Wheaton Nonprofit Receives $5,000 Grant from Illinois Bar Foundation

The Illinois Bar Foundation (IBF), the charitable arm of the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA), has given a grant of $5,000 to Family Shelter Services, a nonprofit organization in Wheaton, which provides services to victims of domestic violence. The grant is one of 44 grants totaling $335,000, which the foundation has distributed this year to nonprofit legal aid organizations statewide, including Cook County and northern, central and southern Illinois. Family Shelter Services strives to transform lives by offering help and hope to those affected by domestic violence. The agency provides services through three core programs: residential, counseling and community advocacy. These services include: safe, emergency housing which is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year; two immediate housing facilities for clients ready for independent living; individual, group, and family counseling; case management; employment services; court and victim advocacy; a 24-hour crisis hotline; and a counseling program specifically designed for children. The bar foundation’s funding will support the organization’s Victim and Court Advocacy program, which provides support and information to approximately 1,100 clients and 6,000 non-clients per year. The mission of the Illinois Bar Foundation is to ensure meaningful access to the justice system, especially for those with limited means, and to assist lawyers who can no longer support themselves due to incapacity. This year, the Foundation will distribute more than $400,000 in grants to legal aid organizations across the state of Illinois, and in Lawyers Care Fund support to attorneys and their families in need. The Illinois Bar Foundation is located at 20 S. Clark St., Suite 910, Chicago, IL 60603, and the phone number is (312) 726-6072.