BELLEVILLE – Caritas Family Solutions is hosting its 12th annual Heart & Soul Gala on Feb, 8, 2025, at The Regency in O’Fallon, Illinois.
The human services agency currently serves more than 6,300 people annually including 1,700 foster children throughout Southern Illinois and the Metro East region. The nonprofit also has service lines which include pregnancy care for women, adoption, counseling, community family stabilization for families experiencing homelessness, youth therapeutic treatment center, emergency shelter, intact family services, assisted living for seniors and independent living for adults with disabilities.
The gala serves as the nonprofit’s largest fundraising event, supporting its mission of strengthening the social and emotional well-being of individuals and families to create healthy relationships, loving homes and strong communities.
“This is our largest fundraising event of the year and it makes a tremendous difference in our ability to help serve people throughout our region,” said Caritas Family Solutions CEO Gary Huelsmann. “This night is also an opportunity to share our gratitude to all of the people who have helped impact the lives of children, families and adults in need during the past year and hear directly from some of them about the difference our services make in their lives. It’s a time for us to celebrate all that we have achieved while also shining a light on where we see the need and how we want to continue helping people.”
KSDK’s Michelle Li will be the emcee for this year’s event which will also include a silent auction, testimonies and presentation of the Heart & Soul Caritas Award, which recognizes an individual or organization who exemplifies the mission of the nonprofit through service and contributions.
The award will be presented to Karen and Dan Krankel, who have been foster parents to more than 400 children since 1981. The presenting sponsors for this year’s event are Contegra Cares and Dave and Jill Wenzel. Additional sponsors include BAM Marketing Agency, Jim and Barbara Calandro, Clark Wealth Partners and Ann Effinger Meuleman. If you are interested in sponsoring the event or purchasing tickets, go to www.caritasfamilysolutions.org/gala. The deadline to register is January 17.
