Our Lady of Mercy: Youth Mission Trip

One of Janice’s most meaningful experiences with her church, Our Lady of Mercy (OLM), was participating in acts of service through the youth mission trip. Each year, the Joy Foundation makes its largest annual gift to OLM’s Youth Ministry, supporting high school parishioners as they travel to serve communities in need.

Support from the Joy Foundation helped cover transportation expenses and offset participation costs for several students, ensuring access to this formative service experience.
 

The recent trip to Britt, Iowa, hosted 53 teenagers and 12 adults from OLM. They joined more than 200 volunteers from eight different groups. Together, they assisted with home repairs, painting, deck and fence restoration, and other critical projects for families in need.

This is the Joy Foundation's first charitable cause and third year in a row supporting the Our Lady of Mercy mission trips.

Cal's Angels Comfort Kits

When exploring ways to support children and families facing pediatric cancer, Cal’s Angels’ Comfort Kit Program felt like a natural fit—one Mom herself might have envisioned.
 

The Comfort Kit Program supports oncology families at hospitals throughout the Chicagoland area. When families experience unexpected or extended hospital stays, these kits are available for hospital staff to provide immediate comfort and support.
 

Each Comfort Kit includes 19 essential items, such as hygiene products, toys, coloring books, blankets, pillows, and other comforts designed to ease a family’s stay.
 

The Joy Foundation provides one Comfort Kit each year to a pediatric patient and their family. Cal’s Angels delivers more than 300 Comfort Kits annually to families in need. This is the Joy Foundation's second annual Comfort Kit.

Greater Chicago Food Depository

Food was one of the ways Mom expressed love, and the traditions she created around meals continue to keep her close to our family’s hearts. It is fitting that her legacy lives on through efforts to feed those experiencing hunger.
 

The Greater Chicago Food Depository works to nourish neighbors facing food insecurity while addressing the systemic issues that contribute to hunger and poverty.
 

The Joy Foundation’s first gift to the Greater Chicago Food Depository helped provide more than 750 meals to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity.

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum of the Chicago Academy of Sciences

Mom found peace and meaning in the natural world and believed deeply in caring for all of God’s creatures and their shared home. She often spoke of yellow finches as messengers from Heaven, pausing to reflect whenever they appeared.
 

The Joy Foundation made its first gift to the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in honor of the butterflies that have come to symbolize her presence and visits to those she loves.
 

The Nature Museum works to foster positive relationships between people and nature, strengthening our region’s connection to science, discovery, and the natural world. Its mission envisions a future where all people value and champion the wonder of nature.