The Angel Bag Project started its mission in 2012 with a small but mighty idea. We decided to create care packs for St. Joseph’s soup kitchen and supply Haven House with everyday essentials. Each year, our mission has grown, serving more shelters each year. We have expanded this year, passing out bags in the summer and Christmas months, distributing nearly 1000 bags to shelters in our area, and dropping off thousands of dollars in extra essentials to individuals and shelters in need. This year we have served Carmelite Home, Gary Crisis Center, Haven House, Hammond Rescue Mission, North Township, Operation Blessing, South Suburban Pads, St. Joseph’s Soup Kitchen, St. Jude House with special bags, as well as providing a few families with emergency relief funds. This year, we are very proud to be offering three scholarships to students who have demonstrated excellence in community service, as we believe it is important to teach kindness and compassion to our youth. Our future goal is to provide men and women with resume writing and interviewing skills services.

Located in Crown Point, Indiana, St. Jude House serves as a safe shelter for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault and their dependent children. We offer support to victims as they pursue violence-free lives. Nearly 500 adults and children come to St. Jude House seeking safety and peace every year. We offer residential and non-residential one-on-one counseling and support groups for adult victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or incest survivors. We also offer residential or non-residential one-on-one counseling and support groups for children living in violent homes, child survivors of incest, and victims of dating violence/sexual assault. St. Jude House also offers community education on domestic violence; sexual assault; dating violence; good touch/bad touch; non-violent discipline techniques; conflict resolutions–available to community groups, service providers, schools, and churches.

Camp Quality Illinois is part of Camp Quality USA, serving children from all around the Chicagoland and NW Indiana area and beyond who have had a cancer diagnosis. Our mission is to promote hope and inspiration by serving children with cancer and their families though year-round programs, experiences, and companionship, at no cost. Campers attend a week long camp and are invited to multiple other year round events, many with their family members. All events are offered completely free of charge to the camper and their family. Our camp in Illinois is run completely by volunteers, including our camp planning committee, medical staff, and all staff members at camp. We serve children ages 4-17 who may or may not be in active treatment. Camp Quality provides the opportunity for our campers to just be kids again.

I am the founder of Mommy’s Haven. We are a maternity home that opened this past January in Lowell IN. We were full within the first month of opening. I used to volunteer at a crisis pregnancy center and this is where my eyes were open to the need in our area. Mommy’s Haven empowers and equips pregnant women seeking parenting options by providing physical, emotional and spiritual support during and after pregnancy. We will welcome women, ages 18 and over, who are pregnant and have nowhere to turn. We offer single pregnant women, with no means of support, the opportunity to choose life for their unborn baby, whether they decide to parent or adopt. God has called us to respond to this need by providing a safe, free-of-charge, home to women who are feeling helpless and hopeless while facing an unexpected pregnancy