#RUNforJEFF2021

Our Mission Statement

The JEFFREY MICHAEL DEHLIN MEMORIAL FOUNDATION (JMDMF) donates musical instruments and art supplies to area teen/young adult residential drug rehabilitation facilities for use during the clients’ free time. Our belief is that the mental, physical and emotional pressure placed on a teen/young adult undergoing drug rehabilitation, often times with a co-existing mental health disorder, can be overwhelming. We aim to help reduce their anxiety while helping to channel their stress into a positive, more creative outlet. 100% of our donations go toward meeting our Mission. We never take compensation of any kind.

Making Our Donations

To date, JMDMF has made six donations of musical instruments and art supplies to Rosecrance Griffin Williamson (RGW) the 30 day unit for males and females under 25, Marlowe House (long term house), and Hillman House (long term house, now closed), in Rockford, Illinois, and Rosecrance Lakeview in Chicago.

1. 2.19.19: RGW-4 acoustic guitars, 2 guitar teaching handbooks, 2 guitar stands, 2 large art boxes, each filled with water colors, markers, colored pencils, art paper, watercolor paper, a color wheel, artist's palette and multiple brushes. We were privileged to meet Abbey Nelson, who, at the time, was their Recreation Specialist.

2. 8.5.19: RGW Wish List-3 boxes of art supplies, including oil and watercolor paints and various art paper, wooden, glass and plastic beads, string, scrapbooking supplies like special paper, stickers, glue dots, ribbons, plus various sizes of canvases for painting, guitar strings and a digital drum pad, again with Abbey Nelson accepting.

3. 1.23.20: Marlowe House and Hillman House Wish Lists-1 new violin each, 1 new saxophone, 2 new acoustic guitars, and 2 overflowing art boxes, an easel, an 8-pack of 11" x 14" canvases, scrapbooking supplies, multiple beads and string, adult coloring books and gel pens.

RGW Wish List-Mod Podge and 8 pack of 8" x 10" canvases. The photo to the side in Facebook showcases these wonderful women, including in order, Abbey Nelson, Glenda Burns (Hillman House), Stacey Vanderkolk (Marlowe House), Cheryl (myself), and the new Recreation Specialist for RGW, Alyssa Newton. The second photo from this same donation features a few of the boys from Hillman House holding the instruments, however we could not show their faces for privacy reasons.

4. 3.5.20: Hillman House and Marlowe House Wish Lists-a digital drum set, a ukulele, 2 electric keyboards, a Fender amplifier, a bass guitar, 2 books each for teaching saxophone and violin, an easel, sculpting clay, Mod Podge, and 2 boxes of beads.

5. 6.28.21: RGW Wish List-Acoustic guitar, 100 sheets of watercolor paper, gel pens, sketch pad, acrylic paints, watercolors, palette and color wheel, paint brush set, mixing knife, adult coloring books, Sharpie markers in black and colors, an easel, wooden craft crosses, supplies for scrapbooking, like ribbon, glue, stickers, puffy stickers, large paper, chalkboard tape, Crayola skinnies, dual pen markers, letter and colored beads, wooden beads, metalic beads, stretch string, 8 pack of 11" x 14" canvases, 8 pack of 8" x 10" canvases.

Marlowe Wish List-50 sheets watercolor paper, sketch pads, colored pencils, markers, watercolors, acrylic paints, palette, paint brushe set, mixing knife, color wheel, metalic beads, glass beads, elastic string, adult coloring books.

6. 8.30.21: Rosecrance Lakeview in Chicago Wish List - 2 acoustic guitars, a 61 key teaching keyboard, Moroccan bongo drums with 2 yr. insurance, a tambourine, a Mendini cello with 3 yr. insurance, a Mendini trumpet with 2 yr. insurance, a Chilean rainstick, a Mendini violin with 2 yr. insurance, a table easel, 11" x 14" canvases, adult coloring books, 72 coloring pencils, 24 water color paints, pastel chalk pencil sticks, 50 water color sheets 9" x 11", color wheel, wooden and glass beads with elastic string, paint brushes and palette, 110 sheets mixed media paper, and 36 set dual pen markers.

We are speaking with Gateway and their many suburban facilities about beginning a donation relationship with their community. With JMDMF, once we partner with a facility, we will continue to periodically check back to make certain the managers aren't in need of anything. We have received responses from several of the above counselors, managers and recreation specialists about how our donations have made a difference for their Rosecrance clients. The professionals we have spoken to all agree that the music and art supplies have helped to decrease anxiety. We have just instituted a CLIENT QUESTIONNAIRE to obtain objective data regarding the actual affect that our donations have on clients in the facilities to which we donate; we will keep you up to date on our Social Media and our website.

The clients become very excited now when they see us coming! Receiving hugs and offers to “stay for lunch” and huge Thank You's make it all worth while, because we want the same for every client as we did for Jeff. We want to help each one to make it through their journey to be as healthy as they can be, and any way that we can make that a little easier, we consider a win. With your donations, we can do more. THANK YOU for ALL that YOU DO!!

Awards:

First overall male age 18 and over

First overall female age 18 and over

First overall teen age 13-17

First overall child age 7-12

You must be registered by September 20, 2021 to be guaranteed your shirt size

Packet pick up will be on race morning only beginning at 8:00 AM