Guardian Angels group receives $20,000 donation

The Exchange Club of Joliet recently donated $20,000 to Guardian Angel Community Services in Joliet.

The donation was the rest of the money from the Exchange Club of Joliet’s successful annual spaghetti dinner fundraiser Oct. 24.

James Ruzon, a Joliet Exchangite and member of the Guardian Angel’s board of directors, presented the donation, according to a news release from Guardian Angel Community Services announcing the donation.

Guardian Angel CEO Ines Kutlesa said in the release that Guardian was “grateful for everyone at the Exchange Club of Joliet” as well as Ruzon’s “volunteerism on the local and national level, all of which has helped us grow in service.”

Ruzon recently was named Exchangite of the Year, District Exchangite of the Year and Distinguished District President, Kutlesa said in the release.

The Exchange Club Center for the Prevention of Abuse and Neglect is one of six programs offered at Guardian Angel.

AnnMarie Coglianese, who manages the Exchange Club Center at Guardian Angel, is president of the Exchange Club of Joliet.

For more information on the Exchange Club Center at Guardian Angel Community Services, visit gacsprograms.org or contact AnnMarie Coglianese, program manager of the Exchange Club Center, at amcoglianese@gacsprograms.org.

Know more

Here is a glance at the long-standing history between the Exchange Club of Joliet and Guardian Angel Community Services in Joliet, according to Guardian Angel.

* The Exchange Club of Joliet founded the Exchange Club Center at GACS in 1985. This center was a service project of the National Exchange Club Foundation for the Prevention of Child Abuse. The foundation chartered and monitored more than 50 centers in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

* The GACS’ Exchange Club Center serves at-risk families through parenting classes. The goal of the classes is to “educate parents and prevent child abuse, which may result from parental stress or lack of information and skills about child rearing and household management,” Guardian Angel said.

* These parenting classes “inform parents of child development and the manner in which to best care for their youth,” Guardian Angel said. Parents are then “better equipped to provide the nurturing care needed to support and appropriately parent their child throughout every developmental stage,” Guardian Angel said.

* Services at GACS’ Exchange Club Center include a Nurturing Parenting Program. This program educates intact families who are served by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

* The center also offers a seat belt safety training to ensure “children are appropriately safeguarded,” Guardian Angel said.

* GACS’ Exchange Club Center is accredited and received the highest AAA rating from the National Exchange Club Foundation years ago.