Thank Heavens

Senator A.J. Wilhelmi presents a resolution to Coal City native and Will Grundy Center for Independent Living Executive Director Pam Heavens in recognition of her having served for 20 years as the only leader the WGCIL has ever had. (Herald Photo by Heidi Terry-Litchfield)

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JOLIET – Pam Heavens was just a small-town girl with big dreams when she moved from Coal City, where she grew up, to Joliet in 1983.

Heavens, who has a disability which causes the use of a wheelchair, never let the disability stop her.

“I owe it to my dad, who never said ‘no,’” she said at the Will Grundy Center for Independent Living’s annual awards dinner Wednesday night.

When Heavens first moved to Joliet, she worked at Easter Seals, which she credits with the start of what has become WGCIL.

“Easter Seals was instrumental in the charter board when we got finalized to open our center,” she said.
After three years of planning, WGCIL opened its doors in 1989.

For the 20 years since it’s inception, Heavens has been the only executive director at the center.
She was honored at the awards banquet for her 20 years of service and received a congressional record from Debbie Halvorson, which was presented by Nick Allen and Greg Bales; resolutions from Illinois Senator A.J. Wilhelmi and State Rep. Jack McGuire; a plaque from State Rep. Tom Cross; and resolutions from Will County Executive Director Larry Walsh and Joliet Township.

Heavens said what she is most proud of is serving around 25,000 disabled residents of Will and Grundy counties.

“The center has become much more well known to Grundy County,” she said. “But we have much more work to do."

For the next 20 years, she said, she hopes to be able to serve even more people in both counties.

“We want to completely serve both counties,” she said. “We want more people with disabilities to use our unique services.”

In addition to being honored for 20 years of service, Heavens was also presented with one of the center’s own awards, the Accessibility Achievement Award, which came as a surprise to her.

Heavens is a well-known advocate in not only Will and Grundy counties, but also Springfield, where she goes with consumers of the center to advocate on behalf of persons with disabilities throughout the state.

The core services provided by WGCIL are individual advocacy, systems advocacy, information and referral, peer support, and independent living skills.

“This is the second time I’ve attended this event and it’s one of my favorite because you can see the results of the agency right here in the room,” Kelli Walker, executive director of United Way of Grundy County, said. “Pam Heavens is a legend. She is a Coal City girl who has been responsible for changing laws.”

WGCIL is a partner agency of both United Way of Grundy County and United Way of Will County.