Serving residents of Winnebago, Boone, Ogle, Lee, Stephenson, and Rock Counties
(815)766-6565
1280 S. Alpine Road Rockford IL, 61108
( Located within the 815 Impact Center)
#TogetherWeWill
The Wayward Society corp is a Non-Profit Organization based out of Rockford IL.
Founded 2021, The Wayward Society is a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization that serves as a mobile resource team providing wrap around support services to individuals and families living with disabilities experiencing crisis, mental or behavioral health challenges. We build confidence in families using a holistic approach throughout our blended case management, peer mentorship, prevention and life safety community education services. We even have a Pay It Forward Program where families can receive donated home care supplies and gently used medical equipment free of charge. Located within the 815 Impact Center, we're built from all-volunteer staff.
Our Mission
Our Mission
Our mission is to create a village of support for struggling youth and families with disabilities through our holistic blended support services. Through prevention education and collaborated programming we will help individuals minimize risk, prevent injury and achieve a greater independence and security over the challenges they face.
Our resources and support come with NO COST to families EVER, because we believe these are things NO ONE should ever be without.
Our resources and support come with NO COST to families EVER, because we believe these are things NO ONE should ever be without.
Throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic, disruptions in education, employment, health care, and social services have been amplified. Parents and family members took on full-time caregiving roles, while also stepping into new roles as special educators, speech therapists, behavior therapists, and more. This has been exhausting, frustrating, and often just not possible for many families. So, it's important we understand and fill gaps in care coordination and support. Families across our state line have been negatively impacted living without resources including home care education, basic safety and most especially ADLs that truly affect their ability to function day to day.
By helping us fulfill these needs we are creating safer environments with safer practices, confident caregivers, and improving quality of life for families as a whole.
WHAT WE DO
Blended Case Management
-BCM-
Pay It Forward
-PIF-
Available through office, telehealth and home visits we spend one on one time with individuals and families, giving them an opportunity to be heard in their own environment, voice concerns and brainstorm ideas to problem solve.
This allows us to establish a more interactive role for families in their loved one's development and treatments, address caregiver's, basic necessities' and support system needs.
Bridge mental health counseling, adult advocacy and peer mentorship are also offered within this program.
Wayward Society is a member of the IRIS referral network. IRIS is a digital referral system utilized community wide in Winnebago and Boone Counties with allied service providers. Our partnership with this network helps us close gaps in services by working closely here with member organizations to ensure we meet the needs of the families we serve.
Check out our gallery to see some
of the cool stuff we make!
Check out our gallery to see some
of the cool stuff we make!
What Is PIF?
PIF stands for “Pay It Forward”
“It’s a program inspired by the power of giving and supporting one another through generosity and compassion.”
-Elly Van Mill
Founder/CEO The Wayward Society Corp
PIF offers area residents; working, gently used home care equipment ADLs and unopened supplies extending the life of these items and giving others a chance to benefit from them. Aids for daily living often referred to as ADLs, can assist people with injuries, disabilities, or the elderly with everyday functional activities. ADLs include everything from mobility support to adaptive clothing, sensory equipment and more!
The PIF team works closely alongside our Blended Case Management team to assist families who are in transition from homelessness or in crisis obtain basic necessities such as food, clothing, hotel vouchers etc with "Bins Of Hope" containing basic necessities for individuals and families starting over.
****Due to limited supplies and funding this part of our PIF program is ONLY available to families and individuals currently enrolled in our BCM program***
How it Works
Our team of volunteers clean donated devices and equipment. After a final inspection by a qualified professional the equipment is given to people in need.
PIF also supports local schools and other organizations through collection drives and specialty projects like creating adaptive or sensory stuff to aid in daily living, mental and behavioral health!
Acceptable PIF donations include: diapers (child and adult sizes), baby wipes, sanitizing wipes, gloves, incontinence pads/ liners, and feminine hygiene products first aid supplies, mobility aids like canes, wheelchairs or walkers, hospital beds and other home medical equipment.'
All items donated are used to assist local families in need, local schools and other organizations we work with.
Using mannequins, our instructors provide hands-on case specific training to families caring for affected individuals in the home.
Ensuring safer practices for caregivers, reducing risk of injury to both the caregiver and their loved one, and building confidence through team building in topics such as proper lifting, transfers, CPR/First aid, the use of Narcan and more.
Community Education
Community Education
This is where work with our community education program partners gets to shine! Together we present a variety of family and child safety topics for school-aged children to adult audiences. Topics covered include online and in person safety, Child/Human trafficking, abuse reporting, fire safety, emergency preparedness for medically complex families and more.
Collectively we host a variety of peer support, referral services, and psycho-education groups.
Get a FREE child ID kit upon request!
THIS KIT INCLUDES: an ID card, a fingerprint strip, 2 DNA swabs and an info/instruction card.
Specialty and home care training
Specialty and home care training
Family/Child safety
Current needs and acceptable donatable items.
Monetary Support
Art/ craft supplies
Sewing supplies
Disinfecting Wipes
Fidgets
Sensory toys
Poly pellets
Gas station gift cards (for bins of hope)
Fast food/ grocery store gift cards (for bins of hope)
Basic home goods (for bins of hope)
Basic hygiene supplies (for bins of hope)
Good condition and working
medical equipment or medical supplies
(example: walkers, wheelchairs, gloves,
child/ adult diapers, wound care supplies etc.)
Get Involved
Get Involved
Did you know?
Did you know?
Not only do we provide equipment and services to families at home, but also serve community schools, residential facilities and other non profit organizations too!
How you can help
How you can help
With your compassion and generosity in monetary, material donations or volunteered time we will be able to fulfil our mission. Our goal is to ensure that families in need within our community are able to receive support services the need, through work of our field team.
Our flexibility and mobility allow us to provide services to our clients right in their homes, because they thrive when we can help build their resilience and empower them in their own space.
It is a crucial part of our work to bring our resources straight to families who have difficulty or inability to travel.
Together we can make an incredible
impact in the community!
With your support we hope to one day open a resource center that will host open training areas for families and a variety of daily programs where recipients can attend workshops, community events and meet other families. This will be a huge step in providing more true inclusivity to the families we serve.
As a public charity we are a 501(c)(3) organization. ID# 87-2322937
Contact us for additional tax info.
As a public charity we are a 501(c)(3) organization. ID# 87-2322937
Contact us for additional tax info.
Together We Will
Together We Will
Are you interested in volunteering? We have a variety of long term and assignment based openings.
Contact us below, we'd love to hear from you!
Are you interested in volunteering? We have a variety of long term and assignment based openings.
Contact us below, we'd love to hear from you!
CONTACT US
