HR0845LRB103 41003 LAW 74112 r HR0845 LRB103 41003 LAW 74112 r HR0845 LRB103 41003 LAW 74112 r 1 HOUSE RESOLUTION 2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 3 Representatives wish to recognize Michele "Mickey" Haldeman on 4 her commitment to foster care through her work with SOS 5 Children's Villages Illinois; and 6 WHEREAS, Founded over 30 years ago, SOS Children's 7 Villages Illinois is an award-winning, non-profit organization 8 that strives to keep siblings together while providing an 9 individual licensed home in a supportive, community 10 environment that marshals all the resources needed to help 11 at-risk youth in foster care heal and achieve their permanency 12 goals; the non-profit currently operates four sites, three 13 Villages that provide sibling group foster care, located in 14 Lockport and the Auburn Gresham and the Roosevelt Square 15 Community neighborhoods of Chicago, and the Casa Tepeyac 16 facility that offers preventative and in-home services, which 17 is located in the Back of the Yards neighborhood of Chicago; 18 and 19 WHEREAS, Mickey Haldeman was the very first foster parent 20 to serve SOS Children's Villages Illinois; her journey began 21 with a deep-seated love for children, first manifested through 22 babysitting and later while working as a daycare director; she 23 joined SOS Children's Villages after responding to an HR0845 LRB103 41003 LAW 74112 r HR0845- 2 -LRB103 41003 LAW 74112 r HR0845 - 2 - LRB103 41003 LAW 74112 r HR0845 - 2 - LRB103 41003 LAW 74112 r 1 advertisement for a foster parent position with the 2 organization in Wisconsin; and 3 WHEREAS, For over three decades, Mickey Haldeman has 4 served as a caregiver to over 40 children, adopting two of her 5 own; she has operated out of the organization's Lockport 6 Village, where she has raised many children from infancy to 7 adulthood; as trends in foster care have progressed towards a 8 model of permanency, she has continued her work as a nurturer 9 of sibling groups and as a leader within the organization's 10 community; and 11 WHEREAS, Mickey Haldeman has brought stability and love to 12 the children in her care through her unwavering commitment to 13 foster care, and the nurturing environment she has established 14 has allowed these children to heal, grow, and thrive; and 15 WHEREAS, Mickey Haldeman's dedication and compassionate 16 approach have profoundly impacted the lives of many children, 17 and she has been noted for exuding understanding and patience 18 in the course of her duties as a foster parent; therefore, be 19 it 20 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE 21 HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 22 we recognize Michele "Mickey" Haldeman on her commitment to HR0845 - 2 - LRB103 41003 LAW 74112 r HR0845- 3 -LRB103 41003 LAW 74112 r HR0845 - 3 - LRB103 41003 LAW 74112 r HR0845 - 3 - LRB103 41003 LAW 74112 r 1 foster care through her work with SOS Children's Villages 2 Illinois, and we thank her for her continued service in caring 3 for at-risk children in the State of Illinois; and be it 4 further HR0845 - 3 - LRB103 41003 LAW 74112 r