Sari Rubin (right), director of development for PADS of Lake County, speaks next to Maureen Murphy, associate vice-president of Catholic Charities, during a meeting for the Help Them To Hope Fund recipient organizations at the Lake County News-Sun office in Gurnee on Friday, Feb. 8, 2013. | Ryan Pagelow~Sun-Times Media

Emelie Ventling of Lake Forest, the director of development for the Mothers Trust Foundation, attends a meeting for the Help Them To Hope Fund recipient organizations at the Lake County News-Sun office in Gurnee on Friday, Feb. 8, 2013. | Ryan Pagelow~Sun-Times Media

Richard Ribando of Lake Villa, a board member for the Help Them To Hope Fund, talks to non-profit organizations which were recipients of the fund at the Lake County News-Sun office in Gurnee on Friday, Feb. 8, 2013. | Ryan Pagelow~Sun-Times Media

Kate Cothell, the marketing and development coordinator for A Safe Place/Lake County Crisis Center, speaks during a meeting for the Help Them To Hope Fund recipients at the Lake County News-Sun office in Gurnee on Friday, Feb. 8, 2013, next to Associate Pastor Benjamin Arevalos of the Most Blessed Trinity Parish's Community Social Services. | Ryan Pagelow~Sun-Times Media

Rosemary Alfredson of Mundelein, a board member for the Help Them To Hope Fund, talks to non-profit organizations which were recipients of the fund at the Lake County News-Sun office in Gurnee on Friday, Feb. 8, 2013. | Ryan Pagelow~Sun-Times Media

Bob Haymaker of Waukegan, a board member for the Help Them To Hope Fund, attends a meeting for the fund's recipient organizations at the Lake County News-Sun office in Gurnee on Friday, Feb. 8, 2013. | Ryan Pagelow~Sun-Times Media

Benjamin Arevalos, an associate pastor at the Most Blessed Trinity Parish in Waukegan, talks about the parish's Community Social Services organization which is one of the recipients of the Help Them To Hope Fund at the Lake County News-Sun office in Gurnee on Friday, Feb. 8, 2013. | Ryan Pagelow~Sun-Times Media

Bob Haymaker of Waukegan, a board member for the Help Them To Hope Fund, attends a meeting for the fund's recipient organizations at the Lake County News-Sun office in Gurnee on Friday, Feb. 8, 2013 next to MaryTherese Ambacher of Antioch, executive director of the Open Arms Mission. | Ryan Pagelow~Sun-Times Media