Our story begins in 1865 when the Erring Women’s Refuge for Reform was established as a sanctuary for young women navigating the challenges of factory and domestic work in Chicago. By 1914, this evolved into the Chicago Home for Girls, which was the same year Judge Mary Bartelme — Illinois’ first woman elected judge — opened her initial “Mary Club,” a group home for girls as an alternative to incarceration. Recognizing their shared mission of empowering girls and young women, the two organizations united in 1960 to form “Mary Bartelme Homes and Services.”

This legacy of care and commitment continued to grow, culminating in the 1988 merger of Lawrence Hall and Mary Bartelme Homes and Services, creating the organization we know today.

While all work prior to the merger uplifted youth, it was the trailblazing women who helped pave the way of our organization — reforming care, defining progress, and leading with empathy, compassion, and vision of bright futures for all.

Take the Chicago Home for Girls, one of the first-of-its-kind residential settings for young women. Or look at Judge Mary Bartelme, a social reformer at the forefront of youth advocacy and an architect of the first juvenile justice system in the country. Their belief in the resilience of youth is the cornerstone of all we do.

How do we still feel the impact of these founding women today? We see their influence through our Board members like Jayne and Pam. We hear their spirit and determination in our staff like Patricia and Vicki. And we see their dreams realized through our youth like Jo E and Stacay.

We see the impact in all of us — in everyone who rallies behind our youth and encourages them to hope in their dreams and believe in their futures. As we stand on the shoulders of our 160-year history, we look to the future and imagine the new ways we will continue this transformative legacy of empowerment.

“I’m walking in my purpose.”

Patricia Jones

Whether Patricia is making her signature sweet potato pie or showing up as a “present peace” for the youth in our Child and Family Treatment Center, she is doing everything with her full heart.

Lawrence Hall affiliation: Lead Youth Treatment Specialist and Supervisor on Duty

Years connected to Lawrence Hall: Nearly 26 years

“I actually feel like I’m walking in my purpose. I feel like I’m doing what I’m here to do. I think I’ve always liked people, helping people, being a part of something big, and this way I get to do all of that. When I came here in the winter of 1999, I started off at Chase, one of our [previous] girls’ group homes. We had a young lady at Chase who wasn’t supposed to live. India was her name. When we got her, she was 11 and had brain cancer. She wasn’t supposed to live long, but we ended up having her until she was 17 ½. The truth is, nobody wanted to take her, nobody wanted the risk. Every day was a challenge, and we were short-staffed because a lot of people couldn’t deal with India’s challenging behavior. I think that was the first time I was stuck doing a 24-hour shift because we didn’t have the staff relief. It got rough. Then when she was 15, she found a boyfriend and that was new for her, and she fell in love. She would go on run for days at a time. She ended up pregnant and transitioned from Lawrence Hall into a [foster] placement. The staff called me at home and said, ‘India wants you to take her daughter.’ I was surprised she chose me, but it was also a compliment. India passed away right after her baby was born. Even though she wasn’t at Lawrence Hall anymore, all the Chase staff and youth showed up for the services, and her family showed up and naturally wanted the baby. India’s favorite color was yellow, and at the funeral there was a big yellow bee flying around, and it stung me. We all laughed because we knew it was India messing with us, and that she was still there.”

“The tremendous potential in each of the youth here, I mean, you just see it.”

Pam Coster

Though her role has changed since first getting involved in 1984, Pam’s passion for Lawrence Hall’s mission and belief in our youth is unshakeable.

Lawrence Hall affiliation: A founder of the Auxiliary Board, one of the first women to serve as a Board Trustee, and current Life Trustee

Years connected to Lawrence Hall: 41 years

“When creating the Auxiliary Board**, the idea was to not just raise money but to get into the homes (predecessors to the CFTC building), as “Auxiliary Moms” and spend time with the children, doing things we would do with our own children. We had the idea of creating committees of women who would be supporting particular homes, and they are still assigned now to the units in the Child and Family Treatment Center. I did that for a number of years. It was wonderful, we wallpapered the kitchen with the boys, we’d bring things for different holidays, celebrate birthdays, and that type of thing. It was a wonderful opportunity to really see that part of the agency; that was the whole idea behind the Auxiliary, to give dedicated women a hands-on experience in the agency. That was a deepening for me in terms of involvement with Lawrence Hall, from just collecting items and bringing them down to really getting involved with the kids. Then when they asked me to come onto the Governing Board, I was interested because I believed in the mission and its importance. Certainly, as a mother, knowing what kind of intervention Lawrence Hall provides — what that can do for a child — you want to have that for as many children as possible. The tremendous potential in each of the youth here, I mean, you just see it. And you just want to nurture that, as you do for your own children or grandchildren. I’ve always thought that we stabilize kids here, that the stabilizing influence the agency has changes generations. You’re not just changing one child, you are changing generations, and stopping the cycle of abuse. No matter what’s going on in the world, these are things that restore your faith in what can be done. You know, everyone’s always talking about crime [in Chicago], the kids that are stealing cars, and this and that, and I say, ‘Well there’s something you can do. I’ve seen it, I know it works. Be part of the solution.’”