A Message from Dr. David Anderson, Executive Director
When parents are going through tough times, it’s often their children who suffer most. A serious illness, drug abuse, even impossibly tight finances can lead to terrible problems for children, including physical abuse and neglect.

The great news is that YOU can make a difference is situations like these. How? As a Safe Families volunteer with LYDIA. Safe Families volunteers open their homes to children whose parents are unable to care for them, whether because of a short-term crisis, such as hospitalization, or a longer-term situation, such as drug abuse. Taking the kids out of the home setting often gives parents an opportunity to address the issues that led to their situation. The average length of stay is about six weeks, but can range from two days to a year.

My wife, Karen, and I have served as Safe Families volunteers since the program began in 2002, and I’ll tell you this: there’s nothing like it. To know that God is using you in the life of a child in need, to see that child respond to your love and care. . . it’s something everyone should experience. Not just once, but multiple times!

Safe Families volunteers include singles, married couples with children of any age and empty nesters, all of whom simply decided to make room in their hearts and homes for children in need. To learn about becoming a volunteer, please call (773) 736-1447 or email . You will be glad you did!

Changing Lives Through Safe Families
Last year, Safe Families served 110 children in need, and stories such as Tina’s really illustrate what an impact this program is having in children’s lives.

Tina came to our Safe Families program last summer at a critical period in her young life. Her mother, who was a prostitute and drug addict, had left Tina alone much of the time, forcing this young girl to grow up much too fast. When Tina was 10, her mom died of AIDS, and Tina went to live with her stepfather, who sexually abused her. Then he died, and Tina moved in with her grandmother. But Tina’s rebelliousness made the situation impossible, so she moved once again, this time to live with her father in Milwaukee. But he was a drug addict, too, and mostly ignored her. So Tina returned to her grandmother’s, where she wasn’t really wanted.

We learned about Tina’s situation and approached her and her grandmother about enrolling Tina in LYDIA Safe Families. Tina, now 14, was placed with a single mother and her three children; she began attending a local school, and quickly became part of the family. This has been such a good fit that the mother is hoping to become Tina’s long-term guardian! It’s an especially happy ending because, unlike most Safe Families children, Tina doesn’t have a home to return to.

Would you like to be part of this exciting program — and make a real difference in the lives of other children in need? To learn more, please call (773) 736-1447 or email

“As we seek to serve God through LYDIA, we've found that our family is being blessed as well. To see the love and compassion of our own children as they welcome these children with open arms has brought laughter, joy and some challenges. It's worth the risk, and we would challenge people to consider being a Safe Family and impacting the life of a child in need.”
- Rose and Jim Koopman , Safe Families Volunteers since 2005

Help Make the Annual Benefit Gala a Success!
Our Annual Benefit Gala on Dec. 4 will celebrate LYDIA’s 90 years of ministry to children and families. You can help us create an event worthy of this milestone!

The Gala will take place at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill. Our theme is “A Legacy of Love,” and the evening will feature client stories and ministry highlights, as well as a request for financial support. We hope to raise $300,000, which will benefit LYDIA’s extensive programs for children and families. This year’s featured speaker is Joe Stowell, who serves as teaching pastor at Harvest Bible Chapel in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. Dr. Stowell also served as the seventh president of The Moody Bible Institute from 1987 to 2005.

Much has to be done before the big night! Your assistance is needed as a:

• Table Host: this involves inviting 10 friends to attend the event (tickets are complimentary). We currently have just over half of the 100 table hosts needed.
• Silent Auction Donor: We welcome cash and items to be auctioned, including iPods, spa packages, sports memorabilia, tickets to theater productions, etc.
• Sponsor: You can help us jump start our fundraising efforts with a pre-Banquet gift of $500; $1,000; $2,500; $5,000; or more.

To volunteer or make a donation, please contact Erica Postma, Associate Director of Development, at or (773) 736-1447, ext. 249.

Double Your Generosity Through Our Matching Grant!
LYDIA is pleased to announce that from now until the end of the year, you can double your donation, thanks to a new, $100,000 matching grant, our largest ever! Made possible by the generosity of several LYDIA donors, the grant matches every donation we receive through December 31 dollar-for-dollar, up to a total of $100,000! It's a great opportunity for you to maximize the effect your gift has on the children and families LYDIA serves.

Donations are tax deductible and can be made through our secure web site at www.lydiahome.org/matchinggrant or by mail at 4300 West Irving Park Road, Chicago, IL 60641. If you are not prepared to give now but would like to do so by year end, please consider an online pledge, which helps us track the effectiveness of our matching grant efforts. Thank you!