February 10, 2025
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Friends of Sunny Hill in Will County marks 35 years of helping Joliet nursing home

By Judy Harvey
Residents who wished to be on the first ride – around the Sunny Hill and Health Department campus – were asked to sign up for a lottery. All of the residents who attended the reception put their names in for the April 6 ride. The bus will be on display at the County Office Building May 17 when residents attend the regularly scheduled County Board meeting to present the title and keys to the county. Anyone who still would like to help, may send a check to The Friends of Sunny Hill, Inc., at Sunny Hill Nursing Home of Will County, 421 Doris Ave., Joliet, 60433. Above, The 2018 Ford bus replaces a 2004 model. The new bus has places for two additional wheelchairs and has additional heating vents.

Since its founding in 1989, the not-for-profit Friends of Sunny Hill has raised funds to purchase three 18-passenger vans for the Will County-owned and operated nursing home in Joliet. (Photo provided by Will County Executive Office)

The Friends of Sunny Hill organization is kicking off a year of events to celebrate its 35 years of helping residents of the Sunny Hill Nursing Home of Will County.

Friends of Sunny Hill was founded in 1989 to address a need for a wheelchair-accessible van for residents of the long-term skilled care nursing facility in Joliet, owned and operated by Will County.

Over the past 35 years, the organization has made it its mission to “make a difference” in the lives of residents at the facility, the group said in a release.

Since its founding, the nonprofit group has raised funds to buy three 18-passenger vans, create and operate the facility’s Sweets and Treats Shoppe, provide three accessible outdoor patio areas and gardens (with seasonal upkeep), provide wall-mounted televisions in resident bedrooms and group areas, and install raised gardening beds, according to the release.

The organization also funds all musical entertainment and other life enrichment needs of the 156 residents who reside at the facility.

“The Friends of Sunny Hill provide additional resources and support for the already amazing work our facility does for its residents,” Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant said in the release. “Whether it’s providing iPads, Christmas trees or planning events, the Friends live up to their name and mission, making sure our Sunny Hill family have smiles on their faces.”

The Friends of Sunny Hill raises funds through donations, including biannual mailing campaigns and memorial gifts, Sweets and Treats Shoppe profits, the annual Sunshine Holiday Gift Bazaar and Luncheon, and other events throughout the year, according to the release.

The Friends of Sunny Hill is sponsoring its annual Valentine Mylar Balloon Sale on Friday, Feb. 14. Balloons can be bought and will be delivered to all Sunny Hill Nursing Home residents, according to the release.

For information, call Karen at 815-347-2309 or email sunnyhillfriends@gmail.com.

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