Caritas Family Solutions celebrates 76 years of service with matching donation campaign

 

Caritas Family Solutions will celebrate the 76th anniversary of its founding as an Illinois nonprofit human services agency on July 31.

The day, known as Caritas Day, is dedicated to raising awareness about the nonprofit’s programs and services.

Caritas currently serves more than 7,000 people including 2,900 foster children and is the second-largest provider of foster care services in Illinois. They also have other service lines which include senior employment, pregnancy care for women experiencing homelessness, adoption, counseling, and independent living for adults with disabilities.

This year, the organization will be hosting a 24-hour matching fundraising campaign to support the children and families they serve. The nonprofit’s sponsors will be matching $3 to every $1 donated, quadrupling the impact of each donation. Caritas has a goal of raising $60,000.

“We’re so proud of what we’ve been able to achieve over 76 years thanks to the dedication of our staff and volunteers as well as the community,” said Caritas Family Solutions CEO Gary Huelsmann. “But we still have more work to do and we hope people will look at this opportunity as a simple way to make their donation go further. This day is really about acknowledging our ‘Legacy of Love’ and celebrating how we’ve been able to positively impact families by simply having grace for others.”

People interested in supporting and participating in this matching campaign, can head to www.charidy.com/caritas to donate.

The fundraising campaign starts at 2 p.m. on July 31 and runs until 2 p.m. the next day. The site also includes more details about the services Caritas provides, and examples of how the money directly impacts the families, individuals and children they serve.

“Because we are dealing with a vulnerable population, sometimes the work we do goes unseen,” said Huelsmann. “We wanted to provide some examples that help people understand the direct impact their donation makes. Because of the generosity of our matching donors, a $200 donation can provide a month’s worth of basic necessities for a youth at our emergency shelter or provide a safe place for an unhoused mother and her children to stay. It can make an incredible difference in someone’s life.”

 

Founded in 1947, Caritas Family Solutions is a nonprofit social service agency whose mission is to strengthen the social and emotional well-being of individuals and families in order to create healthy relationships, loving homes, and strong communities. Services include adoption, pregnancy care for women who are homeless, foster care, counseling, residential treatment for children healing from abuse and/or neglect, independent living for adults with developmental disabilities (CILA), and assisted living and employment assistance for low-income seniors. Caritas serves more than 7,000 individuals annually across Southern Illinois from offices located in Belleville, Carterville, Mount Vernon, Olney, Glen Carbon, Alton, and Effingham as well as satellite locations in Highland and Sparta. For additional information, visit www.caritasfamilysolutions.org.