Glen Ellyn Children's Resource Center

08/28/2026

GECRC Board Member Erica Nelson was honored at the 24th annual West Suburban Philanthropic Network Philanthropy Awards yesterday, receiving the "Humanitarian of the Year" award. She was nominated by fellow GECRC Board Member Alan Taylor, who presented the award.
"Her resume reads... Chairperson of the Partnership for Educational Progress, President of the Rotary Club of Glen Ellyn, three terms on the District 41 School Board, founding member of One Community, faculty at Lake Forest Graduate School of Management, and Director of the Glen Ellyn Children's Resource Center where I have the privilege of serving beside her," Alan said. "She is also the person when times get tough, carries groceries to families after dark."
At GECRC, we all know what a wonderful person Erica is, and we are thrilled that her incredible generous spirit has been recognized by the greater WSPN community, as well. Congratulations, Erica!!

08/27/2026

Are you or your teen looking for ways to get involved in the community and make a difference this year? Look no further!
The volunteer application for the 2026-27 school year is open! Current volunteers simply need to login to their Better Impact account, make changes to any information that has changed, and answer any new questions. New volunteers will need to complete a brand new application and complete an online orientation session later in August or early September.
Our school year program will begin on September 14.
If you or your teen can volunteer at some point in the school year, but not right away (for example, they might have a fall sport and can't start volunteering until January), please still apply now so we know how many volunteers we have in our pool throughout the school year.
Applications are linked here: https://bttr.im/9rgae
E-mail [email protected] with any questions.

08/25/2026

Please join GECRC in welcoming Layla Strothoff to its Board of Directors!
Layla was born in Shiraz, Iran and immigrated to the United States with her family at the age of 8. She knows first-hand some of the struggles many children in the GECRC program face and also recognizes that the challenges many under-resourced families face today are even greater and more complex than when her family was navigating the systems.
After spending nearly 20 years as a corporate attorney, Layla recently decided to take a step back from corporate life and pivot to more non-profit work focusing on areas near and dear to her heart, including education and immigration. GECRC’s purpose and mission center around those same values.
Layla also volunteers with Re:New Project, another local nonprofit that provides
education, skills training and sustainable job opportunities for refugee women resettled in the Chicagoland area, and is a mentor for the Teen Philanthropy Network for Glenbard West High School.
Layla grew up in Schaumburg, Illinois and attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she earned a B.S. in Psychology and met her husband, Matt. She later received her J.D. from the Chicago-Kent College of Law. She has lived in Glen Ellyn with her husband and two sons, Aidan and Camden, since 2015.
In her spare time, you can find her supporting her boys on the GBW Football and
Lacrosse teams, and walking around town with (or being walked by) her two beloved dogs, Tess and Rosie.
Welcome, Layla! GECRC is so thrilled to have you on the Board of Directors!

08/24/2026

Thank you for a lovely feature Stroll Glen Ellyn. We had such a wonderful fundraiser this past summer thanks to Missy Mahjong, board member Jennifer Dietzler and the rest of the Mahjong Committee! Thank you to all of our supporters who attended and volunteered!

08/22/2026

**Know any local college students studying education, social work or foreign language looking for a rewarding part time job this school year? Or perhaps any retired teachers or social workers interested in a part time position?**

We are hiring for the 2026-27 school year! Join our amazing team!
More information on the available positions and instructions on how to apply at https://www.gecrc.com/careers/
E-mail [email protected] with any questions.

08/20/2026

It's Throwback Thursday! Today we are throwing back to some of our favorite photos of volunteers working with students at our various sites. Speaking of volunteers...

The volunteer application for the 2026-27 school year is open! Current volunteers simply need to login to their Better Impact account, make changes to any information that has changed, and answer any new questions. You must answer this question to process your application for this school year:

NEW for 2026/27 SCHOOL YEAR: Are you interested in volunteering for our 2026/2027 school year tutoring program beginning September 2026?

New volunteers will need to complete a brand new application and complete an online orientation session later in August or early September.
Our school year program will begin on September 14.
If you know you can volunteer at some point in the school year, but not right away (for example, you might have a fall sport and can't start volunteering until January), please still apply now so we know how many volunteers we have in our pool throughout the school year.
Applications are linked here: https://bttr.im/9rgae
E-mail [email protected] with any questions.

08/19/2026

Our staff has nominated a volunteer intern and/or tutor each week to be recognized for their excellent contributions to our summer program . Today we are honoring three fabulous volunteer interns and volunteers: rising Glenbard West senior Anabella Escobar, rising Glenbard West junior Maggie Garvy, and Kenyon College student Kathy Georgieva (not pictured).
"I decided to volunteer after I had so much fun during the school year helping the kids," Churchill tutor Anabella says. "I really got to see them grow and learn during the summer."
Maggie, a Park View tutor during the school year, said, "My favorite part of volunteering at GECRC this summer was seeing how excited the kids were to see me when I got there. A distinct memory I have from this summer was the field trip to Cantigny Park because it was so much fun to walk around with all the kids."
Kathy was a first-time volunteer in the 1st and 2nd grade classroom during her summer home from college.
Thank you, Anabella, Maggie, and Kathy, for your dedication to GECRC and our students! We appreciate all of the time you devoted to GECRC Summer Program!

08/17/2026

Thank you so much to all of our incredible supporters, including the Milton Township Community Mental Health Board-708 Board for making this summer's first ever full-day, five-day-a-week summer program a possibility. Please enjoy this video that provides a peek into what our robust summer program looked like this year:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaNnQ7yo8J4

Thank you to Milton Township Mental Health Board for supporting GEC...

08/14/2026

Our staff has nominated a volunteer intern and/or tutor each week to be recognized for their excellent contributions to our summer program . Today we are honoring three fabulous volunteer interns and volunteers: rising Villanova University freshman Ian Dimler, rising Glenbard North sophomore Sammy Alfaro and rising Glenbard West senior Aria Panjwani.
Ian has the impressive distinction of having logged an incredible 288 (!!) hours volunteering with GECRC over his high school years. We could not be more grateful for his generous gift of time, dedication, and care for our students. Thank you, Ian!
Sammy was a new volunteer intern for us this summer, and she quickly became a crowd favorite with our students!
"My favorite part of volunteering for GECRC is seeing the kids grow both mentally and physically," Sammy said. "I love to see them learn new things everyday and grow as a character, and develop into wonderful people."
Aria was another beloved face in many of our classrooms this summer. Students would literally cheer when she arrived to tutor!
"My favorite part of volunteering at GECRC this summer has definitely been building meaningful connections with the kids and seeing their genuine enthusiasm during fun activities such as the bowling trip to Fox Bowl," Aria said.
Thank you, Ian, Sammy and Aria, for your dedication to GECRC and our students! We appreciate all of the time you devoted to GECRC Summer Program!

08/12/2026

We are hiring for the 2026-27 school year! Join our amazing team!
More information on the available positions and instructions on how to apply at https://www.gecrc.com/careers/

E-mail [email protected] with any questions.