For underprivileged youth in Lake County that depend on social services, having unmet needs can cause anxiety about the certainty of their futures.
This is exactly the point when the Mother’s Trust Foundation steps in. When Mother’s Trust receives a request from a qualified professional that cannot be met in full anywhere else, they immediately start working on grants to help the youth in need.
“When a child and his/her family have a critical need, timing is everything,” says Emelie Ventling, Executive Director of Mother’s Trust. In order to accommodate the pressing time frame, Mother’s Trust reviews each case on an individual basis every Wednesday morning. “By Wednesday afternoon and Thursday, checks are written, clothing vouchers are sent, payments are made.”
Since its establishment in 1998, more than 20,000 Lake County children under the age of 21 have received grants—totaling more than 1.8 million dollars—to help them meet their most basic needs.
The gratitude these families have for Mother’s Trust cannot be described. Mother’s Trust recently received a letter from a high school counselor who has witnessed first-hand the impact that this service has on students. “[When I tell kids that Mother’s Trust has] approved them for a clothing voucher to get coats, shoes, and other basic needs, their faces light up and I see hope in their eyes,” she writes.
Letters like these serve to validate that Mother’s Trust is succeeding in their mission. As Ventling says, “It’s truly wonderful to work for a nonprofit whose mission is so essential and impactful.”
Mother’s Trust By The Numbers:
- 2,870 children from 36 communities in Lake County were assisted in 2013.
- Awarded grants totaling more than 1.8 million dollars since 1998
