SPRINGFIELD, IL – On Tuesday, female leaders from across the state of Illinois descended on Springfield for the House Republicans’ Annual “Women to Watch” Leadership Conference.
117th District State Representative Patrick Windhorst (R-Metropolis) says he is honored to have hosted the founder and Executive Director of Hope Haven of Southern Illinois, Lara Shaw of Harrisburg, for a day filled with activities in and around the State Capitol.
Hope Haven of Southern Illinois is dedicated to empowering youth by fostering resilience, reducing trauma, and providing mental health resources through holistic services, advocacy, and community collaboration. Windhorst thanked Shaw for her outstanding leadership and welcomed her as a “Woman to Watch” among Illinois leaders.
“I want to congratulate Lara Shaw on her success in building Hope Haven of Southern Illinois into an outstanding entity whose mission is to serve our youth community,” Windhorst said. “I was proud to welcome Lara to share in conversations and panel discussions with fellow female leaders from throughout the state. The future for youth in southern Illinois is brighter because of the important work that Lara is doing through Hope Haven of Southern Illinois.”
Lara Shaw is a Licensed Social Worker who, in addition to being the founder of Hope Haven, works as a youth clinician and mental health consultant. Throughout her many years of service in the social work field, Shaw has remained a consistent advocate for the youth community. In February, she founded Hope Haven of Southern Illinois and is now working to address shortages in services and create new opportunities to serve youth and families. Since its founding, Hope Haven has developed new program proposals, fostered local and statewide partnerships and collaborations, organized a community committee, a local youth advisory board, worked as a liaison for the Handle with Care Initiative, and started a Saline County Early Childhood Collaboration.
Shaw continues her efforts to incorporate services needed to support youth, while still contributing to serve the needs of families and the community at large.
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