Baxter gives $100,000 to help families in crisis

Baxter International Inc. has committed $100,000 during the next five years to help families in crisis facing serious financial problems.

Nicasa, a Lake County nonprofit behavioral health services organization, will use the contribution for its family sustainability program. The free program provides counseling, crisis management, connections to community resources, parental support and emergency financial help to families with children 18 and younger.

Chief Executive Officer Bruce Johnson praised Baxter for its gift.

“We would not be where we are today without Baxter's support,” Johnson said. “Looking back over our 50-year history, Baxter has helped us serve hundreds of thousands of families in need.”

About 300 families are served annually though the sustainability initiative, according to Nicasa officials. They said private donations, such as the one from Deerfield-based Baxter, are more vital than ever because of decreased funding for such services from Illinois government.

People typically are desperate when they come to Nicasa for the family sustainability program. Nicasa officials said that desperation includes facing evictions, domestic violence, loss of a spouse or problems involving the criminal justice system.

In addition, the Nicasa clients in the family sustainability program often can't afford food, clothing or other basic needs, officials said.

Baxter spokeswoman Deborah Spak said Friday the company has supported Nicasa since about the time it was created in 1966. She said the relationship began with Baxter's donation of seven acres where Nicasa is headquartered on Fish Lake Road in unincorporated Lake County near Round Lake.

“We are committed to helping the underserved in locations where we live and work,” Spak said, “and this contribution aligns with our goals of helping to implement sustainable solutions to challenges facing our communities. Baxter and the Baxter International Foundation have continued to support Nicasa over the decades through various contributions, such as a grant to fund a behavioral health nurse, and many of our employees have volunteered and continue to volunteer their time to assist Nicasa in a variety of ways.”

Debi Leer, director of Nicasa's family sustainability program, said it's not easy for struggling people to seek help.

“This is a program that focuses on helping people, and as the need grows we rely more and more on the community and local resources to make that possible,” Leer said.

Nicasa was founded in 1966 by members of a local Alcoholics Anonymous group as a one-employee organization. Its scope of services expanded and branch offices opened over time in Mundelein, Buffalo Grove, Highland Park and other Lake County towns.