Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – The late Illinois Supreme Court Justice Ben Miller (pictured) is still making an impact.
The Community Foundation of the Land of Lincoln says Miller’s trust has given it $3.2 million, of which $1.2 million has already been granted to seven women- and children-focused charities.
“He shared with me he saw so many people come before him in court where there were troubles with young people, especially,” said the foundation’s president and CEO, John Stremsterfer. “Oftentimes he witnessed that many of these young people were raised by single mothers, and he had great empathy and sympathy for women in those situations.”
The seven grants are, according to a news release:
- Wooden It Be Lovely – $250,000: to purchase, repair or update, and furnish a residence to house women in the Wooden It Be Lovely program. Separate from the grants awarded through the Community Foundation, the Justice Ben Miller Declaration of Trust made a $300,000 gift directly to Wooden It Be Lovely to support the purchase of a building for the organization’s operations.
- MERCY Communities – $250,000: to provide residential accommodations for women and children in the community.
- Petersburg United Methodist Church – $50,000: to support the church’s ministry to provide housing and supportive services to women and children in the MERCY Communities program.
- Pregnancy Care Center of Springfield – $50,000: to purchase infant car seats, bedding, laundry products and tokens, food, diapers, clothing for pregnant women and their infants, and transportation tokens.
- Mini O’Beirne Crisis Nursery – $250,000: to support the Crisis Nursery’s goal of expanding the capacity of emergency childcare and its ability to offer services such as family support groups, parenting classes, and crisis counseling.
- Sojourn Shelter and Services – $50,000: to support the Court Advocacy Program.
- Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault – $310,000: to be divided among the 31 ICASA centers statewide for incidental monetary support for victims’ access to services and assistance such as court advocacy, counseling, medical care, childcare and transportation, and housing and educational programs.
