Caritas Family Solutions to celebrate day of giving

Caritas Family Solutions, a nonprofit social service agency based in Belleville, is celebrating its second annual Caritas Day of giving on Tuesday, July 31.

Caritas Day was launched in 2017 to celebrate the agency’s 70th anniversary of becoming a nonprofit in the State of Illinois. The day honors and builds on the successes of numerous individuals, children and families who have been strengthened by the agency’s mission since 1947.

Caritas Day consists of 24 hours of support for the mission of Caritas Family Solutions including online giving opportunities and volunteer projects at various Caritas service locations. New this year is the Caritas Day Calendar Challenge, a daily giving calendar for the entire month of July, designed to make it fun for donors to collect items for distribution to those in need. For more information and a copy of the calendar, visit caritasfamilysolutions.org/caritascalendar.

The focus of this year’s celebration will be Fontebella Maternity Home, which provides shelter and support for pregnant mothers in need. Fontebella merged with Caritas effective July 1, 2018. There will be a ribbon cutting and merger celebration July 31 at 10 a.m. at the home, located at 950 Hartman Lane in O’Fallon, Ill. O’Fallon Mayor Herb Roche will be present to mark the occasion and light refreshments will be served. There will also be a garage sale in the Fontebella shed from 12 noon until 5:00 p.m. Items for sale were donated to Fontebella but were unable to be used at the home. All funds raised on Caritas Day 2018 will support the Fontebella program.

Gifts in honor of Caritas Day can be made online at caritasfamilysolutions.org/CaritasDay or by phone at (618) 213-8700. Online donation contests will be held throughout the day, with prizes awarded to donors who meet certain criteria, such as first or highest donor of the hour. Available prizes and additional updates will be regularly posted to the Caritas Facebook page, facebook.com/CaritasFS.

There are several volunteer projects planned for Caritas Day 2018. Volunteers from Ameren Illinois, Associated Bank, Women4Given and the Junior Service Club of St. Clair County will assist with projects at the Regional Office in Belleville including at St. John Bosco Children’s Center. Volunteers from Lowe’s and Scott Air Force Base will construct a swing set and install sensory boards for residents at several community homes for developmentally disabled adults in the Metro East area that are managed by Caritas Family Solutions. Legence Bank, HireLevel and Ameren volunteers will be assisting with multiple projects at the Regional Office in Carterville. Projects to support the Regional Office in Mt. Vernon are still being finalized.

Anyone interested in volunteering on Caritas Day is asked to contact Volunteer Coordinator Carly Jones at (618) 213-8716 or carly.jones@caritasfamily.org.

Caritas Day 2018 sponsors include Clifton Larsen Allen, Egyptian Workspace Partners, House2Home Realty, Senior Services Plus and Scott Credit Union. For sponsorship opportunities, contact Event Coordinator Sam Lappe at (618) 213-8717 or sam.lappe@caritasfamily.org.

Founded in 1947, Caritas Family Solutions is a charitable organization whose mission is to provide direct services that meet the social and emotional needs of people of all ages. Services include adoption, pregnancy care, foster care, counseling, residential treatment for abused and neglected children, multisystemic therapy for at-risk youth, independent living for adults with developmental disabilities, and assisted living and employment assistance for low-income seniors. Caritas serves more than 4,500 individuals annually across Southern Illinois from offices located in Belleville, Carterville, Mount Vernon, Olney, East Alton, and Effingham.

For additional information, visit caritasfamilysolutions.org.