04-05-2025
State Rep. hosts Mother's Day brunch in Peoria; urges women to ‘look inward'
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — It was a full house of hungry guests at Childer's Banquet and Catering Center for the 4th annual Mother's Day Senior Brunch.
State Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth said it's a simple way of saying thank you to the women, and shares how her mother inspired her message to all the women at the breakfast.
'My mother passed away because she was so busy taking care of everyone else that she didn't take care of herself,' she said. 'I'm continuing to iterate to them, you cannot pour from an empty cup. You have to take care of yourself in order to take care of your family,' she said.
Self-care is a large theme in the breakfast as Gordon-Booth said the prizes for the bingo game, which were bought by her and her daughter, are centered around women's self-care.
The prizes include things such as perfume, body oils, and soap for bubble baths, among others, as she encourages women to really focus on self-care.
She goes on to say that her office hosts events like these as a way to bring people together no matter their race, background or socioeconomic status.
'We try to create spaces where our seniors can come together, they can have fellowship, and they can have a great time. We always provide great giveaways and free food,' she said.
The event is also used as a resource for the attendees, as the Graceland Center for Purposeful Aging was there to discuss an upcoming expansion. They were also given information on a Town Hall that will discuss things going on in Congress and how it will affect senior citizens.
'Particularly because most of the folks in this room are recipients of Medicaid and Medicare, so many of them have concerns about what benefits they are going to continue to receive,' she said. 'So we are going to bring that information to them also.'
She also said they are sharing information about some free events that will happen for the seniors over the Summer, including taking them on a trip to a Chicago Cubs game.
The event took place on Saturday, about one week before Mother's Day, which is on May 11, and was open to Senior Citizens who live within Gordon-Booth's district. She oversees the 92nd District, which encompasses Peoria and West Peoria.
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