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The Problem
Public assistance programs like SNAP/LINK cover food but not hygiene and household essentials — laundry access, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, paper towels, toilet paper. Families who go without these basics often experience shame and embarrassment that compounds financial stress. Research on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) links chronic material deprivation and povertyrelated shame to long-term mental and physical health outcomes, including risk for anxiety, depression, and trauma responses that can persist into adulthood.
Our Mission
Peace of Serenity Foundation meets the basic hygiene and household needs of low-income families through direct partnerships with schools and community laundry facilities, while advancing public understanding of how poverty-related shame and deprivation shape children's long-term mental health.
Our Vision
A future where no child's sense of dignity or mental wellness is compromised by their family's inability to access basic hygiene and household necessities.
Where We Work
We currently serve low-income families with school-aged children through school and community partnerships across Illinois. Education and awareness efforts are planned to extend to Wisconsin in a later phase.
Legal & Governance Note
Peace of Serenity Foundation is an Illinois nonprofit organization recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. The Foundation is separate from Peace of Serenity Psychiatry, with its own Board of Directors, finances, charitable mission, and records.