A Mother Knows Best

When Lake Forest’s Barbara Monsor decided to leave her 18-year social work career at Youth Guidance in Chicago, she knew she couldn’t leave all that she learned behind.

“Social work is such a valuable service,” says the 93-year-old Monsor from her home at Lake Forest Place. “But you quickly realize how limited social workers are. They need good people standing behind them and next to them to help them succeed at what they’re trying to do.”

In 1998, Monsor founded Mothers Trust after witnessing firsthand how a seemingly small amount of assistance can change a child’s life. Her idea was simple—to connect people in desperate situations with those who want to provide assistance where it will truly make a difference.

“I knew when I moved to Lake Forest that this was the kind of town that would respond to an organization like Mothers Trust,” Monsor recalls. “My friends were so supportive, especially my friends from The Church of the Holy Spirit. They were very interested in what I was doing and that made me confident that this could work.”

In the beginning, Monsor was quite literally a “one mom show” as she made the rounds assessing the most pressing needs in Lake County and then lining up donors for her cause. “There was some eye rolling when I would show up at meetings,” says Monsor, who was 74 when she founded Mothers Trust. “I’m sure they were thinking, ‘here comes this lady from Lake Forest who is going to make everything right.’”

At its core, Mothers Trust Foundation fills in financial gaps for children from birth to age 21, in turn providing hope, building confidence, and making a positive difference in young people’s lives. “It was important to me that we help the children in need—not necessarily the family. Kids, even those less fortunate, are kids with possibilities. I wanted Mothers Trust to help them realize their potential.”

Each Wednesday at 9:30 a.m, a group of Mothers Trust volunteers gathers at Gorton for a meeting to review grant requests and vote on whether or not a grant should be made. Grant requests are submitted to Mothers Trust by social workers and school counselors on behalf of the children they’re representing. “It’s very important for Mothers Trust to stick to the rules and regulations when evaluating grant requests,” Monsor says. “It’s too easy to be appealed to by people’s personalities and easy to be confused. I also find that you’re subject to criticism if you leave yourself open to personal bias.”

When a grant is approved, the check is cut within 24-48 hours. Grant requests range from something as small as eyeglass frames to something as significant as money to cover health care costs. Mothers Trust also has special rules in their bylaws so that they can issue grants in emergency situations. Since its inception, Mothers Trust Foundation has assisted more than 30,000 children with more than $2.4 million in grants.

Asked why she decided to call the organization she founded “Mothers Trust Foundation,” Monsor smiles. “The notion of mothering is at the very core of what Mothers Trust tries to accomplish,” she says, herself a mother of six and grandmother to eight. “The name sends a message of affection, responsibility, and accountability. A big part of this in my mind is that you’re accountable to your mother.”

Mothers Trust Foundation funds its grants through private donations, appeals, and its two annual fundraisers—the “Keeping Kids Out of the Rough” golf event on Friday, June 16 and the “Betty Bash” on Friday, October 20. There will also be a Mother’s Day appeal this month where you can donate to Mothers Trust in the name of your “favorite mother,” where funds will be set aside to help with costs associated with sending a child to summer camp.

“I’m pleased and so happy to see Mother’s Trust thriving,” says Monsor, who no longer attends the weekly meetings as she doesn’t want her presence to influence any decisions being made one way or another. “It’s important to remember that there was a big group of us who made Mothers Trust happen. My hope for the future is that as long as there is a need for Mothers Trust, it will keep going.”

To learn more about Mothers Trust Foundation’s work in Lake County, visit motherstrustfoundation.org or call 847-482-9189.