Share

Kaitlin's Hideout Featured in Chicago Parent Magazine
Blog originally posted in Glen Ellyn, and Wheaton Patch in Illinois.

I am just ecstatic over the recent featuring of our center in such a predominant magazine for parents. It is truly a dream come true for me.

See, I am a hopeless Dreamer. One of my favorite quotes clearly shows that,‎

"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will be as one." --John Lennon

My lifetime dream was to open a trendy cafe/restaurant, right in the heart of either the Lincoln Park or Bucktown neighborhoods in Chicago.

Those complete and detailed plans now lie in an overstuffed binder on a shelf collecting dust.

The day the autism bomb was dropped on me, was the day I put that binder up on the shelf, with the plans to take it down and reminisce in my golden years.

After years of being immersed in the autism world, I decided the time was right to put my new dream on paper and somehow find a way to make it happen.

It has been a long hard road, nothing has been easy. I have encountered resistance from many, including my own family.

Most of my friends and family have been more than supportive, but there is always a few to put a negative spin on things and discourage you.

For example, the family member that thought it was appropriate to say, only three weeks into our journey,"so what are we going to do with all this stuff? I said, "what do you mean"? She said,"you know, when it fails and we have to move everything out of here, can't we just shut the door and walk away"?

Admittedly, that comment caused great negative emotion within me for a few days, but, anyone who knows me well, knows that comment was the spark to the fire I needed to continue on and fight harder for my new dream!

The feeling my volunteers and I get from seeing the children play, laugh, and interact with us, while their parents are supporting one another and sharing ideas and resources nearby, far outweighs the negative aspects of our journey!

I am passionately dedicated to helping children and families affected by autism and other developmental disorders. I have too much invested in this journey personally to give up. As they say, "nothing worth doing is easy"!

What the future holds for us, only our Creator knows. My plan is to continue here in our little space in this world and eventually expand to as many communities as possible. Would you please join us in our journey?

I want to thank Dan Campana from the bottom of my heart for the awesome, heartfelt article that he wrote about us.

Below is the press release with the link to the article in Chicago Parent Magazine.

GLEN ELLYN – Five months after opening its doors to help children and families impacted by autism, Kaitlin’s Hideout is proud to announce it is featured in the November issue of Chicago Parent.

The story – also available online at http://www.chicagoparent.com/101442 - focuses on the efforts of owner Lisa Kelly to create a play center for children, which also serves as a resource center for their parents. Kaitlin’s Hideout is named for Kelly’s 10-year-old daughter who was diagnosed with autism eight years ago.

“It was so exciting,” Kelly said of seeing her budding center featured in Chicago Parent. “It was such a warm story.”

Chicago Parents magazine has been in publication for 25 years, serving as a trusted source of useful information to parents around Chicago and its suburbs.

Kaitlin’s Hideout, which opened its doors in June, is located in the “Little Shops” at 526 Crescent Boulevard in downtown Glen Ellyn and is open seven days a week. For more information, call 630-460-0878 or visit www.kaitlinshideout.com.

Lisa is the owner of Kaitlin's Hideout, a play center for children with autism and a social, support and resource place for parents. www.kaitlinshideout.com