Celebrate 50 Years of Shelter
Join us for a fresh and exciting event commemorating the 50th anniversary of Shelter, featuring entertainment by Second City Works and DJ JL DeLeon, innovative food stations, creative cocktails, live and silent auctions, and so much more! Be the bridge from Shelter's past to a brighter future for children and families in our community. Tickets on sale now!

Discover more event information and sponsorship opportunities.

Bringing Mental Health Counseling to School

Thanks to the Stronger Together Grant from the Cook County Office of Behavioral Health, Shelter is increasing access to therapy by bringing clinical services directly to local schools in our community. 

Shelter's school-based community therapist, Sara Schnirer, MSW, says, "Early intervention can significantly improve the emotional well-being, academic performance, and overall development of a child."

In partnership with the schools, Shelter is providing direct therapeutic service to students, offering community education on mental health topics, and navigating new opportunities for supporting children and families. "Our goal," Schnirer adds, "is to help young people build resilience, cope with challenges, and develop healthy relationships." Learn about Shelter's Clinical Program

There is no such thing as status quo when working to better the lives of children and families. Thanks to your continued support, Shelter's reach and impact has grown during the first half of our fiscal year. We are proud to share the following program highlights:

• • Experienced a 19% increase in days of care at our Buckholz Emergency Shelter
  • Provided 320 more days of care for foster families compared to last year with many cases moving successfully to permanency, also known as "forever homes"
  • Doubled our service hours to Youth Experiencing Homelessness, providing nearly 800 days of care
  • Expanded clinical services to include in-home, community-based, and school-based counseling
  • To accommodate growing needs in the community, our staff grew to 55 employees, welcoming seven new professionals just in the last three months

See more Shelter impact in our Annual Report

This Black History Month, we honor the pivotal role African Americans have played in shaping labor movements and advancing justice. Join us in celebrating the hard work, dedication, and resilience of our Shelter team members who continue this legacy.