WB_012419

8 | January 24, 2019 | The wilmette beacon NEWS
wilmettebeacon.com
Fuji
The Page Family,
of Wilmette
It is unusual to
see a Samoyed
which makes
it especially
adorable to hear
little boys and
girls walk past our house and exclaim “Look!
A Wolf!” to their parents. Fuji is an 8-year-old
Samoyed which we have had from the time he
was a puppy. Fuji loves leaves and the snow and
his favorite spot is our front walk where he can
see people come and go. He especially likes
playing soccer in our yard with our 6-year-old and
15-month-old.
To see your pet as Pet of the Week, send information to
eric@wilmettebeacon.com or 60 Revere Drive, Suite 888,
Northbrook, IL 60062.
New Trier graduate launches business
to take local nannying to the next level
Hilary Anderson
Freelance Reporter
There is a new type of
Mary Poppins in town.
She is Lake Forest’s
Bridget McManus, founder
and owner of the Lake
Forest business, Date
Night Boutique.
McManus, who has
worked with young children
and served as a nanny
for more than 20 years, has
a new way to help clients
with what she calls a glaring
need.
The need is for families
who would like someone
with the expertise of
a nanny to care for their
child or perhaps an adult
with special needs for a
short period of time—like
an evening or weekend.
Date Night Boutique
services enable a couple
or caregiver to go out on
a date with their significant
other or to a business
event. The individual
could even provide some
respite time for the caregiver
or brief companionship
for an older adult.
“The idea of having
someone to rely on for a
brief period of time with
professional child care experience
and maybe even
some medical knowledge
has been mulling around in
my mind for a long time,”
McManus said. “The person
could be called a family
assistant, a true premier
family concierge.”
McManus pointed out
that a family assistant could
help an overburdened parent
in a number of ways—
from caring for children in
the traditional manner to
doing grocery shopping, or
getting a car’s oil changed,
to picking up youngsters
from music lessons or other
after school activities.
“Sometimes parents of
children with Type 1 Diabetes
are fearful of going
out on a date because their
youngsters’ glucose level
might rise too high or fall
too low,” McManus said.
“A family assistant who
might be a retired nurse
looking to make some extra
money would be a perfect
match for this situation.
The parents could go out
on a date without worrying.
They have the knowledge
someone watching their
child knows what to do if
the situation arose.”
McManus, a New Trier
grad, studied painting and
art education at the Art
Institute of Chicago and
taught private art lessons
to children.
She based her observations
about the need for a
Date Night Boutique from
her experiences growing
up in Winnetka.
“I have seen the need
from both sides—the parents
and individuals who
needed occasional help and
traditional nannies who
provided it,” McManus
said. “Nannies are professionals
whose jobs are primarily
child care and usual-
Please see nannying, 10
COAST
From Page 4
will collect donations and
send them to the Chief
Petty Officers Association
and earmark the monetary
donations for the
Wilmette Coast Guard
staff,” Pastor VanBrakle
said. “The U.S.O. (Great
Lakes) also is collecting
donations and will
bring and distribute those
earmarked for the Coast
Guard at Wilmette Harbor
but individuals must
contact them on their
own.”
Some of the churches
and faith organizations accepting
donations for the
Coast Guard include the
Community Church of Wilmette,
First Presbyterian
Church, First Congregational
Church, Sukkat Shalom
and the Muslim Community
Center of Morton
Grove.
Julie Yusim, executive
director of the Wilmette/
Kenilworth Chamber of
Commerce, began contacting
Wilmette/Kenilworth
businesses also about ways
to assist.
Barb Young, who oversees
the Wilmette Food
Pantry located at Trinity
United Methodist Church,
Lake and Wilmette Avenues,
said anyone from
the area who needs food is
welcome.
“We have plenty of food
from generous businesses
including Jewel in Plaza
del Lago,” Young said.
“We now have different
kinds of meat that are fresh
and put in our freezer for
whomever needs it. There
also is plenty of dairy.”
“The Wilmette Food
Pantry is open every Tuesday
from about 10:30 a.m.
to 11:30 a.m.,” Young said.
“I usually am there early so
if someone needs to come
sooner, they probably can
get in.”
Zier said she will accept
food gift cards from those
who want to donate to the
Coast Guard staff. Zier also
said she will deliver them
to the Wilmette Harbor
Coast Guard station.
“The food cards can be
from any food store,” she
said. “I will make food gift
cards available from our
store as well.”
HEART Certified Auto
Care, with locations in Wilmette
and Northbrook, is
offering free oil changes to
all federal employees during
the government shutdown.
Employees just need
to show government identification.
New Trier Township residents
who are affected by
the government shutdown
as well as members of the
Wilmette Harbor Coast
Guard also have another
option.
Gail Schnitzer Eisenberg,
who is a New Trier
Township trustee, tells
Coast Guard members and
other community residents
who are affected by the
government shutdown to
contact the New township
to obtain food or emergency
financial aid.
“We do recognize those
who work in the township
may also need service
during this trying
period,” Eisenberg said.
“An intake appointment
must be arranged with
the township social worker.”
For more information,
contact the Chief Petty Officer
Association (nonprofit
and not affiliated with the
U.S. Coast Guard) at www.
uscgcpoa.org. Contact
Jeanne Winstead Rosser,
New Trier Township social
worker, at (847) 446-8201
or email: jwinstedrosser@
newtriertownship.com.