In March, the VA also conducted a

monitoring visit on the performance of

MSHV’s SSVF program, which is now in

its third year of operation. The annual

The Midwest Shelter is pleased to an-

nounce that both its Marine LCpl.

Nicholas Larson Home and its Sup-

portive Services for Veteran Families

(SSVF) program have once again

passed their annual inspections by the

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

ane

Tyschenko, MSHV Executive Director

monitoring visit focused on the overall

management and implementation of

the program, according to grant objec-

tives. These include outreach and tar-

geting, participant eligibility, case-

management and support services, as

well as the financial management of

the program. MSHV passed all areas of

the inspection.

“Once again this year, our amazing

SSVF staff excelled in serving home-

less and at-risk veteran households,”

said Bob Adams, MSHV co-founder

and current board president. “We

passed the VA monitoring visit with

flying colors. Well done!”

In 2015, MSHV served 95 veteran

households in seven Illinois counties

through its SSVF program, with home-

less prevention and rapid rehousing

services.

Charged with a mandate from the U.S.

Department of Veterans Affairs to initi-

ate community planning efforts to end

veteran homelessness, the Midwest

Shelter has laid the foundation for the

establishment of homeless veteran

task forces in DeKalb, DuPage, and

Kane Counties.

These task forces are focused on coor-

dinating outreach efforts to identify

every veteran experiencing homeless-

ness in the community and to facilitate

their swift movement into permanent

housing.

“The Midwest Shelter is committed to

the goal of ending veteran homeless-

ness and is honored to serve those

who served the nation,” said Jane

Tyschenko, MSHV Executive Director.

“Through our work with the VA, Home-

less Continuums of Care, county

officials and local non-profit homeless

service providers, MSHV is at the fore-

ment to ending veteran homelessness

using a “Housing First” approach,

based on the premise that when veter-

ans have a place to call home, they are

best able to benefit from the support

services they receive.

“It’s very exciting to be so intimately

involved in such a monumental sys-

temic change,” said Jane. “Agencies

who once operated in silos now sit

around the same table and work col-

laboratively to connect homeless veter-

ans to the resources they need to se-

cure permanent housing and achieve

their full potential.”

The Homeless Veteran Task Forces in

DeKalb, DuPage, and Kane Counties

meet monthly to identify and connect

homeless veterans and those most at

risk with the services they need and to

monitor progress towards the goal of

ending veteran homelessness.

front of putting an end to veteran

homelessness in the communities we

serve.”

On any given night, more than 48,000

of our nation’s veterans are living on

the streets, in emergency shelters or in

transitional housing. In June 2014,

First Lady Michelle Obama announced

the Obama Administration’s commit-

BOARD OF DIRECTORS ROBERT ADAMS PRESIDENT BRIGID DUFFIELD VICE PRESIDENT RANDALL YTTERBERG SECTRETARY DAVID MAINES TREASURER MICHAEL CAHILL MARVIN DONELSON TOM FOGERTY PAUL HERBERT ROBERT KAYE AJ LEANE JACK MATOSIAN MICHAEL SULLIVAN

ADVISORY BOARD MARK BERGER, M.D. LINDA CHAPA LAVIA DANIEL DEVINE JOHN DOLL, J.D. DICK LOCKHART TERRY OWENS

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JANE TYSCHENKO

DIRECTOR-PROGRAMS CHRISTINE MADSEN

DIR.-DEVELOPMENT YVONNE MACDONALD-HAMES

DIRECTOR-FINANCE JESSICA SPITZER NEWSLETTER EDITOR JACK MATOSIAN

PRINTED BY JEFF LINK GRAPHIC IMAGE GROUP

A Message From The President

Spring is a time of renewal. This year, more than any in

recent history, we at the Midwest Shelter for Homeless

Veterans are aware of the need to seek renewal, renewal of

our commitment to do more for our veterans, whether it be

through our existing programs, or possibly a new program.

One thing we know to be true is that with current and poten-

tial cuts to social service agencies, our effectiveness

depends now more than ever on renewing our relationships

with you, our donors. You have been so generous and sup-

portive to us over the years, and we are grateful beyond

measure.

So it is with confidence bolstered by my belief in you that I

come to you to ask you to renew your commitment to those

who served and sacrificed.

The veterans in our care look to us for support, a hand up,

with services that include providing clothing and household

items, assistance with finding or keeping adequate housing,

to the vital need for treatment of the mental health and sub-

stance abuse issues that often occur as a result of military

experience.

You may have read that 22 veterans a day are committing

suicide as a result of the psychological and physical wounds

they received in combat. Our outreach team and professional

case workers are doing everything they can to prevent this

terrible loss of life.

There is a story, often told, of the man on a beach in Florida

working feverishly to clean off birds covered in oil from a leak

in the Gulf. Someone drives by and says “you can’t save

them all.” The man raises the bird he is working on and says

“but I can save this one.” The spirit of the Midwest Shelter

has always been to save every veteran we can from poverty,

homelessness, and mental illness. We continue to need your

help with this mission.

Dr. Martin Luther King once said that “the time is always

right to do right.” We believe that our work is right and that

the time is now. I ask that you please continue to do what

you can to give our homeless veterans the chance they

earned to the peace and dignity of a life worth living.

In closing I wish you all a wonderful, warm and enjoyable

spring and summer.

Semper Fidelis,

Doc Adams

Joseph Spiner, Senior Vice Commander, (left) and Joseph Leonardo, Judge

Advocate, (right) of the Italian American War Veterans in Illinois presented a

$2,000 donation check to MSHV’s Bob Adams at Cantigny Park on March 13.

Our gratitude extends to our giving civic

and corporate partners, many of which

hold events to benefit the Shelter. Their

ongoing support is vital to our ability to

serve veterans in need. Our sincere

thanks go out to all of our partners,

including those listed below.

The Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans has named Jane Tyschenko

as its new Executive Director. Jane, who joined MSHV as the Director of

Programs in September 2013, had been serving as Interim Executive

Director since June 2015. Jane has 18 years of social service experience,

overseeing homeless programs and a Masters in Social Work from the

University of Illinois at Chicago.

“We are delighted to have someone with Jane’s experience and passion

for helping veterans take on the role of our new Executive Director,” said

Bob Adams, MSHV co-founder and current board president. “Jane has

experience in grants management and reporting as well as program devel-

opment and implementation.

“Since starting in her new role, Jane has already secured a grant through

a private foundation to assist veteran households who are ineligible for

services under our Supportive Services for Veteran Families program.

This emergency financial assistance provides housing for those who are

homeless and helps those who are at risk of becoming homeless.”

Under Jane’s leadership, MSHV has submitted a Federal grant application

in hopes of expanding the shelter’s capacity to serve more homeless

veterans in need of employment and skills training. Additionally, Jane is

focused on ensuring that each community which MSHV serves has a sys-

temic response in place to ensure that homelessness among veterans is

prevented whenever possible or is otherwise rare, brief, and non-

recurring. “I am both humbled and excited to have the opportunity to be the next

leader of this amazing organization,” said Jane. “I look forward to the new

challenges and opportunities for growth that this position will offer.”

The Midwest Shelter also has hired Christine Madsen as its new Director

of Programs. Christine has served the homeless and at-risk-of-homeless-

ness for over six years at Catholic Charities Daybreak Center in Joliet and

received her Masters of Social Work degree from the Jane Addams

School of Social Work in Chicago.

“I am excited to bring not only my experience to MSHV, but also my desire

to assist with the development of new programs that will enhance our

ability to provide a comprehensive array of services to veterans and their

Since welcoming our first resident, Barbara, in

October 2015, the Midwest Shelter’s Tammy’s

Trace has expanded to welcome two new, won-

derful residents. Susan joined us shortly after

the open house in November 2015 and Angie

moved in at the end of March 2016.

Barbara very much enjoyed being able to share

the holidays with her family at Tammy’s Trace,

where she prepared a lovely Thanksgiving meal

for all of them to enjoy. Continuing her full-time

employment with a staffing agency, she contin-

ues to work toward her goal of self-sufficiency.

At Christmas, Barbara and Susan shared the

morning by unwrapping gifts from generous

donors who made the holiday even brighter with

their thoughtful and practical gifts of clothing,

gift cards, hygiene supplies and more.

Since moving into Tammy’s Trace, Susan has

been able to secure a dependable full-time job

as a rehabilitation specialist with a State agen-

cy, where she enjoys being able to give back to

others experiencing need in the areas of em-

ployment and education.

The newest member of the house, Angie, was

warmly welcomed by Barbara and Susan, and

within the first week of residency has already

enrolled in a local college and secured part-time

employment. With Angie well on her way to self-

sufficiency, we applaud her dedication and

commitment to success.

Note: All names have been changed to protect the

privacy of our veterans.

Jane Tyschenko, the Midwest Shelter’s new Executive Director, poses with

MSHV co-founders, Bob Adams (left) and Dirk Enger (right).

families,” said Christine. “I look forward to exploring creative and innova-

tive ways to provide assistance to those who have sacrificed so much for

our country.”

At left: Christine Madsen, MSHV’s new

Director of Programs. Christine, who

has a Masters in Social Work from the

Jane Addams School of Social Work in

Chicago, joins the Midwest Shelter

after six years at Catholic Charities

Daybreak Center in Joliet.

Welcome, Christine!

In 2013, the Midwest Shelter established the

Army Captain Kevin C. Landeck Freedom

Commissary to operate as a free, voucher-

based thrift store to meet the clothing, house-

hold and personal care needs of low-income

veterans and their families. The commissary is

supplied entirely through the generosity of do-

nations we receive from our private contribu-

tors and business partners.

“Since opening its doors, the Freedom Commis-

sary has steadily increased the number of vet-

erans served,” said John Dixon, MSHV's Free-

dom Commissary and Volunteer Coordinator.

“In its first year of operation, the Commissary

served 56 veterans and their families.

“In 2014, we served 100 veteran households,

and in 2015 we served 272 veteran house-

holds. During the first quarter of 2016, MSHV

has already served 103 veteran households, as

compared to 35 in 2015, so we are on pace to

nearly triple the amount of clients we served

last year.”

Since taking on his new position in early 2015,

John has embarked on an aggressive market-

ing campaign to let the community know about

the Freedom Commissary. Social service provid-

ers serving veterans and their families are en-

couraged to bring low-income veterans to the

Commissary for assistance. John also has been

instrumental in fostering and developing part-

nerships with numerous veteran service

providers over the past year, including

Are you interested in

supporting the

Midwest Shelter’s

Freedom Commissary?

Items that our low-income

veteran households can

always use, include:

Liquid dish soap

Laundry detergent

All-purpose cleaners

Paper towels/Toilet paper

New sheet sets (twin & full)

New men’s and women

underwear

Small kitchen appliances:

toasters, microwave ovens

and coffee makers

Flatware sets

To make a donation, please

contact MSHV’s John Dixon at

john@mshv.org or 630-871-8387.

Edward Hines Jr. VA Medical Center,

Heartland Alliance, Thresholds, and

Volunteers of America.

The Freedom Commissary has also reached out

to many corporations and community organiza-

tions for their support with securing donations.

In 2015, the commissary received more than

$19,000 in donations and donated close to

$12,000 back out to veteran households in

need. MSHV thanks The RoomPlace, Norix

Furniture, Grunt Style Clothing, as well as

many local churches and civic organizations for

all of their support and contributions.

Shortly after Roger came to the Midwest Shel-

ter for Homeless Veterans’ flagship program—

the Marine Lance Cpl. Nicholas Larson Home

he connected with MSHV's Veteran Employ-

ment Program (VEP). Roger previously had a

long career in food production and flavor com-

pounding, but when he lost his position with the

company he had been with for 16 years, he

found himself struggling to bounce back.

With the help of MSHV staff, he was able to

regain housing stability, access case-

management services, and create an employ-

ment action plan, with the assistance of Iva

Stoyanova, the VEP coordinator. By staying

organized and diligently following the plan he

had helped create for himself, Roger was soon

working in a transitional position in food ser-

vice. This job provided him with income and a

schedule that allowed him to continue to pur-

sue his ultimate goal of returning to the career

he had loved for over a decade.

Two months later, at Iva’s recommendation,

professional development opportunities.

Since starting the position, which involves

Roger operating an encapsulator to fill capsules

with natural raw ingredients, he has been thor-

oughly impressed by his new employer’s com-

mitment to safety and belief in investing in its

employees’ futures.

Roger remarked that organizational and docu-

mentation skills, as well as a personal commit-

ment to safety and a sense of accountability,

are the most important attributes for being

successful in his job. He credits MSHV’s compe-

tent staff and the job-development skills he

improved by working with the VEP for the posi-

tive changes that are unfolding in his life.

“Being gainfully employed has empowered my

independence," said Roger. Having a second

shot at a career he enjoys, with a company to

whose mission he connects, Roger is an

excellent example of what dedicated and driven

VEP participants can look forward to accom-

plishing.

and with her assistance, Roger submitted an

application to a well-known natural health com-

pany, for a position that would give him a plat-

form to showcase his many talents and that

would promote his growth in his career of

choice. Shortly after his interview, Roger was

offered a full-time position that came with a

generous benefits package and boundless

MSHV is grateful for all of our generous supporters who partner with us to

serve veterans and their families. We appreciate every donation and strive to

serve as prudent financial stewards of the contributions we receive.

As the chart on the right illustrates, 79 percent of donation dollars go directly

to programs serving veterans. Thirteen percent is used to manage agency

operations and 8 percent is used to raise funds to continue the critical work

of the organization.

While some of our programs are funded through government grants, and

others are entirely funded by voluntary contributions, most operate on

resources from both grants and donations. Here is a breakdown by program

of how your donation dollars are utilized:

43% Larson Home

35% Outreach/Freedom Commissary

13% Freedom Harbour Program

9% Miller Home

0% SSVF Program

Thank you again to each of you who support the Midwest Shelter’s mission of

providing housing and supportive services to help veterans achieve self-

sufficiency.

What will your legacy be? You have worked

diligently to provide yourself and your family

with the security they need for today and for the

future.

Estate planning advisors recommend that you

carefully consider how much your family will

need to accomplish their goals in the future,

and how you want to allocate your resources.

The important questions to ask are:

How much does my family need?

Once my family is taken care of, do I have

additional resources?

How do I want to allocate those resources?

Consider making an estate gift to the Midwest

Shelter for Homeless Veterans, and you can

become an integral part of helping to ensure

that the critical work of MSHV continues. Your

generous gift will help us to continue to house

homeless and at-risk veterans and their fami-

lies and provide the necessary supportive ser-

vices to assist them in reaching self-sufficiency.

There are several planned giving options cur-

rently available to MSHV donors that allow you

to make a charitable gift and take advantage of

current tax incentives.

Bequest– You can provide a future gift to

MSHV by including a bequest provision in your

will for a specified amount or percentage of

your estate.

Charitable Lead Trust– You can transfer cash,

securities, or appreciated property into a trust

that gifts an income stream to MSHV for a pre-

determined number of years. When that period

of years is over, the principal reverts to the

donor or named beneficiaries.

Charitable Remainder Trust– You can transfer

cash, securities, or appreciated property into a

trust, and the trust pays you and any named

beneficiaries annual income. When the trust

terminates, the remaining principal is trans-

ferred to MSHV.

Gifts of Appreciated Securities– Shares of

stock or mutual funds can be gifted to MSHV

and then sold without incurring taxes.

IRA Beneficiary– MSHV can be designated as

the beneficiary of your IRA. If you are over

70-1/2 years of age, you may be able to take

advantage of recent legislation that provides

additional benefits.

Life Insurance– You can transfer ownership of

a life insurance policy to MSHV.

Real Estate- You can donate property to

MSHV.

Donor Advised Fund (DAF)- You can donate

certain assets to a Donor Advised Fund and

recommend that it make subsequent grants to

MSHV.

These options allow you to make a planned gift

as part of your will or during your lifetime. A

planned gift to MSHV not only helps us to en-

sure the continuation of services to homeless

and at-risk veterans, but allows you to choose

to be a continued partner with MSHV through

your legacy.

For more information, or to have a conversation

about planned giving, please call Yvonne

MacDonald-Hames, MSHV Director of Develop-

ment, at 630-871-8387.

It is strongly recommended that you consult your tax

advisor, financial advisor or estate attorney for more

information, as these examples are provided as a

general overview, and are not meant to represent an

exhaustive list of all available strategies.

The Midwest Shelter is seeking volunteers over the 2016 Memorial Day

weekend to help staff its donation collection table at Cantigny Golf in Wheaton.

Volunteers are needed to solicit donations in return for a poppy and to let

donors know that all funds collected go to support homeless and at-risk veter-

ans and their families.

This fundraising effort is made possible due to the generous support both of

American Legion Post 556 at Cantigny, which is again donating proceeds

from their Memorial Day weekend poppy sales to the Shelter, and the Robert

R. McCormick Foundation, which matches the money raised. This is the ninth

year for this valued partnership, which resulted in a donation of $13,000 to

MSHV in 2015.

“We are so grateful to American Legion Post 556, the Robert R. McCormick

Foundation and Cantigny Golf for their ongoing support,” said Jane Tyschenko,

MSHV’s Executive Director. “This wonderful partnership continues to help veter-

an households in need in our community.”

MSHV is seeking two volunteers for each of three three-hour shifts (6 a.m. to

9 a.m.; 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.; and 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.) on each of the four days

(Fri., May 27 through Mon., May 30.) To volunteer please contact John Dixon,

MSHV's Volunteer Coordinator, at john@mshv.org or 630-871-8387..