“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive” – Dalai Lama
Annie Dykstra is a lifelong Vermilion County resident. She graduated from Catlin in 2005 and that is where her journey, in this case, begins. It was the start of her senior year of high school, an exciting time by all accounts, when Annie found out she was pregnant. This exciting time in life quickly turned into a time of uncertainty. Annie graduated high school and welcomed her sweet baby boy soon after. Life continued to take twists and turns and Annie found herself a divorced, single mother of two, working two jobs to make ends meet.
Fast forward to 2023: Annie has been married to her wonderful husband, Josh, for 11.5 years, she is a mother of 3 plus 1 bonus child, and has a career at the Women’s Care Clinic of Danville that she absolutely loves. Before working at the Women’s Care Clinic, Annie enjoyed being a stay-at-home mom. She decided to enter back into the workforce when her youngest child began preschool. She was working part-time at the preschool when the pandemic hit. Annie, like many others during this time, began asking herself what she really wanted to do. She decided she wanted to help teen moms. She started volunteering at the Women’s Care Clinic in 2020. She was asked to join their staff in 2021 as a receptionist and was offered a Client Advisor position, focusing on teen moms, in June of 2022. The Executive Director of the Women’s Care Clinic, Mariah Hanson, stated that “Annie is someone who is always ready to help in any way she can. She has a big heart that comes from the ashes of a really beautiful story. She embodies the idea that everyone matters, no matter their story or background.” There are several different paths Annie could have taken, but she chose to use her own life experiences to help others.
Annie loves the life she has here in Vermilion County. She explained one of the best things about living here is that everyone wants the best for each other. She likes that everyone knows everyone, and you never feel alone. She loves the fact that there is so much to do and really enjoys attending the Downtown Danville events. She also loves spending time watching her kids at their sporting events, hanging out by the pool, listening to music, and spending time with family and friends.
I left our interview feeling humbled and empowered. Annie has a huge heart and is driven to help others. She was very open about her story; her love and compassion rang through with every word she spoke. She hopes to reach more people in Vermilion County by letting them know all the resources that are available to them. Annie dreams of one day bridging the gap between lower and higher incomes. She believes everyone in this life deserves a shot, and sometimes we just need someone to walk alongside us to help us through.
Thank you, Annie Dykstra, for walking alongside our community, spreading your love and compassion to everyone you meet. You are an inspiration and a true blessing!