BELLEVILLE - Caritas Family Solutions is proud to announce the human services agency raised more than $265,000 at its 12th annual Heart & Soul Gala on Feb. 8, 2025 at The Regency in O’Fallon, Illinois. The nonprofit currently serves more than 6,300 people annually including 1,700 foster children throughout Southern Illinois and the Metro East region.
The nonprofit has service lines which include pregnancy care for women, adoption, counseling, community family stabilization for families experiencing homelessness, youth therapeutic treatment center, emergency shelter, intact family services, assisted living for seniors and independent living for adults with disabilities. The gala serves as the nonprofit’s largest fundraising event, supporting its mission of strengthening the social and emotional well-being of individuals and families to create healthy relationships, loving homes and strong communities.
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“We are so incredibly thankful for the amount of support we had at our largest fundraising event of the year,” said Caritas Family Solutions CEO Gary Huelsmann. “Every year, our team is always so blown away by the support of our communities. The event is an opportunity to show our donors and supporters that there is a tremendous need and it’s up to all of us to be able to continue to help the people we serve.”
KSDK’s Michelle Li emceed this year’s event and shared her own personal adoption story. The event included a silent auction, testimonies and presentation of the Heart & Soul Award, which recognized an individual or organization who exemplifies the mission of the nonprofit through service and contributions. The award went to Karen and Dan Krankel, who have been foster parents to more than 400 children since 1981.
The presenting sponsors for this year’s event are Contegra Cares and Dave and Jill Wenzel. Additional sponsors include BAM Marketing Agency, Jim and Barbara Calandro, Clark Wealth Partners and Ann Effinger Meuleman.
Founded in 1947, Caritas Family Solutions is a nonprofit social service agency whose mission is to strengthen the social and emotional well-being of individuals and families in order to create healthy relationships, loving homes, and strong communities. Services include adoption, community family stabilization programs, foster care, counseling, residential treatment for children healing from abuse and/or neglect, independent living for adults with developmental disabilities (CILA), and assisted living. Caritas serves more than 6,300 individuals annually across Southern Illinois from offices located in Belleville, Carterville, Mount Vernon, Olney, Glen Carbon, Alton, and Effingham as well as satellite locations in Highland and Sparta. For additional information, visit www.caritasfamilysolutions.org.
