Kane Rotaries support Ecker Center with $5,000 grant

ELGIN – Ecker Center for Behavioral Health was the recipient of a $5,000 grant from five local Rotary clubs from Batavia, St. Charles, Bartlett and Elgin.

The grant will enable Ecker Center to expand its services, including around-the-clock crisis support and long-term residential program support. Ecker’s work, with Rotary support, allows it to address pressing health issues.

The funds will be used for psychiatric services and medication management for uninsured clients, filling a gap in access to mental health service, spokeswoman Jennifer Flory said at a Feb. 29 gathering at Ecker Center in Elgin. The grant also will be used to enhance and support Ecker’s 24/7 crisis intervention services.

“Anybody in the community can visit – anybody from anywhere can visit – 24/7 downstairs on the north side of the building,” Florey said. “Anybody at any time can come for any reason. If they need a break, if they need someone to talk to, if they are experiencing any type of psychiatric crisis and they do not want to go to the emergency room, it’s available to anyone.”

Florey said Ecker also offers a mobile crisis response team that goes out into the community and addresses psychiatric crises.

Ecker has long-term residential services in one home and five apartments for clients who need supported or supervised living, she said.

“We help them with essential living needs. We help them access resources they may need, so part of this grant will be allocated to that as well,” Florey said. “Some ways Rotary members’ participation can be involved is through awareness campaigns.”

These can be through the Rotary clubs themselves or through donation drives in their communities or health and wellness fairs in which Ecker can participate, Florey said.

Donations can be monetary, but also items that people in crisis need such as toiletries. Basic clothing and snacks also are welcome, she said.

“We have a crisis residential program where individuals can stay here for up three weeks. A lot of times they come here just with the clothes on their backs,” Florey said.

Ecker CEO Daphne Sandouka said the organization recognizes the importance of the partnership with Rotary clubs.

“The work that we do is so incredible,” Sandouka said. “The money that you are donating for us today is just really so valuable to us. And we continually strive to meet the needs of the community. We listen and we respond. And you are helping us do that today, so thank you.”

Ecker also offers treatment for substance abuse, treatment for veterans, primary care and has two psychiatric emergency room programs at Advocate Sherman Hospital and Ascension Saint Joseph Hospital, both in Elgin, Sandouka said.

The agency has transformed itself to be able to serve anyone from anywhere, regardless of ability to pay, Sandouka said.

Five area Rotary clubs raised $2,500 for the Ecker grant, which was matched by Rotary District 6440 to make the grant $5,000.

Ecker board member Alan Kirk, who also is a member of the Elgin Breakfast Rotary, said the rotaries have fundraisers within the clubs and elsewhere that are open to the community.

“We’d love to be giving you $100,000,” Kirk said. “In the scheme of things, $5,000 is not a huge number, but it’s a number and it will do some good.”

The other four clubs that contributed to the grant were the Batavia Rotary, the St. Charles Breakfast Rotary, Bartlett Rotary and Elgin Noon Rotary.

Mary Bak, governor of Rotary District 6640, said her initiative for the clubs this year was to do collaborative projects “because smaller projects become larger projects and your impact and your footprint extends.”

“And mental health being one of our major initiatives this year, so this is a home run,” Bak said.