Lightways Hospice

💙 CARING THROUGH THE SENSES

If you missed Wonderlight this year, you can still experience one of the evening’s most inspiring moments. ✨

This year’s theme, “Caring Through the Senses,” celebrated the incredible impact of Lightways’ Integrative Therapies Program and the meaningful difference it makes for hospice patients and their families.

Through massage therapy, music therapy, and aromatherapy, these compassionate therapies provide comfort, ease anxiety, promote relaxation, and create meaningful moments of connection when they matter most.

🎥 Watch this amazing video from Wonderlight and see the impact of Integrative Therapies firsthand.

WATCH THE VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=874sP5kUhG8&feature=youtu.be

If you’d like to help make these therapies possible for more patients and families, consider making a gift today.

DONATE NOW: https://form-renderer-app.donorperfect.io/give/lightways-hospice-and-serious-illness-care/general-website-donation-form-copy-3

💙 Thank You to Our 2026 Annual & Event Sponsors! 💙

We are incredibly grateful to all of our 2026 Annual Sponsors and Event Sponsors for their generous support of Lightways Hospice and Serious Illness Care!

Your commitment helps us continue providing compassionate hospice and serious illness care to patients and their families, while also making special events like Wonderlight possible. ✨

Whether supporting our mission throughout the year or helping bring our events to life, your generosity makes a meaningful difference in the lives of those we serve. We are truly thankful for your partnership and dedication to Lightways!

Interested in becoming a sponsor or supporting our mission? 💙

📞 Contact our Development Department at 815.740.4104

🌐 Visit www.lightways.org/donate

Thank you for being an important part of the Lightways community!

💙 Caring Through the Senses: Highlights from Wonderlight 2026 💙

What an incredible evening! Wonderlight 2026 brought our Lightways community together for a beautiful night of connection, generosity, and compassion, all centered around this year’s theme, “Caring Through the Senses.”

This year, we celebrated the extraordinary impact of Lightways’ Integrative Therapies Program, which provides meaningful moments of comfort and connection for hospice patients and their families through massage therapy, music therapy, and aromatherapy. These therapies can help ease anxiety, promote relaxation, enhance comfort, and support quality of life when it matters most.

Guests enjoyed a memorable evening featuring a gourmet plated dinner, exciting raffle baskets, a paddle raise, and so much more. But the heart of the evening was the incredible generosity of everyone who came together to support these compassionate services.

Every contribution helps make it possible for Lightways to continue offering integrative therapies that bring comfort, peace, and meaningful connection to patients and families during some of life’s most difficult moments.

We are deeply grateful to everyone who attended Wonderlight 2026, along with our sponsors, volunteers, staff, donors, and supporters who helped make the evening so special. Thank you for being part of this meaningful celebration and for caring alongside us. 💙

Together, we are helping create moments of comfort, connection, and peace through every sense.

🌟 Thank you for making Wonderlight 2026 a night to remember!

🎃 Dinner is getting a little spooky! 👻

Treat yourself to a delicious Spooky Supper To Go while supporting the Lightways Hospice Guild! For just $25, enjoy a frightfully fun dinner featuring Batty Bella Stuffed Chicken, Creepy Parmesan Oregano Mashed Potatoes, Ghoulish Green Beans, Scary Caesar Salad, a Yummy Mummy Roll with Butter, and a Spooky Sweet Treat. 🦇🍽️

Even better, 100% of proceeds benefit the Lightways Hospice Guild and help support the important work of Lightways. 💙

📅 Thursday, October 15
⏰ Pick-up time is 5:00
📍 Bella Cucina Catering | 800 W. Jefferson, Joliet

🎃 Grab dinner, have some fun and support a great cause!

👉 Learn more and order your Spooky Supper To Go: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/lightways-hospice-guilds-spooky-supper-to-go-dinner

💀🌼 Celebrate Día de los Mu***os with Lightways! 🌼💀

Día de los Mu***os (Day of the Dead) is a meaningful two-day tradition, celebrated November 1st and 2nd, that honors loved ones who have died. 💙

Join Lightways Hospice and Serious Illness Care to learn more about this beautiful tradition and create an ofrenda (altar) to honor someone special.

🌼 What to Expect:

✨ Create an ofrenda to honor your loved one
✨ Materials provided at no cost
✨ All ages are welcome
✨ Led by Irene Zamudio, Bilingual Grief Counselor
✨ Presented in English with Spanish translation available

📅 Registration by October 16th is recommended!

💙 FREE EVENT — Everyone is welcome!

📧 Questions? Email [email protected]

📞 815.460.3295

🌼 Join us in honoring loved ones and celebrating Día de los Mu***os.

Register here: 👉 https://lightways.org/event/dia-de-los-muertos-family-event/

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‼️ SAVE THE DATE ‼️

🕯️ Lights of Love Memorial Tribute & Tree Lighting Ceremony

An evening to remember, reflect and celebrate the lives of those we love. Join Lightways at the beautiful Rialto Square Theatre for a special evening of remembrance, reflection and community as we honor loved ones who remain forever in our hearts. 💙

📅 Wednesday, November 25 | 📍 Rialto Square Theatre

✨ More details coming soon! Stay up to date on Lights of Love and all upcoming Lightways events: www.lightways.org/events-calendar/

💛 Alzheimer’s Awareness Month | You Don’t Have to Face Serious Illness Alone

When someone is living with Alzheimer’s disease or another serious illness, the journey can affect the entire family. From changing needs to difficult conversations, having the right support can make a meaningful difference.

At Lightways Hospice and Serious Illness Care, our Serious Illness Care team works alongside patients, families, and existing healthcare providers to help manage symptoms, navigate challenges, and prioritize quality of life.

Care is about more than a diagnosis. It’s about understanding each person’s needs, honoring their wishes, and helping families feel supported through every step. 💙

💛 Virtual Caregiver Support Group

Caring for someone with an advanced serious illness can bring emotional and practical challenges. Our virtual caregiver support group offers a welcoming space to connect with others, discuss caregiver stress, and explore anticipatory grief, guided by a Lightways Grief Counselor.

📅 Monthly, 2nd Wednesday
⏰ 10–11 a.m.

Register here: https://lightways-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/bAtaX1DgQJevjs6xPqxQUQ #/registration

Learn more about Lightways Serious Illness Care:
🔗 www.lightways.org/serious-illness-care/

If you or someone you love is navigating serious illness, support is available. You don't have to walk this path alone. 💛

💙 Finding Comfort, Connection & Rhythm

Hospice care is about more than managing a diagnosis. It’s about creating moments of comfort, connection, and joy for patients and their loved ones.

Through Lightways Hospice and Serious Illness Care’s Integrative Therapies team, one patient living with ALS found a special way to connect with their children: music. 🎶

As part of the Heartbeat Rhythm project, the patient created a recording that became something their children especially enjoy—a lasting reminder of how music can bring families together.

At Lightways, our Integrative Therapies services, including music, aroma, and massage, support the whole person by offering additional ways to find comfort, express themselves, and create meaningful memories.

Want to learn more about this meaningful story?

💙 Read the complete story in this month's blog, www.lightways.org/light-the-way/

Learn more about Lightways Integrative Therapies: https://lightways.org/integrative-therapies/

Caring for a child with an advanced serious illness can bring challenges that are difficult to navigate alone. 💜

Our Virtual Pediatric Caregiver Support Group offers a safe and supportive space for parents and caregivers to connect with others who understand the unique experience of caring for a seriously ill child.

Each group provides an opportunity to share experiences, talk through caregiving challenges, discover helpful resources, and support one another along the journey. You don’t have to have all the answers, and you don’t have to go through it alone.

The group meets 𝘃𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 twice each month:

📅 2nd Tuesday of each month
🕜 1:30–2:30 p.m.

📅 3rd Wednesday of each month
🌙 6:00–7:00 p.m.

Whether you’re looking for connection, resources, or simply a place where you feel understood, we welcome you.

💜 Register to join the Virtual Pediatric Caregiver Support Group:
https://forms.office.com/r/STs6vpb46t