With warm wishes we say good-bye to Pat Beck, our Executive Director, who has championed our cause and led the way as we passed many milestones. Under her leadership we have seen incredible growth. Beginning with Emergency Foster Care, we expanded into Home-of-Relative and Traditional Foster Care. The opening of the Jennings Home for Girls in Schaumburg in 1983 was under Pat’s direction, and she was the major force behind the vision and building of the larger Boys Group Home in Palatine in 1996.
Pat propelled Shelter in innovative new directions. Also in 1996, Shelter was one of the first agencies in Illinois to offer the abuse prevention initiative Healthy Families that became a model for other agencies throughout the state, and in 2012 our Transitional Living Program was opened for older adolescent boys ages 17 – 21 transitioning out of the child welfare system to independent living.
Under Pat’s direction Shelter’s special events have flourished from our annual Charity Ball going into its 32nd year to golf outings and so much more. Our Healthy Families’ partnerships have expanded from one local hospital to three, and we now collaborate with over 40 local agencies plus numerous corporations and foundations.
Pat has never wavered from her commitment to serve the children and adolescents in need in the north and northwest suburbs and her dedication to our community. She leaves behind a legacy of having impacted many lives and offering hope for brighter futures.