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is a mental health support group which meets weekly.  GROW members strive to create a caring, sharing community by sharing their own experiences and coping strategies in order to help one another.  Between meetings, members keep in touch through phone calls and social events.  A highlight for the year is the annual GROW 3 day camp.  It is held in southern Illinois and is often the only “vacation” or time away from the city that members have for the year. 

GROW is a community mental health movement that began in Australia in 1957.  It has since spread to 7 other countries.  GROW groups vary in size from 3-15 members; our Uptown group usually has 5-6 members attending.  Meetings are held weekly and last 2 hours.  The meetings combine personal testimonies, reports on member’s progress and group work on members’ personal problems.  Participation in GROW is strictly voluntary and there are no fees or dues.  All are welcome. 

More information about GROW can be obtained from the GROW website.

 The Uptown GROW group has provided an opportunity for its members to live healthier, happier lives.  They profit from the caring and sharing community that is formed between the members and those in other groups around the state. 

The group for seniors at the Ministry named themselves “Our Gang” many years ago and there are several members of the group who have been a part of the group since it began.  Our Gang provides a chance for isolated seniors to come together for monthly meetings.  The meetings provide a variety of activities: trips to local sites of interest like museums; meals together or picnics in the summer; and educational programs on a variety of topics.  Last year the group was able to go on a 3 day retreat with the senior group from Lake View Presbyterian Church.  At Thanksgiving, Our Gang comes together with the other groups at the Ministry to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal.  One of our supporting congregations, Grace Lutheran in River Forest, generously invites the group to a Christmas luncheon and concert each year.  For many, it’s the highlight of their holiday. 

For many years, Advocate Health Care has generously provided Chicago Uptown Ministry with the services of a Parish Nurse.  The Nurse works full time at the Ministry and is an important member of the staff.  The Parish Nurse facilitates the healing mission of the Ministry by serving in the following roles: integrator of faith and health; health educator; personal health counselor; referral agent and liaison with congregational and community resources; coordinator of volunteers; developer of support groups; and health advocate.  For more information regarding Advocate Health Care, you can visit their website.

Jo Kujawinski has been the Parish Nurse at the Ministry for 6 years.  Though her job includes all of the roles listed in the above paragraph, her work is primarily as a personal health counselor, referral agent and health advocate.  She is responsible for 2 support groups, GROW and Our Gang.  Through her role as personal health counselor, she has been blessed to know and be a part of the lives of many in Uptown.  By working to establish trust with her congregational members she has been able to positively impact their health and encourage them to make healthier choices for their lives.  She serves as their advocate with the health community and helps them access resources.  As referral agent, she works with many local agencies to increase access to health care for the congregation.  An example of this is the screening for TB held recently in partnership with Heartland Health Alliance. 

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