Issue 3 Volume 2 January 2025

Strengthening the lives of at-risk youth and young adults so they may be mentally healthy and receive needed mental health programming and support.

Looking back at Meg’s Legacy of Hope for 2024, the one word that comes to mind is GROWTH.

In 18 months since inception, we have had incredible growth in our donor base, volunteers, grant applicants, and community connections to support mental health.

On behalf of our family, I can’t say thank you enough to all the people who have helped us grow and make a big difference in the lives of youth regarding mental health and suicide prevention. This January, unbelievably, marks the five-year anniversary of losing Megan, yet we remain surrounded by a great amount of love and support, so we count ourselves blessed in this way.

May God bless you and your family with (mental) health and happiness in 2025 and beyond.

Gratefully,

Larry Butz

Grant Evaluation 2025

This summer, we established an online grant submission portal to accept grant requests. Sharon Aspinall led the project and says, “the new process is an improvement since it streamlines information gathered, and everyone is responding to the same questions.”

Another exciting announcement is that Ken Edwards is now leading the Grant Committee in coordinating and driving our mission in supporting mental health. Ken is “looking forward to bringing my 35 years of corporate experience to facilitate an efficient, thorough, and proactive grant process.”

The second cycle just closed, and all program submissions are currently being evaluated by the Grant Committee. We plan to fund approximately $200,000 in this grant cycle for organizations in the greater Chicagoland area that provide mental health programs to support youth. Last year we granted $97,000. The upcoming grant award announcements will be publicized in Spring 2025.

If you are aware of non-profit programs that serve youth in counseling or mental health, please tell them about us! We would love to consider supporting them. For any grant questions or suggestions, please email us at Grants@MegsLegacyofHope.org.

“Meg’s Gifts of Love” was established as an extension of giving to others during the holiday season. This outreach allows Meg’s Legacy of Hope to share individual gifts with the hope that we can bring glimpses of joy and hope to those in our communities needing a little extra love and care.

For the holidays, we put up a Giving Tree, resulting in a successful holiday toy drive collecting 450 toys! These gifts were shared with the local Boys and Girls Club of Dundee Township and Partners for Our Communities in Palatine. Meg’s Gifts of Love also gave $3,750 in gift cards to 150 under-resourced high school girls at Our Lady of Tepeyac in Chicago. Lastly, we shared $1,500 with three families recently suffering from suicide, in hopes of providing gifts to their children.

Golf Fundraiser Event

Thanks to your enthusiasm, people are already asking about the third annual Meg’s Legacy of Hope Golf and Dinner. Mark your calendars now: Monday, September 8, 2025.

The sold-out 2024 event last fall was wonderful, and your generosity helped us raise more than $300,000! We could not be more grateful to each one of our valued sponsors, donors, and attendees.

Hearing the guest speaker from Partners for Our Communities that evening was impactful for the audience. She shared some intimate insight into the lives of vulnerable clients who benefit directly from our grants, which was a humbling and powerful message.

EXPERT'S CORNER

Here at Meg’s Legacy, we think it’s important to be a voice to destigmatize mental health issues. Featuring an educational article in each newsletter, today we address one of the most common questions we hear: “How do I find a therapist?”

According to Dr. Beth Sherman, Psy.D., “Finding a licensed professional can be daunting; many people are unsure where to look. Unfortunately, stigma still surrounds the topic of mental health. This may add a layer of difficulty or fear, but you have a lot of options to search for assistance, so just get started.”

Dr. Sherman outlines multiple options for consideration, whether you have insurance or not. Check out details here.

Always remember, there are hotlines with people to talk to you, including the 988 talk or text line. If you or someone you care about is in imminent danger, either call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

Additionally, the Resource page on our website, MegsLegacyofHope.org, offers many ideas for more specific help.

Dr. Beth Sherman, Psy.D., leads our advisory team and serves on the Grant Committee.

SUMMER BASH

We are planning another anniversary party to celebrate the founding of the organization. Everyone had such a great time last year at the summer party for Meg’s Legacy, so we’ll be hosting the bash on THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 2025. Save the Date! Contact us if you’d like to help with the event planning.

HELP US GROW

Please help us grow. Follow us on social media at Megan Butz Legacy of Hope, and share the informational links on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

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140 Oakwood Road

Lake Zurich, IL 60047

MISSION STATEMENT

OUR PEOPLE

OUR INSPIRATION