Medrano Family

“One Sunday a month–that’s the commitment the Medrano Family tries to keep with Honeycomb.”

“It was about a year ago, when I started to look for volunteering more for myself…but I found Honeycomb which is for the entire family and I thought — perfect,” says Adriana.

One of the Medrano Family’s first projects was at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, hosting a holiday party for children in rehabilitation. Adriana and her son, Aidan (age 10), decorated, gave gifts to the boys and girls and had lunch with the families.

“I sat with a parent of a child with a disability…that mom was so thankful we were there,” Adriana says. “She talked to Aidan and me about how important it was to treat everyone the same, no matter what the physical ailment.”

The family tries to commit to one Honeycomb event each month and Aidan’s sister, Haley (age 4) now helps out. Adriana says her husband, Mark, has Sundays off so they choose projects based on his schedule so the family can volunteer together. The Medrano’s have made burritos at Whole Foods for homeless youth, created shelters for feral cats, prepared lunches at a women’s shelter and more.

It’s important to Adriana and Mark for their kids to be exposed to volunteering and have these experiences. “I love how much my kids are learning about important issues and about helping others,” Adriana stresses. “At each project we are making a difference.”

Outside of Honeycomb, the Medrano Family keeps busy. Adriana works in Information Technology as an Analyst at a hospital and Mark is a truck driver. Aidan (age 10) plays soccer and piano. Haley (age 4) loves fishing, dinosaurs and trying new seafood. The Medrano’s reside in Humboldt Park and enjoy taking bike rides, trips to the beach and spending time together as a family.