by Barb Quaintance
Here’s some history you may not know: Misericordia’s Art Program began in 1985 to provide work opportunities for our residents. The Coleman Foundation funded the program’s first project with Fannie May Candies. Residents created miniature ceramic replicas of the famous white baskets that held Fannie May’s delectable chocolates. This project showcased the talents of our adult residents and marked a new and exciting chapter in Misericordia’s story.
More than forty years later, the Art Department, overseen by Julie O’Sullivan, is an important part of the lives of more than two hundred residents and brings creativity and beauty to the Misericordia campus and the broader community. The Art Department's overall goal is to provide residents with opportunities to learn and improve their art skills, spark their creativity, and showcase their work through exhibits and auctions. It enables our residents to become artists and celebrate their artistry.
Thank you to everyone who attended the recent Changes to Medicaid and SNAP webinar. We appreciate your participation and understand that many families may have questions following the discussion. Please know that this issue is a priority for us. Most of the individuals we support are already covered under AABD or Long-Term Care (LTC) Medicaid, and we are actively working to transition those currently enrolled in ACA Medicaid to AABD/LTC Medicaid.
If you missed the October 22 webinar or want to revisit it, you can watch the recording HERE. It is about 1 hour long.
You can also access the webinar slides HERE and the complete webinar transcript HERE.
If you have questions about your loved one's specific Medicaid status or eligibility, please contact Monica Taylor, Social Service Funding Coordinator, at
by Mei-Ying and S.Y. Chen
2026 marks a meaningful milestone for our son, Michael: his 10th anniversary at Misericordia. Over the past decade, Misericordia has become more than a home—it has blossomed into a vibrant community where Michael has flourished, found lasting friendships and joy, and developed a deeper sense of belonging and independence.
To honor this special occasion, we published a memoir, Seeing the Light: Raising a Child with Autism—A Family’s Journey. The book traces Michael’s journey from birth to adulthood, highlighting the many remarkable people, programs, schools, and organizations that guided and supported him.
Spanning eight chapters, the memoir details each stage of Michael’s development and life experience. It opens with his birth, the discovery of his developmental challenges, and his eventual diagnosis of autism. We recount the hurdles our young family faced in seeking medical guidance, educational services, and appropriate support, and reflect on the many individuals and organizations who offered encouragement, expertise, and practical help along the way.
Hello MFA Families,
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Fall General Meeting on Sunday. It was wonderful to be together, and we’re grateful for the energy, engagement, and care you bring to our Misericordia community. If you couldn’t attend—or would like to revisit the program—the recorded meeting is available below.
This meeting’s keynote presentation, A Lifetime of Care: Navigating the Journey of Aging Together, offered thoughtful guidance on palliative care, hospice, and planning ahead for our loved ones. We encourage all families to watch the presentation and explore the reference links provided, as these topics are essential to ensuring the best long-term decisions for our residents.
The holiday season is fast approaching, so there are plenty of ways to support Misericordia in the coming weeks!
The Misericordia bakery is one of the most popular places to volunteer during the holiday season. Over 70% of our bakery shifts are filled, but we still have hundreds of slots available. You can sign up for holiday shifts in November at this link and in December at this link. *If you're still looking to get a bigger group here this holiday season, you should get that on the calendar now!
We also still need a lot of help with our holiday events: Sunday brunch events, our Thursday 12/3 lunch hosted by the Women's League, and the 7-9 pm shifts at the Harlem Irving Plaza supporting the Giving Tree Program. *If you're interested in helping with any of our holiday event opportunities, sign up at this link.
With seasonal respiratory illnesses (COVID-19, influenza) on the rise in our community, we currently require all staff, volunteers, and visitors to wear masks in resident care areas or when spending time with residents on campus.
As we enter respiratory illness season, we want to take every precaution we can to keep our residents safe and healthy. For the past two years, Misericordia has implemented seasonal masking precautions that have effectively reduced the spread of respiratory illnesses among our residents and staff.
Masks will be available in all residential areas. Thank you for helping protect the Misericordia community!
This year, we will once again be hosting our annual party in the Jean Marie Ryan Center and, weather permitting, trick-or-treating in the Village.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25 | 2:00 – 4:00 PM
$5 Per Person | Residents Free RSVP HERE
Volunteers Needed! Check here for volunteer opportunities.
Questions? Please contact Anne Mills
773-273-2730 |
by Barb Quaintance
Most Misericordia families are from the greater Chicago area: we're lucky to have the jewel that is Misericordia so close to home. But some families come from farther than Des Plaines or Bridgeport or Highland Park or even Peoria. They upend their lives and move to Chicago so that their children can live at Mis. They don’t see it as a burden or a hardship; like the rest of us, they see it as a blessing.
Now, let me introduce you to two such families new to the Misericordia community: the Harrigans and the Ryans.
Stephanie and John Harrigan raised their special needs sons, Sam and Ben, and their daughter, Julia, in the San Francisco Bay Area. Stephanie, a native of Rogers Park, knew Misericordia as the Angel Guardian orphanage when she was young and later as Misericordia.
Misericordia is filled with wonderful stories: stories about the residents’ lives, campus happenings, and the dedicated staff. We love sharing these stories in Mis Biz and on the MFA-Sibs website. It gives us all a sense of our community's richness.
Why don’t you tell one of your stories? There are several categories that you might think about:
Resident Arts & Events is hosting its first-ever Book Fair on October 3rd! We would love to accept any donations of new or lightly used books, magazines, and notebooks. Please consider the reading levels of all our Residents, and know that we will happily accept picture books, texture books, comics, and storybooks, too! Reading levels range from Kindergarten through High School. We are also looking for stickers, puzzles, bookmarks, and blank tote bags!
Please contact
We are looking for volunteers on Saturday, October 3, from 9:00 am to 1 pm for the Book Fair. Volunteers will help organize and distribute books during the fair and be stationed at tables to assist residents in selecting books. We need a small group of volunteers to help decorate tote bags and others to escort residents to and from the event.
Click here to sign up to volunteer.
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