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In this issue: Pride Month, Shelter is Growing, Spring Event Wrap Up, Volunteering, Upcoming Events, Thank You's, Jobs at Shelter

Celebrating Pride Month

Colorful parades, joyous picnics, and inspiring festivals are becoming entrenched in June around the world to celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride Month. The tradition began as a commemoration of when members of the queer community, in 1969, fought back against the violence of anti-gay police at the Stonewall Inn in New York. It signaled a new resistance and sense of pride by all who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and questioning.

Pride month is also a time to reflect on the progress that has since been made, like Obergefell v. Hodges, the supreme court ruling guaranteeing the fundamental right of same-sex couples to marry. In addition, in 2003, the Lawrence v. Texas decision upheld the protection of the Constitution that all people have a right to intimate relationships and to "retain their dignity as free persons."

These landmark decisions and others impacted employment rights, health care, and other accepted rights for all.

Pride month is also a time to reflect on how much progress there is still to make for diversity, equity, and inclusion. As a child welfare agency, we regularly see the tragic results of parents locking their children out of their homes and lives because of their sexual or gender identity and youths' struggle against violence and discrimination for being their true selves.

One-third of kids in foster care identify as LGBTQ+. At the same time, in the general population, they only represent 4.5%, and they have a 120% greater risk of homelessness than their non-LGBTQ+ counterparts.

Shelter is proud to participate in Pride Month, and we look forward to the day when parades, picnics, and festivals celebrate that all children are genuinely raised in safe and loving homes. Until then, the more we learn and work together, the more children will celebrate with pride. 

Learn More: Be an LGBTQ+ Youth Ally, Where and When To Join the Celebration, History of Gay Pride Month

Proud to be a Sponsor of the Buffalo Grove Pride Parade

We had a great time walking in the Buffalo Grove Pride Parade on Sunday, June 5. Shelter is proud to be a sponsor of this amazing community event. Thanks to all of the Shelter volunteers and staff who participated to show their support. Watch our video.

Shelter's Staff is Growing, Changing to Meet the Needs of New Programs

On July 1, Shelter will officially launch a restructuring and expansion of our agency to better meet the needs of current clients and grow the reach of our services.

A new position, Associate Director, will be filled by Gina Ciulia, a veteran Shelter administrator who has years of experience in both the clinical and operational sides of the agency. In her new role, she will develop and administer agency-wide professional service programs and provide supervision of all Healthy Families, Foster Care, and Residential Services programs.

A second new position, Residential Director, will be filled by Caitlyn Lierman, Shelter's current TLP Director. Caitlyn will oversee all of Shelter's housing programs, including emergency group homes, transitional living, and the youth experiencing homelessness program.

In addition, Shelter recently received a new contract from DCFS for an emergency foster care program in partnership with Let It Be Us. While this new service area will operate separately from our traditional foster care program, it will be under the supervision of our Director of Foster Care, Christina Gaytan. Shelter is currently looking to fill positions for a wrap around services case manager, supervisor, and clinician.

We look forward to this expansion and the opportunity to provide support and services to a greater number of children, young adults, and families in our community. Only by working together can we realize our hope and vision that all children grow up in safe and loving homes.

Golfers Weather the Rain to Raise Funds for Shelter

Despite the rainy weather, we had a beautiful time at the 18th Annual Michael Portelli Memorial Golf Outing on June 8. Golfers played at the award-winning Preserve at Oak Meadows in Addison and together helped us raise $52,000 for Shelter's programs. Thank you to all who attended and to our generous sponsors. Looking forward to sunny skies in 2023! Watch our video.

Thank you to the following organizations who have made generous grants to Shelter this past month. We appreciate your support and thank you for sharing our hope and vision that all children grow up in safe and loving homes.

Women's Club of Inverness
Christ Church United Church of Christ 
Prospect Heights Lions Club
Mary Lou Downs Foundation
City of Des Plaines
St. Peter Legacy Fund from the Northfield Community Church

A heartfelt thank you to Reena and her crew of volunteers from SEWA International! SEWA volunteers have shown up for Shelter again and again, giving hours of their time to help Shelter's programs and support our special events. In the last few months, SEWA has:

Helped paint the new TLP site
Volunteered at the Shelter 5K Run/Walk 4 Kidz
Staffed the Kids Activity Tent at the 5K
Walked in the Buffalo Grove Pride Parade with Shelter
Assisted at the Michael Portelli Memorial Golf Outing (in the rain!)

If you have a group interested in volunteering, please contact Zoe McGrath

If you share our vision that all children grow up in safe and nurturing homes, please support us today. 

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