As emergency volunteer chaplain for the Hinsdale Police Department, Meredith Onion serves as a calming presence in otherwise stressful situations. (photo provided)
What does a police chaplain do?
The stress, anxiety and trauma of a tragic event often extends far beyond the people who are injured in an accident, own a property impacted by fire or are the victim of a crime.
Pastor Meredith Onion said witnesses and first responders also can be negatively impacted by a traumatic situation. Her job as volunteer emergency chaplain for the Hinsdale Police Department is to be available to all of them.
"I meet people where they are," said Onion, who has served as volunteer emergency chaplain for about 18 months. She said her job as chaplain is to provide a calming presence during an otherwise stressful and even chaotic situation. Sometimes, she responds directly to the scene of an accident, fire or emergency situation. Other times, her presence is required after the fact to help people, including officers, cope with the impact of what has happened.
How Onion intercedes during any situation depends solely on those affected, she said. Sometimes, her help is as simple as offering a glass of water. Other times, she prays with people and even offers them resources to manage their mental health after an event.
One family who experienced an unexpected death didn't have a church at which to hold funeral services. Onion offered to host the event at First Congregational Church of Western Springs, where she serves as senior associate minister.
Onion said she never planned to become chaplain for a police department, but her background, education and experience all come together in the role. Prior to earning her master's of divinity at Loyola University, Onion earned a degree in criminal justice and served as an adult probation officer. She then went on to earn a master's degree in business and began a career in human resources.
"Oddly enough, the American Medical Association was looking for someone who had a human resources background and a security background," said Onion, who eventually climbed to the position of vice president of human resources for the AMA.
It was during her time as a caregiver for her parents and three children that Onion, a longtime member of the church in Western Springs, began to feel a pull toward ministry.
"I really thought I was being called to be a chaplain in a hospital," Onion said. But she soon realized that while the role of chaplain is important, it doesn't allow for the ongoing relationships she enjoys as a pastor.
Onion learned of the need for volunteer chaplains for the area's police departments through the La Grange Ministerium.
"I just felt like it was a really, really good fit," she said of her initial meeting with Hinsdale Police Chief Brian King.
Since then, she has met and come to know many members of the Hinsdale department. Some she has met during ride-alongs on their patrol shifts, while others she has met during calls where her help was needed. She got to know even more officers while attending the recent police and fire open house.
Every Hinsdale officer has Onion's phone number and can call any time they need her help.
"I'm there for the officers," she said, and anyone else who needs her help.
- by Sandy Illian Bosch
