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In this issue: Foster Care Month, New Community Resource Center, Mental Health Awareness Month, Upcoming Events, Jobs at Shelter

Answering the Call

As you read this, there is a child in need of someone to say, “I will take care of you. I will help you. I will love you." Who will answer that call and say, 'I am here'?

May is National Foster Care Month, a time to recognize the courage of young people in foster care and to give thanks to those who care for them during their time of greatest need.

In Illinois alone, there are more than 20,000 children in foster care (CWLA, April 2023). The need for foster families is great, especially in cases that involve older children or complicating factors.

We are so grateful to Shelter's foster families who open their hearts and their homes to children, providing the safety, stability and nurturing they need to heal. Here are a few examples of how Shelter's foster parents are answering the call:

Daniel K has been a Shelter foster parent for more than five years. He is consistently available for emergencies and has provided critical care to kids facing the toughest situations as part of our new Emergency Foster Care Program.
Drew and Laura Z. answered the 3am phone call when no other foster parents were available and opened their home to a child in need. In a time of crisis, they increased their capacity to welcome and care for a sibling group of four.
Alyssa and Abraham C. have stepped up to take in difficult teenage youth, going above and beyond to ensure that the young people in their care receive all the comforts of home. They also provided beds for our teenagers when we had no where else to turn.
Aron C. continues to provide a home for our youth while dealing with a significant family loss of his own.

If you are interested in learning more about becoming a foster parent, click here.

Shelter’s Home-of-Relative ,Traditional Foster Care, and Emergency Foster Care programs aim to place children in safe, stable, and nurturing environments until they can be reunited with their biological families. Our staff guides families through the application and training process required for licensing by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. In addition, staff work one-on-one with foster parents to help them provide the medical, educational, and mental health support services a child may need to make a successful adjustment.

Shelter Joins Palatine's Community Resource Center

We are excited to be part of the new Community Resource Center (CRC) in Palatine-- a community center that houses a spectrum of agencies and organizations dedicated to meeting the needs of the northwest suburbs’ under-resourced population, including a large percentage of immigrant families. Under one roof, residents can find services to address Health and Wellness, Literacy, Counseling and Social Services and Children's Programs. Shelter now has an office in the CRC and one of our staff will be available to help community members every day. The CRC is a partnership of Northwest Community Health Care and Partners for Our Communities (POC). It is located at located at 1585 N. Rand Road.

Mental Health Therapy Leads to More Successful Outcomes for Children Who Experience Trauma

For children in crisis, our first priority is securing their safety. Next is providing trauma-informed mental health care critical for healing. Shelter's Clinical Program provides free counseling to the young people in our care. Our therapists have flexibility to accommodate school and work schedules, and services may be provided through home visits or at other convenient locations eliminating the need for childcare and transportation. Because all youth in Shelter’s programs receive personalized case management, all support services and care are coordinated between internal programs and external providers and stakeholders such as school counselors and family physicians.

We are currently expanding our Clinical Services team and are seeking qualified counselors. Click here to learn more.

Thank you runners, walkers, volunteers, donors and sponsors for making this year's 5K a huge success! We had record registration and raised more than $20,000 for Shelter's programs to prevent child abuse. Congratulations to our top finishers:

1. Edward Kovach 20:27.7 6:36/M
2. Rayner De La Cruz Segura 20:35.9 6:39/M
3. Don Gramer 20:54.5 6:45/M
4. Thomas Miles 23:27.5 7:34/M
5. Katherine Caughey 23:39.7 7:38/M

CLICK HERE TO VIEW OVERALL RESULTS
CLICK HERE TO VIEW RESULTS BY AGE GROUP

We still need many items! Deadline extended until May 26!

We still need to fill more than half of the items on our Wish Lists!
Help us fill 368 needed clothing items for the children and families in our programs!

Make a donation and let us shop for you

Tuesday, May 23 at 6:30pm at the Hyatt Regency Schaumburg, Chicago
Join us for an engaging cooking demonstration & three-course dinner with wine pairing. Funds raised will benefit Shelter's Clinical program which provides free mental healthy counseling those in our care.

Sunday, June 4 at 11:00am in Buffalo Grove
Come out and walk with Shelter at this fun, family-friendly parade that features 100 community organizations. A Pride Picnic follows at Mike Rylko Community Park.

Wednesday, June 7 at 1:00pm
Tee off with us at The Preserve at Oak Meadows!
Sponsorships available. Contact Danielle for information.

Score seats to this private, invitation-only concert featuring REO Speedwagon and Tommy DeCarlo of Boston. Bunker Hill Charities returns 25% of all tickets and sponsorships sold through Shelter back to us! Make sure to enter "Shelter" when asked how you were invited to the concert.

Buy tickets!

Additional thanks this month to:

Vernon Township
Barrington Junior Women's Club

Thank you to the employees at Target in Norridge for putting together new parent packages for Shelter's Healthy Families and Foster Care programs.