About Us

Our Mission Statement

Mothers Trust Foundation is a non-profit organization supporting social service providers by offering assistance to children in need in Lake County, Illinois. We make benefits and opportunities available which cannot be obtained from other sources. Our goal is to assist children in trouble or crisis, raise awareness of children's needs, link needs with community resources and provide opportunities for volunteers to be involved.

How Our Service Committee Works

Clients come to Mothers Trust through requests made by social service professionals, school counselors, social workers, court workers, and other such trained individuals. It is through these relationships that clients can be vetted as to the extent and legitimacy of their needs, a function that is critical for MTF to operate responsibly. Every week throughout the year, the volunteer Mothers Trust Service Committee and staff meet to review grant applications. The criteria for receiving help are simple: the request must come from a qualified professional; the child (age 21 and under) must reside in Lake County and clearly benefit from the assistance; the needs cannot be met in full anywhere else; and the benefit request must be time-limited. We respond to service requests in a very timely manner (less than 7 days) and provide funding within 24 hours of granting assistance.  In 2011, $205,682 in grants were made to 3,117 Lake County children and their families.

Mothers Trust Foundation, established in 1998, is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization.

How One Person Made a Difference

In 1998, 74-year-old Barbara Monsor heard a story about a girl who needed to get out of a potentially lethal gang situation. The young girl knew of a safe haven where she could go; she just couldn't find the resources to get there.Barbara retold the story to a group of friends in her hometown of Lake Forest, Illinois. Each decided to chip in to help this girl, and the first of many Mothers Trust Foundation grants was awarded.

Helping children in crisis is not a new concept to now 88-year-old Barbara Monsor. This mother of six and grandmother of eight learned a lot about empathy working for Youth Guidance in Chicago for more than 18 years.

In Barbara's eyes, so much is possible. For her, it's always about the next child. What do they need to stay on their feet? To retain their dignity? To keep their family together? To give them something to focus on to stay out of trouble? To make the impossible possible?

In 2008, Barbara retired from the Executive Director's position. She remains an active member of the Board of Directors.

Cheri Richardson, Mothers Trust Foundation's Executive Director, brings a combination of initiative, creative thinking, knowledge of social service realities, and dedication to children of all ages. Cheri's extensive experience as past director of United Way of the North Shore as well as past President of the Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Rotary is critical to ensuring that Mothers Trust Foundation remains a trusted and valuable resource for Lake County's least fortunate children.