Help a Child: Understanding the Needs of Foster Children and At-Risk Youth

Monica Doxie, Community Outreach Manager of CASA Lake County, and Susan Beyer, foster mother, will speak on the topic “Help a Child: Understanding the Needs of Foster Children and At-Risk Youth.” CASA Lake County is a non-profit that advocates for children in the abuse and neglect system. Over the last year, we have seen a large increase in the number of children being removed from their parents and this phenomenon has caused an already overburdened system to be stretched too thin. CASA needs more volunteers, the fostering agencies need additional foster homes and the mentoring agencies they work with need more mentors. Monica and Susan will share their experiences with working in the foster care system and will explain opportunities for people to get involved if they feel inspired to do so.

Monica Doxie is a new CASA Lake County staff member and works as both Advocate Manager as well as Manager of Community Outreach. She holds a Master’s degree from Dominican University in Legal Dispute Resolution. In addition to her staff duties with CASA, she is a CASA volunteer. Monica is assigned to her third foster care case where she works with a sibling group of nine.

Susan Beyer is a Chicago-based flight attendant at American Airlines and foster mother of Olivia. She welcomed Olivia into her life just before Olivia was two and officially adopted her in August of 2018. Susan continues her mission to educate others on foster care, often attending events to speak on behalf of children who very often can’t speak for themselves.

Lake Shore Unitarian Society is an open-minded community that inspires you to find your own spiritual path. We differentiate ourselves with lay-led Sunday services facilitated by member volunteers, a youth Religious Explorations program based upon Unitarian Universalist principles, and outstanding musical performances.

We embrace values shared by the world’s major religions and a set of principles that include justice, peace, compassion, and the inherent worth of every human being.

Whether you believe in God or not, or you are not sure, you’ll be welcomed warmly. We come together every Sunday to think about life’s “big questions,” support one another in finding our spiritual paths, and get inspired not just to talk about our values but to live them day to day.