kishwaukee College, Tammy Harper with PA Doors, Melissa Gorbet Butts, and Christi Coulter with Elder Care Services. (Photo provided)

To help boost local restaurant sales and give back to health care workers, Katie Geer of DeKalb, with the help of her friend from high school Melissa Gorbet Butts, started a GoFundMe page called "Taking care of our care takers ~ DeKalb County IL."

As of Monday afternoon, more than $14,500 has been raised by 320 donors. The page states that the goal of the campaign is to raise money to buy food from local restaurants and deliver it to health care workers.

A Facebook group, "Taking Care of our Caretakers," has also been created to share ideas and photos of the food deliveries. More than 520 people have already joined the group. T-shirts are also being sold online, with $5 of every order benefitting the campaign.

Even though Gov. JB Pritzker banned Illinois bars and restaurants from serving sit-down customers, establishments have been allowed to continue to operate via drive-thru or pickup and fulfill delivery orders.

After delivering meals to health care workers during its first week, Taking Care of our Caregivers purchased goodie trays last week.

“It is our understanding that the first week of April, the hospital expects to have an abundance of patients,” Butts wrote in a Facebook post. “We are spending less of the GoFundMe this week so we can ensure they have as many meals as we can provide next week when they really, really need them. Many expect to be so busy caring for patients they probably won’t even be able to leave the floor during their shifts.”

Suggestions of restaurants and businesses to patronize or regarding health care and medical agencies or first responders to support through meal donations can be made on the group’s Facebook page.