PEORIA, IL (11/19/2013)(readMedia)-- Five little girls and one boy were recently born while their dads were away serving their country. In December, those six babies will finally get their dads back from Afghanistan.

"We are all just ready for them to be home," said Sarah Willey of Decatur, Ill., the Family Readiness Group leader and wife of Illinois National Guardsman 1st Lt. Brian Willey. "A lot of kids are ready to have their dads back."

Sarah gave birth to a daughter, Ariea, while Brian has been deployed. Ariea is one of six babies born during the 2nd Battalion, 238th General Support Aviation Battalion's deployment to Afghanistan.

Anticipating the Soldiers' return, spouses and family members of the Peoria-based Soldiers gathered for a family reunion event at the Hult Center in Peoria, Ill., Nov. 16.

"The event focused on working through any issues the family members might foresee when their Soldier returns," said Mari Richardson of Athens, Ill., the 65th Troop Command Brigade Family Readiness Support Assistant.

Spouses and family members had a question and answer session with the 238th Commander Maj. Clarence Pulcher of Morton, Ill., via the internet.

"He told them how excited they were to return home and how well they have done while deployed," said Richardson.

Approximately 60 Soldiers with the 238th mobilized in January 2013 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and are expected to return in December when Brian will meet his daughter for the first time.

Christian Care Generates Community Action Partnerships

Rock Island, IL November 19, 2013 - Together we can make a difference, and that is exactly what is happening at Christian Care Rescue Mission with the implementation of a new program?A Holistic Approach to Transformation Change. To meet the needs of the program and ensure post program success, community partnerships are being developed to create win-win outcomes for everyone involved. Christian Care and Papa's Helping Veterans, a nonprofit providing furniture for homeless veterans, are working together to bring hope to those who have lost just that.

The partnership that Christian Care and Papa's have formed is beneficial for both non-profits. Papa's has furnished the program meeting room at Christian Care and, in turn, Christian Care is providing him with unemployed Resident volunteer movers to help his non-profit, generating a robust community action partnership. As fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, they have come together to help each other out, while benefitting from each other's services. The need for community engagement and contributions is imperative for both organizations to move to the next level of service. In order to continue offering the services that they do; food, shelter, clothing and furniture for the homeless, financial support must be procured for both non-profits.

In keeping with Christian Care's holistic approach to change, this four month program focuses on building and internalizing new habits for the body, mind, and spirit of each Participant. They engage in daily prayer, exercise, book and film studies, individual life coaching sessions, an arts experience, such as the Quad City Symphony, and in return volunteer their time to meet community needs. High expectations have been set for major life change. While the program began six weeks ago and runs through February 1 the need for athletic gear, program materials, and technology is fact emerging.

Papa's Helping Veterans is a local non-profit providing furniture to Veterans in need. As formerly homeless Veterans transition into permanent housing, Papa's furnishes their new living quarters. Thanks to community donations, they are able to offer services to the hundreds of homeless Veterans in the Quad Cities. As their business continues to grow so do the needs to fund it; they are in need of warehouse space, volunteer movers and financial help to cover gas and overhead expenses.

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Volunteer Efforts Underway to Assist Victims of Recent Tornadoes; Department of Insurance Offering Free Counseling in Washington

SPRINGFIELD - Governor Pat Quinn today declared Douglas, Jasper, Pope, Wabash, Wayne and Will counties state disaster areas following violent storms and tornadoes on Sunday that affected several regions of the state. The declaration increases the number of declared counties to 13. On Monday, Governor Quinn declared Champaign, Grundy, LaSalle, Massac, Tazewell, Washington and Woodford counties state disaster areas after a severe storm system ripped across Illinois, spawning at least two EF4 tornadoes.

"Yesterday I saw firsthand the devastation caused by these deadly storms," Governor Quinn said. "While the recovery will be long and hard, we will work in the coming days, weeks and months to assist these communities and help the people who live there rebuild their lives."

On Monday, Governor Quinn personally inspected the damage in some of Illinois' hardest hit communities: Washington, Diamond, Gifford, Brookport and New Minden.

The state disaster declaration makes available a wide variety of state resources that can help affected communities respond and recover from the storms. The state of Illinois has personnel and assets that can be mobilized to help local government officials with disaster recovery, including such things as trucks, heavy equipment to remove debris, communications equipment and provide assistance with security and other public safety issues.

Governor Quinn also announced that volunteer efforts are well underway to assist the victims of the November 17 tornadoes that devastated several communities in Illinois. Financial donations to volunteer disaster response agencies are the best way to help. Cash donations allow these agencies to purchase exactly what is needed, when it is needed. If materials are donated, they should only be those items specifically requested by officials, and these should be brought to officially designated collection centers.

Those who wish to volunteer in person should not go to the disaster scene, since there are far more volunteer offers than there are volunteer needs, and the arrival of unexpected volunteers will interfere with recovery efforts. Volunteers should first go to a reputable volunteer agency that is responding to the disaster, and they will be assigned when and where their services can best be used. Volunteers should be patient and wait until they can be adequately trained by relief agencies. The most crucial need will be for volunteers during the long-term recovery phase, which could last for several months.

Volunteer information for specific areas is listed below. For more information visit Ready.illinois.gov for information on specific sites that can utilize volunteers.

·         Gifford (Champaign County). American Red Cross-Central Illinois chapter, (217) 351-5861.

·         Coal City (Grundy County). Coal City High School, Mr. Rich Kapinus, (815) 207-0926.

·         Washington County. No need for volunteers or donations at this time.

·         City of Washington (Tazewell County). Call (309) 573-4035.

In addition, the Illinois Department of Insurance (DOI) will offer free one-on-one insurance counseling services to assist Washington residents recovering from the November 17 tornado. DOI staff will help individuals with the insurance claims process by providing information on how to properly document storm damage, whether to make temporary repairs, what a consumer's homeowner policy covers and what to expect during the claims process.

The first day of counseling will take place on Tuesday, November 19 in the Wal-Mart Supercenter parking lot at 1980 Freedom Parkway in Washington. Those seeking assistance should arrive by 10 a.m. DOI staff will offer free counseling daily thereafter from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. If available, consumers should bring an inventory of contents, policy information and all documentation they have received from company adjusters or public adjusters.

Other state assistance to impacted communities to date includes:

·         Four Technical Rescue Teams were sent to Washington.

·         One Technical Rescue Team was sent to Gifford.

·         Two three-man engine companies will work 12-hour shifts through Wednesday in Gifford to provide much-needed relief to the town's firefighters.

·         More than 40 light towers have been delivered to assist with nighttime operations in Washington (26), Pekin (6), Gifford (10) and Brookport (2).

·         Command vehicles have been deployed to Washington and Pekin to support response operations.

·         Law enforcement support has come from the Illinois State Police, Illinois Department of Natural Resources conservation officers and Illinois Commerce Commission officers.

·         One five-person Emergency Management Assistance Team support trailer and 10 Starcom radios have been provided to Brookport.

·         40 Starcom 21 radios have been provided to assist Washington responders with emergency communications.