Shelter Inc. hosts open house at Schaumburg's Jenning Home

On the evening of Sept. 6, an open house was held at the historic Jennings Home in Schaumburg by Shelter Inc., a child welfare agency that uses the home as an emergency Shelter for abused girls ages 11-17 from the Northwest suburbs.

The building itself was part of a 250-acre farm circa 1900 that was purchased in 1918 by O.J. Jennings, a slot machine tycoon with ties to Al Capone, who used it as a retreat. Jennings died in 1953, and the property eventually was donated to Schaumburg who has leased it to Shelter since 1983.

Standing in the parlor complete with stained glass and a hidden staircase, it's easy to envision a time gone by. The original charm of the home remains, and enhanced by Shelter who succeeded in making it a warm and welcoming temporary home for girls in crisis.

Guests, including leaders from government and commerce, collaborating welfare agencies and other members of the community were given a tour to see the present work being done. Carina Santa Maria, Shelter's new executive director, also helped guests envision a better future for our community's children and adolescents in need with the community working together to diminish the epidemic of child abuse by expanding and adding more programs to meet demands.

"For years, Shelter has been the best kept secret, and now, after 42 years, it's time to open our doors and let the community know about the critical services we provide," said Santa Maria.

Besides their Jennings Home for Girls, Shelter has a Boy's Emergency Group Home in Palatine, a Transitional Living Program for older adolescent males in Arlington Heights, three Foster Care programs and an abuse prevention program, Healthy Families.

For information, visit www.shelter-inc.org.

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