Riverwoods, IL - On August 29, 2002, Cecile Hillmer of Highland Park returned to Orphans of the Storm after visiting the shelter to drop off a donation in memory of a friend who loved the shelter.

After walking around a bit, Hillmer, a professional gardener, noticed that some of Orphans' flower beds could use a little professional touch.

"I decided to come back and fix them up." said Hillmer. Sure enough she returned several days later and has volunteered to spruce up Orphans' flower bed in this dry summer season. Orphans appreciates the hard work of our many volunteers and encourages anyone interested in volunteering at the shelter to fill out an application form on-line (volunteer page) or fill one out at the shelter itself.