HR0931 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0931 LRB100 21328 ALS 37680 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Reverend Willia Brown on her retirement and recognize her 25 years of Professional Chaplaincy and Leadership in Pastoral and Spiritual Care as well as her notable community service; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Brown has demonstrated strong and effective leadership at area hospitals, including Schwab Rehabilitation Hospital and Care Network, Advocate Bethany Hospital, and Mount Sinai Hospital Medical Center; in collaboration with the Westside Ministers Coalition, Loretto Hospital, and Advocate Bethany Hospital, she led a three-day training program for clergy that focused on Disaster Spiritual Care Response; when she served as a hospice chaplain, she not only journeyed with patients through the dying process, she sometimes secured burial funds for families in need; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Brown responded to victims of violence and trauma by developing a chaplain's domestic violence and sexual assault program; she served as the Chair for the 11th District Police Domestic Violence Subcommittee and worked with their Clergy Subcommittee for nearly five years; she also served with the 15th District Police, where she designed a training program on community engagement for members of the clergy; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Brown further connected with the community by training over 50 volunteers to minister and support patients and their family members during their admission to the hospitals; she also raised funds to support the training of community clergy in Clinical Pastoral Education, a higher level of hospital clergy training; and

WHEREAS, At her office desk, Reverend Brown answered telephone calls from people in local communities who asked for pastoral support during times of depression, threat of suicide, and unemployment; she helped parents who were in need of clothing so their children could attend school; she assisted those who needed food and furniture for their homes; she demonstrated compassionate and sensitive leadership; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Brown's work and ministry assisted many in the communities of Chicago and the suburban areas; as a chaplain, her pastoral care, patience, and understanding were felt at the bedsides of patients in hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and their own homes; she compassionately and skillfully worked with patients through their pain and suffering when they felt hopeless and helpless; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Reverend Willia Brown on her 25 years of faithful and dedicated care and community service to the people of the Chicago area and the State of Illinois, and we wish her the best in her future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Reverend Brown as an expression of our esteem and respect.