Hephzibah is Oak Park’s oldest social service agency—founded in 1897 when a village resident named Mary Wessels opened her home to two young boys. A postcard addressed to a friend is the only remaining record of Hephzibah’s beginnings. It reads, “I have begun my work. I have two boys, ages six and seven.”

Later, when a local orphanage was destroyed by fire, Mary took in more than a dozen orphans and made it her mission to care for “society’s most vulnerable children.” With Mary these children found safety, sustenance, comfort and love. She called the fledgling children’s home Hephzibah, after her mother. The name, which means “comforting mother” in Hebrew, was a perfect expression of Mary’s founding mission to create a nurturing haven for children in need.

Today, more than a century later, Hephzibah’s mission is a multifaceted one. We offer short- and long-term group homes for children traumatized by neglect and abuse; child welfare and family services; foster care and adoption programs; Head Start and Early Head Start programs to give infants, toddlers and preschoolers from low-income families the best possible start in life; and award-winning day care on a sliding scale for families of all income levels.

Our internationally recognized children’s home is built in the shape of the letter H, which stands for healing, hope, happiness and, of course, Hephzibah!