Belleville, IL-(Effingham Radio)- Caritas Family Solutions was awarded a $26,000 grant from Ameren Illinois to support the nonprofit’s Community Integrated Living Arrangements (CILA) program, which provides safe and supportive housing for adults with developmental disabilities. This funding enables critical home improvements, including sidewalk and door replacements, deck and gutter repairs, and the installation of shed gutters, at several CILA residences.
“We are grateful and honored to partner with Ameren Illinois in our shared commitment to fostering environments where every individual is treated with dignity and respect,” said Gary Huelsmann, CEO of Caritas Family Solutions. “Our CILA program enables our residents to live with autonomy and a sense of belonging in a supportive, home environment. These home enhancements contribute significantly to the safety, accessibility, and overall well-being of our residents. And thanks to community partners like Ameren Illinois, we can continue to create homes where our residents can thrive.”
The CILA program offers adults with developmental disabilities the opportunity to live in a supportive home environment where they can experience both independence and a sense of community. Residents live together in small groups, typically three to four per home, with each person having their own bedroom. They share in the responsibilities of managing the household, with the support of a dedicated Caritas staff member who provides around-the-clock care, treating each resident with the same compassion and respect they would offer their own family.
Caritas has eight CILA homes in five communities, including Caseyville, Fairview Heights, Swansea, O’Fallon, and Belleville, which accommodate a total of up to 34 residents. As the need for CILA services continues to grow in the southern Illinois area, Caritas is working to add new homes to serve the community.
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 5,200 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.
Cutline: Caritas Family Solutions Receives Grant from Ameren Illinois to Support Housing for Adults with Developmental Disabilities
Photo description: From left to right: Cynthia Cookson (Director of CILA Operations at Caritas Family Solutions), Anthony Reeves (CILA resident), Paula Nixon (Community Relations Executive at Ameren), Larry Shaw (CILA resident), and Teresa Williams (Executive Director of Community Services at Caritas Family Solutions) celebrate the Ameren Illinois grant to support Caritas’ Community Integrated Living Arrangements (CILA) program.
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