Blog

By Randy Varju, FAHP, CFRE President, Advocate Aurora Health Foundations Chief Development Officer, Advocate Aurora Health 2019 is going to be a great year. How do I know this? It’s because of the amazing community members, organizations and team members, who are shining examples of how much more we can accomplish when…...

It was the fall of 2008 when Jesus Zayas, a former police officer, developed a cough that seemed harmless. But then the coughing didn’t stop, and suddenly, his phlegm was coming up pink. Realizing he was coughing blood, he rushed to the hospital. Jesus didn’t realize it just then, but…...

Year-End Opportunities for Those Who Plan on Taking Standard Deduction Did the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 increase the likelihood that taxpayers will take the Standard Deduction on their tax returns? While the Act did not eliminate the charitable deduction for charitable gifts, it did essentially double the…...

Year-End Opportunities for Those Who Plan on Itemizing Their Deductions How did the recent Tax Reform affect those who make charitable gifts? One of the key considerations for tax payers each year is whether or not to itemize their deductions. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 did not…...

By Scott Guhl I am a poster child for God’s miraculous work. I was told over and over that it is amazing that I am alive. Less than a year ago, I was on my way to a pastors’ meeting when I was in a terrible car accident. My vehicle…...

By Don Martinez For as long as I can remember, I have always had an interest in helping people live their best lives. As a child, this often took the shape of volunteering at various community venues. As a young adult, it guided me to my first career as a social…...

By Brian Dobben Beneficiary designations can provide a relatively simple way to support your favorite Advocate hospital or program. Considered a “will substitute,” a beneficiary designation dictates how the assets in an associated account will be distributed at the owner’s passing. Essentially, there are three ways to transmit property at…...

It was her baby girl’s shrill cry in the night that began an ordeal Michelle Kent will never forget. Little London was just a few weeks old and recuperating from having her tiny heart valve ballooned. The procedure had initially improved a condition London faced at birth—a narrow valve that…...

Never in a million years did Beth Levy think she would be the one in the one in eight women who have breast cancer. “You think, you’re young – under 40, you work out every day, eat healthy, sleep eight hours a night, cancer can’t happen to me. And then…...

 Meet Angela – Her friends call her Angie! She’s been volunteering at Advocate Health Care for over five years. Angie is a participant at our Adult Down Syndrome Center at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge. That’s where her volunteer journey began. “At my yearly physical five years ago,…...