Guardian Angel Outreach offers a helping hand to new parents

Guardian Angel Outreach in Streator is helping parents of newborn children.

The volunteer-led program operates from the third floor of OSF Center for Health-Streator at 111 Spring St. It is open noon to 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays.

The outreach provides diapers, baby wipes and supplies to parents of children 0 to 3 years old. There is no financial requirement. Parents just have to provide their baby’s age.

The St. Michael the Archangel Parish supports the program, along with other local donations.

There are a number of free items offered to parents, including clothing, bibs and toys. There is a room of materials for free, made of mostly donated items. Children books and educational items are available through a library system, allowing clients to check out the material.

Other items, such as diapers and newer clothing, are distributed through a point system. Points are earned by parents through a variety of ways. Parents can gain points by reading educational parenting material, or by simply referring a friend/fellow parent. The reading material may inform parents about topics ranging from Sudden infant death syndrome to the proper way to set up a car seat, or how to handle choosy eaters or best practices for breastfeeding.

The Holy Trinity and Park Presbyterian quilting groups have made handmade quilts for distribution to new parents for their newborns.

Since February 2022, 138 new parents have been served through the outreach, said Linda Volkman, a lead volunteer of Guardian Angel. As many as 27 clients at a time have come through the non-profit organization.

“It gets busy,” said Collen Rithmiller, a volunteer of Guardian Angel. “It’s really rewarding to help families.”

The outreach recently hosted an open house. It will be closed from Dec. 23 through Jan. 5, however, for the holidays. Diapers and wipes will be available through the break.

The volunteers – mostly mothers themselves with now adult children – enjoy helping other new parents as they begin to start their families. Most of the parents bring their infants with them on their visits.

“I really enjoy it and look forward to it,” said Ruth Ann Robertson of her time volunteering.

“You get to see babies!” an excited Volkman said.

The Guardian Angel Outreach is one of a number of non-profit organizations on the third floor of the OSF Center for Health-Streator. St. Vincent de Paul, the Cancer Resource Center and wig boutique, Tri-County Opportunities Council, Illinois Valley Center for Independent Living and North Central Illinois Behavioral Health also are set up on the floor.

“We’re always doing what we can to help each other,” Volkman said. “We refer families to each other depending on their needs.”

There is a volunteer waiting list, but anyone wishing to get on the list can call 815-673-3966 if they wish to offer assistance.