Let It Be Us Expands Foster Home Recruitment Contract with Lutheran Child and Family Services 

Let It Be Us has expanded their Foster Home Recruitment Contract with Lutheran Child and Family Services for fiscal year 2024-2025. In a partnership with Lutheran Child and Family Services, will be hosting a series of live Foster Home Recruitment events and Foster Home Recruitment Webinars throughout certain regions within the State of Illinois. The first live Foster Home Recruitment Event is scheduled for October 1st at the LCFS Decatur, Illinois office, and the second will take place on October 29th at the LCFS O'Fallon, Illinois office.

Let It Be Us Enters Year 3 of Emergency Foster Home Recruitment Contract with Shelter, Inc.

Let It Be Us, in partnership with Shelter Inc., has entered year 3 of a contract to recruit new homes for Emergency Foster Care. Coming up Let It Be Us will host a Foster Home Recruitment Webinar for Emergency Foster Care with Shelter, Inc. on September 24th at 7:00 pm. Information and registration may be found here:

Cathy Newbury, Let It Be Us Director of Foster Care Recruitment, announces, “We are pleased to collaborate with LCFS and Shelter Inc. in recruiting new foster families. Both programs have demonstrated exceptional performance, displaying genuine care for the children they serve and their foster families. I am delighted to witness the constructive influence that these partnerships will bring to the future of child welfare in Illinois.”

Cathy Newbury, Director of Foster Care Recruitment, may be reached at cathynewbury@letitbeus.org. 

Let It Be Us Welcomes Two New Board Members

James Haufschild 

Treasurer

As an experienced finance professional Jim has been elected the Treasurer of our Board of Directors. Jim has been the Agency Principal at Haufschild Financial Group - Allstate for 19 years, located in Arlington Heights, Illinois. He has a history in sales with various corporations and holding positions ranging from Account Executive to Regional Sales Manager. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance from Northern Illinois University. He has been a volunteer for Let It Be Us for four years and a donor for many years. 

Jim has experience coaching youth sports for a number of years and is the parent of four children, three sons and a daughter. He is also a foster and adoptive parent. Jim’s daughter is currently a sophomore at ISU and is a member of the hard of hearing community and she joined their family through adoption. 

Patrick Macellaio

Board Member

Patrick is the Manager of Events for the Obama Presidential Center. As an experienced event professional with the Obama Foundation, he develops event programming that reflects the core values of the foundation which are to inspire, empower and connect. Patrick has been a member of the Let It Be Us ‘Be Mine’ Committee since 2021, the annual and most successful fundraiser for Let It Be Us, which raised over $600,000 in 2024. Born and raised in Chicago, Patrick joined his family through adoption and has a business degree from Chicago’s DePaul University. 

Past experience includes developing an events and catering program at Boka Restaurant Group with Stephanie Izard as the Director of Catering and Events. After 8.5 years, he went on to develop and grow the events program for the east end of Navy Pier overseeing Offshore Rooftop, Lirica and the Sable Hotel. Outside of the events and hospitality industry of Chicago, he is a passionate member of organizations in the Arts and LGBTQ+ community. He married his husband, Jason Gershman, in October 2023, and they live in Chicago.

100 Women Who Care - Northwest Suburbs of Chicago - Supports Let It Be Us With a Remarkable Grant! 

Thank you to the Northwest Suburban 100 Women Who Care organization for granting Let It Be Us $8,700 for our work! Let It Be Us Board Member, Kaycee Coles, attended the charity's event in Palatine, Illinois and was voted the recipient by the 100 Women Who Care members. 100 Women Who Care is a collective caring and a collective giving to benefit local charitable organizations in Northwest Suburbs of Chicago. What a beautiful evening and what beautiful impact! 

Kelleher + Holland Selects Let It Be Us as Beneficiary of Charity Car Show

September 21, 2024, 2:00 - 5:00 pm

The Club at Wynstone in North Barrington, Illinois 

We are thrilled to announce that Kelleher + Holland has selected Let It Be Us as the beneficiary of their Charity Car Show! Sponsors are welcome to support Let It Be Us as the charity of this event (see form below). Join us for an afternoon of viewing 40-50 beautiful antique and specialty cars and this year the Charity Car Show introduces their inaugural “Paws and Pistons” dog show segment. Enter your dog for a chance to win best of show! Grab your family, grab your dog, and join us for an afternoon filled with tail-wagging fun, awesome autos, and canine camaraderie! The event features:

• Wine, Whiskey & Beer Tastings
• Kids Zone
• DJ Booth
• Raffle Prizes 

Sponsors are welcome to contact Susan McConnell, Executive Director, at susanmcconnell@letitbeus.org or 847-528-2044.

Job Fair for Young People in Foster Care and Those Recently Aged Out of the System 

Saturday, September 21 – 1:00 - 2:30 PM – Zoom

Open to youth in foster care, those aged out of foster care, foster parents, caseworkers, CASA workers

Join us at our Springboard Virtual Job Fair, an event designed for teens and young people in or recently aged out of foster care, hosted by the Let It Be Us Independent Living Program “Springboard to Adulthood”.

This is a unique opportunity to meet and interact with hiring managers from local, prominent companies, all eager to share information about their organizations and available job opportunities.

Each company will present a brief introduction to their business, followed by a session for questions. Industries include:

1. Restaurant industry
2. Manufacturing industry
3. Food industry
4. Parks & Recreation industry
5. Childcare industry

This event is tailored to help you explore potential job paths and connect with employers who are committed to supporting your professional growth.

• This event is free and open to the public
• Access to this event is completely virtual via Zoom
• Registration for this event is required
• During the event, attendees will have the opportunity for question & answer

Let It Be Us Contracts With Child Welfare Agencies to Recruit Emergency, Specialized, and Traditional Foster Homes 

At Let It Be Us, we believe in the power of collaboration to create positive change in the lives of children and families. That’s why we are thrilled to announce new partnerships with Child Welfare Agencies as we enrich their resources of new emergency, specialized, and traditional foster homes. 

Foster homes are the backbone of our child welfare system, providing safety, stability, and love for children who have experienced trauma and adversity. However, the need for foster homes continues to grow, as we recognize that no single agency can address this challenge alone. 

By joining forces with our partner agencies, the Let It Be Us Foster Home Recruitment Team can expand an agency’s reach by leveraging our resources, and tapping into diverse networks within their communities. Practicing diligent recruitment, our goals are to fill our partner agency foster home teams with families that are not only diverse in race, but in ethnicity, age, and experience with special needs. Together, we can cast a wider net in our search for compassionate and empathetic individuals and families who are willing to open their hearts and homes to children in need. 

At Let It Be Us we offer our partner agencies the benefits of our expert Foster Home Recruitment Team plus the benefits of our established and successful marketing. Our partner agencies benefit from the strength of our email marketing, social media marketing and public relations campaigns. We reach the population of individuals interested in becoming licensed in multiple ways, and at multiple times, each day. Our brand is trusted and when combined with the trusted brands of our partner agencies, our effectiveness is magnified. 

Agency leaders interested in learning more can contact Susan McConnell, Executive Director, at susanmcconnell@letitbeus.org or 847-528-2044.