Glen Ellyn United

Joyce Webb has been an active volunteer at the DuPage Foundation for over 15 years. She is  busy with behind the scenes work to raise funding for an emergency just such as the COVID-19 pandemic. With

Laurie Polakoff is a registered RN who lives in Glen Ellyn with her family. She has been doing her own job in the GI unit at Good Sam Hospital AND as a nurse in their COVID unit. She works many long hours but loves her job!

Meet this week's Hometown Heroes! Glen Ellyn residents and siblings, Mike & Jayme Hefler! Mike is a Firefighter in Glen Ellyn for the Volunteer Fire Department. Jayme is also a Firefighter/Paramedic for the Bensenville Fire Dept. They have been serving on the front lines and we are grateful to have them as residents!

Jessica is a COVID Nurse at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. She and her MICU colleagues have been dedicating more and more their time and focus on helping those who need it most and continuously training new nurses to offer the same level of care. Jessica is also a great mom to her new puppy Hank!

The staff at the Glen Ellyn Food Pantry have worked tirelessly alongside volunteers to serve the needs of our neighbors who are struggling to make ends meet at this unprecedented time. Huge shout out to Terri Venzon, Jodi Hefler, Donna Blake, and Mary Pat Watt.

Meet Jen McNulty, the Medical Director of Pediatrics at Edward Hospital in Naperville. She was nominated by Lorri Lott who says, "we have personally been affected by Jen’s commitment, dedication, love and care as a healthcare professional. Having a severely disabled special needs child, Jen has been a rock in guiding us in caring for our son as best as possible. She makes herself accessible professionally outside of her job. During this pandemic I know Jen has sacrificed herself and time with her family to help the medical profession and patients of COVID in any way possible."

The staff of Philip J Rock Center and School is one of the only schools still open in the State of Illinois per Executive Order on March 17, 2020. They are a residential facility/school serving students who are Deaf-Blind 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. So while others had remote learning, their staff comes in every day to care for their students.

Amy volunteered to put her life on hold. She was working in family practice and offered to work on the frontline at CDH in the ICU unit. She is a mother of two little kids. She is kind, loving and always willing to help where needed. It is an honor to have her as a Glen Ellyn resident!

Kim is a nurse and a cardiac unit for the Edwards Elmhurst Hospital system and has been part of the team figuring out how to take care of those who need it in the midst of very very different circumstances. She’s done so without complaining and a positive attitude from the start!

Carrie is a RN and works at an area hospital and has been on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis from day one. She is a hero to all of her family and friends.

My nominee for the hometown hero is April Swiatowiec. April is an Emergency room nurse, She is also the mother of two boys (3 and 1) and the wife of a professional firefighter/paramedic. April is employed by St. Alexius Medical Center Emergency Room in Hoffman estates. Needless to say she is on the frontlines of battling the COVID-19 pandemic. St. Alexius Medical Center Is owned by AMITA health and out of all the hospitals in the AMITA health system, St. Alexius Medical Center receives the highest volume of COVID-19 patients out of all of the AMITA health hospitals. Her husband is a professional full time firefighter/paramedic meaning he is gone for 24 hours every third day. While this may not seem like much to some, raising two young boys on your own every third day while keeping a high level stress job is no easy task... and she takes it in stride. April is one of those people that we should have an honor to have in our community. She’s a great mother, wife, and a person that puts others health and safety before herself. She leads by example on what it is to be a complete humanitarian.  

Jennifer is a RN at Elmhurst Memorial Hospital working Covid Units. She is married and has two wonderful sons. She gives her heart and soul to her family and career. We are lucky to have her as a resident!

Liz Knuepfer is working as a RN on the COVID-19 unit at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital and recently collected 200 + phone chargers to donate to COVID patients to facilitate face-to-face communication with their families. Thank you for everything you do!