This month's Connections features ways you can help protect vulnerable lives
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In this issue:Human Trafficking Prevention, Author of Possibility Campaign, Gala Save the Date, Awards and Nominations, New Law to Benefit Shelter, Get Involved, Jobs at Shelter, and more
From Prevention to Healing: A Continuum of Care
Human trafficking of minors is a crisis affecting communities across the United States, often hidden and unnoticed. In Illinois, prepubescent children are exploited every day--many as young as ten years old--often following periods of instability, homelessness, or unmet basic needs.
Trafficking often begins before exploitation becomes visible; prevention is critical. This means strengthening protective factors, including access to safe housing, mental health support, and early intervention for at-risk youth. By meeting basic needs and building connections, we help reduce the vulnerability that traffickers exploit.
Prevention is most effective when paired with survivor support and specialized care. Shelter's new therapeutic home will provide female survivors ages 12-18 with trauma-informed care focused on healing, recovery, and a stable future.
Leading Shelter's program and broader prevention efforts is former Foster Care Director and new Anti-Trafficking and Prevention Director, Christina Gaytan, LCSW. Christina brings deep expertise in child welfare and a long-standing passion for supporting survivors. Her work will help ensure that Shelter's prevention efforts and survivor support services provide young women a full continuum of care. Congrats, Christina!
Learn more about how you can help create communities where safety and support leave no room for exploitation.
Ribbon Cutting Celebrates "A Beginning"
"What we are celebrating here is not simply the completion of a project. It is the creation of a beginning. A beginning for young people who need support. A beginning for young survivors to be believed, supported, and surrounded by compassion. A beginning for all of us as we reaffirm our responsibility to protect, uplift, and ensure that no child is ever left without hope."
---CEO Carina H. Santa Maria at the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at Shelter's new home for child survivors of human trafficking
You are Writing the Next Chapter of Hope
Your support grew by more than 80%! Thanks to your generosity, nearly $150,000 was raised through Shelter’s Be the Author of Possibility Campaign, ensuring that the first difficult chapters of a child's life do not define their whole story. We are so grateful for the support of so many individuals and organizations, both long-time supporters and newfound friends. Your belief in our young people helps turn the page toward brighter chapters and create lasting change.
Save the Date—Shelter’s 2026 Gala is Coming! Get ready for an unforgettable evening of purpose, possibility, and impact. Ticket sales are opening soon, and we can’t wait to celebrate with you.
You can also sponsor this special night and help ensure young people are safe, supported, and on a path to stability, while highlighting your organization’s commitment to community impact. Join us in making a lifetime of difference! Contact Chief Development Officer, Kristen Daniels, for information.
Pictured L to R: Dee Williams, Chief of Staff, Carina H. Santa Maria, CEO, Kristen Daniels, Chief Development Officer, and Tiffany Ellis, Chief Financial Officer
Congratulations, Carina
This month, Shelter’s CEO Carina H. Santa Maria, with the support of her colleagues, was honored by the Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness for her leadership and advocacy on behalf of youth experiencing homelessness. In her acceptance speech, Carina underscored the values that guide Shelter’s work every day: prioritizing dignity, compassion, and service. The unwavering commitment of our entire Shelter team ensures youth in crisis are safe, supported, and truly seen.
Honored to Be Nominated!
We’re proud to share that Shelter Youth & Family Services has been nominated for Not for Profit Organization of the Year by the Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce. This nomination is a meaningful recognition of the collective impact made possible by our dedicated staff, partners, volunteers, and supporters, each playing a role in protecting children, strengthening families, and transforming communities. The winner will be announced at the Chamber’s Gala on January 30.
Leading with Strategy and Heart
Shelter welcomes Dee Williams as Chief of Staff. In this new position, Dee will work closely with Shelter's CEO and leadership team to help turn big ideas into action. His focus will be on driving strategic priorities, streamlining operations, and connecting teams across the organization to support Shelter's growth and impact. Dee brings over a decade of experience in higher education, following earlier work in the corporate sector. He holds a bachelor’s in business management, an MBA, and Master’s in HR Management and Development. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Management in Organizational Leadership. A Chicago native and proud father of two, Dee describes himself as someone who is here "to laugh, learn, and listen."
STEPPING UP Christine Siwula has been named Shelter’s new Foster Care Director. Christine has served as Foster Care Supervisor for the last two years, consistently demonstrating a strong commitment to ensuring the safety, stability, and well-being of youth and families in care. This promotion reflects Christine’s hard work, leadership, and ongoing commitment to strengthening Shelter’s Foster Care program.
STEPPING DOWN We extend our deepest gratitude to John Stomper for his dedicated service to Shelter’s Board of Directors. John joined the Board in 2011 and served as Board President from 2019 to 2022, providing steady, thoughtful leadership during a period of significant growth. His commitment helped guide major milestones, including the move to our Transitional Living Program home in Arlington Heights and the development of our new home for survivors of human trafficking. Shelter is stronger because of John’s vision, partnership, and unwavering belief in our mission.
Gov. Pritzker Signs Bill to Survey Insurance Companies on Child Welfare Liability Practices, Costs, and Coverage
Thanks to the leadership of the Illinois Coalition on Youth and State Representative Suzanne Ness, Senator Laura Fine, and Senator Lakesia Collins, a new bill directing the Illinois Department of Insurance to study rising insurance costs and finding ways to make coverage more affordable and sustainable for child welfare providers has been signed into law.
Says Shelter's CEO, Carina H. Santa Maria, "By finally collecting real data on liability insurance costs, the state can better understand the pressures providers face and take meaningful action to ensure agencies can focus their resources where they belong—on children and families.”
Thanks to the invaluable support of the following organizations and charitable funds this past month, more youth and families in our community found safety, stability, and hope.
Complete Discovery Source, Inc. for general support United Women in Faith for general support First Presbyterian Church for support of our Healthy Families program
GET YOUR IRISH ON! Now seeking volunteers and runners for the always-fun Shamrock 5K Beer Run and Brew Fest! Shelter benefits when you use this link to register to run.
FOR ICE CREAM LOVERS Head to Kilwin's Arlington Heights during February. Shelter has been selected as the recipient of Kilwin's "Month of Giving" campaign and will receive proceeds from each quart of ice cream sold all month long. Thank you, Kilwin's!
Make a real difference in the life of a young survivor of human trafficking. Shelter is now hiring a Clinical Supervisor for our new residential therapeutic program. Click below to learn how you can be the reason a child has a bright future.
Shelter Youth & Family Services 3227 N. Wilke Rd., Suite 150 Arlington Heights, IL 60004 24-Hour Referral Line: 847.255.8060 www.shelter-inc.org
Shelter Youth & Family Services is committed to providing safe, inclusive, and supportive resources for youth and families from all backgroundsand identities.
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