On November 6, Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI) will present Illinois State Representative Sara Feigenholtz (12th District) with the 2010 Amicus Certus (“True Friend”) Award at the 29th Annual Amicus Certus Celebration. The event, hosted by The Women’s Network of LSSI and co-chaired by Eileen Gerald (Glenview) and Linda Falotico (Arlington Heights), will take place at the Meadows Club in Rolling Meadows.
The Amicus Certus Award, which LSSI gives annually to individuals or organizations that have made significant contributions to the human community, recognizes Feigenholtz’s lifelong service and dedication to the needs of children. An adopted person herself, Feigenholtz currently chairs the House Committee on Adoption Reform. The timing of the award presentation is especially meaningful as November is National Adoption Month.
“We are honored to present the Amicus Certus Award to Representative Feigenholtz,” says the Rev. Dr. Denver Bitner, president/CEO of LSSI. “Representative Feigenholtz has focused on her passion for the care of children, seniors and other vulnerable people in her legislative career, which has placed her in the powerful position of Chair of the House Human Services Appropriations Committee. She is a ‘true friend’ to the people of our state and an outstanding public servant.”
Feigenholtz was first elected to the Illinois General Assembly in November 1994 and represents three very progressive areas in the city of Chicago, including Lakeview, Lincoln Park and the Near North Side. As a state lawmaker, she has authored and championed legislation that runs a gamut of issues, including adoption reform, affordable and accessible health care, and improving the quality of education in Illinois. Most recently, she was a sponsor of House Bill 5428, the Original Birth Certificate Access Bill, which was signed into law earlier this year and provides for the release of the original birth certificate to an adopted person.
Proceeds from this year’s Amicus Certus Celebration will benefit LSSI’s foster care and adoption programs. As one of the largest providers of foster care services in the state, LSSI currently serves more than 2,100 foster children and their families. LSSI also offers infant, international and special needs adoptions (which includes adoptions of older children and sibling groups); pre- and post-adoptive services; and search and reunification services for adoptees.
The evening will feature a ’60s theme, with the music of the T-Byrdz. Cocktails will be served at 6 p.m., with dinner following at 7 p.m. Dress is cocktail attire, with an optional ’60s flair.
Former Amicus Certus honorees include the late Paul Simon, U.S. Senator from Illinois; Anne M. Burke, Chicago Special Olympics founder; Rotary International; Janet Reno, former U.S. Attorney General; The Retirement Research Foundation; and The Erickson Institute. In 2009, LSSI honored The Women’s Network of LSSI for its long-term commitment to supporting the agency’s mission and services.
Tickets are $175 per person and may be obtained by advance reservations. Sponsorships are also available. For more information or to make reservations, contact Ed Newton at 847/635-4656, or at Edward.Newton@LSSI.org. Reservations can also be made online at www.LSSI.org.
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About Lutheran Social Services of Illinois
Founded in 1867, Lutheran Social Services of Illinois is a statewide, not-for-profit social service agency of the three Illinois synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. LSSI’s services include foster care, adoption, pregnancy counseling, Head Start, child care services, services for at-risk families, residential services for youth, counseling, mental health, substance abuse treatment, residential programs for adults with developmental disabilities, housing and services for older adults and individuals with disabilities, nursing care and rehabilitation, and programs for prisoners and their families. For more information, visit www.LSSI.org or LSSI’s Facebook page.
