Beverly Farm welcomes State Representative Amy Elik
During her Aug. 16, 2023, tour of Beverly Farm, Illinois State Representative Amy Elik (R-111th-Alton) met with members of the Beverly Farm Foundation Strategic Ops team. Shown in the photo from left are Beverly Farm Chief Development Officer Taylor Justice, Group Home Administrator Rachel Lollis, Clinical Director Lori Rodgers. State Rep. Amy Elik, Beverly Farm CEO Crystal Officer, HR Director Lena Harrington and Director of Community-Based Services Tara Wagenblast. (Courtesy Beverly Farm)
Representative Elik met with Beverly Farm residents, staff and leadership during her Aug. 16 visit
Beverly Farm Foundation welcomed Illinois State Representative Amy Elik (R-111th-Alton) on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. During her visit to Beverly Farm, Rep. Elik met with Beverly Farm Foundation CEO Crystal Officer, residents and team members from all levels of the organization. Accompanying Rep. Elik was Legislative Aide Emma Long.
Rep. Elik’s tour of the Beverly Farm campus included visits to the nonprofit’s Community Day Services center, its Groves B. Smith Recreation Center and one of Beverly Farm’s group homes. At each of the three stops on the tour, Elik and her legislative aide met and talked with Beverly Farm residents and team members.
“While Beverly Farm is just outside my district, I wanted to come out today to meet and speak with some of its residents, staff and senior leadership,” said Rep. Elik. “With its mix of community-based living arrangements, group homes, cottages and private pay apartments, today’s visit was a great opportunity to gain additional perspectives on long-term care options, the needs of some of our most vulnerable citizens, the challenges faced by organizations that provide supports for those citizens, and the challenges faced by the wonderful people who choose careers as caregivers.”
“While growing up I spent a lot of time at the Equestrian Center at Beverly Farm,” added Long. “I have many fond memories of my time hanging out around the barn, riding and being around the residents there. It was great to come back today and see more of the Beverly Farm campus, and learn more about what it’s like to live and work here.”
“We want to thank Representative Elik and Legislative Aide Emma Long for taking time out of their busy schedules to come meet with us and see how we create loving and caring homes for nearly 300 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” said Officer. “We also want to thank Representative Elik for her support of increasing wages for all Direct Support Staff throughout the state.”
Beverly Farm is one of the largest employers in the Riverbend area and is currently celebrating its 125th anniversary.
State Rep. Amy Elik (R-111th-Alton) and Legislative Aide Emma Long visited with Beverly Farm residents assembling key chains at the Beverly Farm Community Day Services Center. (Courtesy Beverly Farm)
State Rep. Amy Elik (R-111th-Alton), accompanied by Legislative Aide Emma Long, watch Beverly Farm residents as they perform quality testing on metal fittings at the Beverly Farm Community Day Services Center. (Courtesy Beverly Farm)
State Rep. Amy Elik (R-111th-Alton) and Legislative Aide Emma Long pose for a group photo with Beverly Farm residents and team members at the Groves B. Smith Recreation Center during their Aug. 16, 2023, visit to the Beverly Farm campus in Godfrey. (Courtesy Beverly Farm)
About Beverly Farm
Beverly Farm was founded in 1897 by Dr. William H.C. Smith and his wife, Elizabeth, to establish a caring home that included socialization, proper medical care, healthy diet, physical exercise, education, recreation and meaningful work for people living with developmental disabilities. Today, Beverly Farm is a planned community that looks and feels like a neighborhood. There are homes, a recreation center with a pool, an equestrian center, medical services, therapies, and much more. Just under 300 individuals who live with intellectual or developmental disabilities currently call Beverly Farm home.
The mission of Beverly Farm is to provide a loving, caring home for adults with developmental disabilities, providing each individual with physical and emotional security and a dignified quality of life, with opportunities and challenges, within each individual’s functional capabilities. At Beverly Farm, they value people, excellence, collaboration, integrity and innovation.
