Our History
“I have begun my work. I have two boys, ages six and seven.”
This message—written by Oak Park’s Mary Wessels on a postcard addressed to a friend in 1897—is one of the few remaining records of Hephzibah’s beginnings more than a century ago.
Not long after Wessels sent this postcard, a local orphanage was destroyed by fire and she opened her home and her heart to a dozen more children. She named her fledgling children’s home “Hephzibah,” after her own mother.
Learn More about Hephzibah
Read the latest news and stories about Hephzibah.
Hephzibah healing leaves a lasting impression
Highlights from our 2020-2021 Annual Report
Helping Oak Park families survive pandemic parenting
Keeping Families Hephzibah Strong
Hephzibah Healing Spans Generations
Jewel and Christian: Bound for big things
Your Donation Will Impact a Child's Life.
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