Gala affair helps the kids

Renee Ferguson took a break on Friday from her duties as an investigative reporter for WMAQ-TV Channel 5 in Chicago to handle an assignment of a different kind.

Instead of investigating stories of abused and neglected children, she promoted a Northwest suburban agency that cares for them: Shelter Inc. in Arlington Heights.

Ferguson hosted Shelter's 20th annual Charity Ball held at the Hyatt Regency Woodfield in Schaumburg.

Along with Ferguson, another Chicago dignitary involved with the event was Gordon F. Grote, president of R.R. Donnelley's Response Marketing Services, who served as honorary chairman.

Together they headlined the black tie gala that drew nearly 500 guests and raised money for Shelter's array of child welfare services.

"They do such good work," Grote said. "I'm particularly impressed with the network they provide for adolescents."

Guests arrived to find the grand ballroom awash in shades of pink and black. They took their seats at tables outfitted in dramatic black linens with hot pink accents and surrounded by contemporary sculpture.

However, before the gourmet meal began, guests heard about the real meat of the program: Services for area at-risk children who need to be removed from their homes while their family situations are stabilized.

Pat Beck, Shelter's executive director, described how Shelter works to provide emergency and long-term homes for these children, ideally keeping them in their own community.

For infants and younger children, they rely on a network of foster families to provide a stable home environment. For teens and adolescents, the agency operates group homes in Arlington Heights, Palatine and Schaumburg.

For the last 11 years, Shelter officials have worked at snuffing out abuse before it occurs. They now administer the Healthy Families program, which supports first-time parents with regular home visitations and parenting education.

At the gala, supporters recalled the first charity ball in 1988 whose goal was to fund the building of a larger boys group home to meet the needs of local abused and neglected adolescent boys.

It opened in 1996 and led to ones in Arlington Heights and Schaumburg, which remain the only community-based emergency facilities for adolescents in the Northwest suburbs.