Stepping Stones of Rockford, Inc. is proud to announce that it has received a $11,730.00 grant from the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois Grants Program, with support from the Dr. Louis and Violet Rubin Fund, to purchase Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) which will be installed in several of the organization's facilities.

The Benefits of the Grant: According to Dr. Myron Weisfeldt of John Hopkins University, the use of AEDs before emergency medical services arrive (by bystanders), saves about 1,700 lives per year in the United States and having them available could possibly save another 500 lives. The AEDs funded by the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois will provide a great deal of comfort to the staff at Stepping Stones knowing these devices are available to help save lives at our facilities in the unfortunate incident that a person needs a shock. The AEDs will be placed in eleven facilities and will serve as important risk management tools in the event of their need.

Susan Schroeder, CEO, LCSW of Stepping Stones of Rockford, Inc. said about the grant: I was so pleased the trustees of the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois recognized the value of funding our grant request to help Stepping Stones install AEDs in our facilities. The installation of these devices means we will have another method to help save the life of a person who is in need of a shock until emergency medical services personnel arrive.

About Stepping Stones of Rockford, Inc.: Stepping Stones of Rockford, Inc. is a private 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) nonprofit behavioral healthcare organization that provides mental health services to children aged six and older and youth with severe emotional disturbances and housing and psychiatric rehabilitation services to adults with serious mental illnesses. Since beginning as a single halfway house in 1969, Stepping Stones has grown to become northern Illinois' leading provider of residential programs designed to meet the housing and recovery needs of adults with mental illnesses. To learn more about Stepping Stones, please visit https://steppingstonesrockford.org.

About the AED Project: The AEDs funded by the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois will be installed in the organization's facilities. Clinical staff will receive training on the use of the devices as part of their initial CPR/First Aid training and during their on-going re-certification sessions.

About the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois: The mission of the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois (CFNIL) is to inspire endowment and provide philanthropy for the current and future needs of the people of Northern Illinois. Since its founding in 1953, CFNIL has granted over $85 million for charitable purposes. Learn more about CFNIL's grant making and commitment to endowment at cfnil.org. 

** All sites will soon be equipped with the AED's and we are currently training our staff.