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.
Santa snaps pics with pets including a fish named Kevin
What the kids are thankful for
Family Matters: Committed to Keeping Families Together
Beating the Odds: Christian Scores a Family and Scholarship
Consider being a Foster Parent
Jewel’s Joyous Journey Home
Your Donation Will Impact a Child's Life.
Upcoming Info Sessions