Two new board members join Healing to Healthy

Healing to Healthy announces the appointment of two new board members, Chrissie Howorth, CFRE with VNA Health Care and Jessi Tampa with The Garb Lab.

“We are excited to welcome our new board members who bring their talent, energy, and expertise to help Healing to Healthy further its mission,” said Amy Downing, President.

Chrissie Howorth is a certified fundraising executive and brings many years of fundraising expertise to the board. Currently she is Vice President of Philanthropy and Communications at VNA Health Care. At VNA, Chrissie is responsible for donor engagement and stewardship, capital and major gift development, planned giving activities and Federal, State and Foundation grant writing and development activities. Chrissie also oversees VNA Health Care’s Marketing, Communications and Community Outreach programs. She is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and was the 2014 recipient of the Daily Herald Business Ledger's Influential Women in Business Award.

Chrissie served as Chair of the non-profit Foundation, Friends of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County for four years and as President of the West Suburban Philanthropic Network for a two-year term. She also served as Vice-President of the Oak Brook Historical Society and Co-Chair of the Oak Brook Historic Preservation Fund Committee. Chrissie currently serves on the Community Leadership Council of the DuPage Federation for Healthcare Reform.

Jessi Tampa is a self-taught seamstress and costume designer and the creator of the pattern for the Healing to Healthy mastectomy camisole. She has been designing and creating costumes for the past thirteen years and teaching sewing classes for all ages for over five years. In 2018 Jessi opened The Garb Lab to teach others to sew and develop their sewing and costuming skills. The Garb Lab offers a variety of workshops and classes from basic sewing skills to courses in costume and design. Jessi’s prior volunteer leadership includes instructing classes at Triple Threat Mentoring in Aurora and being a Troop Leader for the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana.

Healing to Healthy’s board of directors includes President, Amy Downing of Aurora, Vice President, Susan Romano of Aurora, and Treasurer Lori Thomas of Oswego.

About Healing to Healthy: Healing to Healthy volunteers sew a specially designed camisole for mastectomy patients. The camisole has interior pockets to hold the post-op drains in place, making the patient more comfortable for sleeping at night and moving about during the day. For more information about how to volunteer with or donate to Healing to Healthy, visit www.healingtohealthy.org.

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