A Lake Forest family's decision to foster a baby nearly two decades ago has grown into a nonprofit serving thousands of the region's most vulnerable children each year.

Fill a Heart 4 Kids, founded by Annie McAveeney and her family in 2007, is approaching its 20th year of providing food, clothing, school supplies and life skills programs to foster, homeless and at-risk youth. The organization operates out of a space behind Market Square in downtown Lake Forest and partners with 85 schools and social service agencies across the area, according to the organization's website.

The story began when the McAveeney family opened their home to a child in need. Their daughter Lilly noticed other children living in group homes and asked a question that became the organization's mission: "Who makes kids without families feel loved?" according to the nonprofit's website.

That question led to a Valentine's Day project for 38 children. It has since expanded into a year-round operation that routinely serves 2,875 foster, homeless and at-risk children, with that number climbing above 4,800 each December.

A March 2025 profile in Forest & Bluff magazine reported that Fill a Heart 4 Kids supported 4,000 children annually in partnership with more than 6,000 volunteers and 81 vetted schools. The organization at that time had six full-time staff members, four part-time employees, one intern and as many as 12 seasonal workers including teachers.

McAveeney described the scale of need in that March 2025 interview, saying the situations the organization encounters are "heart wrenching." She asked: "How can we not help?"

The nonprofit distributes more than 330,000 pounds of food and food gift cards annually, along with more than 50,000 school supplies and 12,000 winter coats, blankets and seasonal clothing items, the website shows. Programs run throughout the year under names like Project Valentine, Project Warm, Project Lemonade and Project Elf, each tied to a season and a specific need.

The organization reaches beyond K-12 students. McAveeney told the city's LakeForestLove blog that Fill a Heart 4 Kids has helped Lake Forest College students facing difficult circumstances by providing jobs, temporary housing, food and necessities. Children across Lake County, including at-risk youth from Lake Forest and Lake Bluff, receive support, she said.

Fill a Heart 4 Kids also received one of the first grants from the newly formed Community Fund of Lake Forest, which awarded funding to six nonprofits supporting residents in need.

The Market Square location, which opened in 2021, doubled the organization's volume of giving, according to a 2022 LakeForestLove profile. The space includes study carrels, workspaces, a learning kitchen and a first-floor area where volunteers and donors can select items for children.

Fill a Heart 4 Kids earned its 501(c)(3) status in 2015 and hosts more than 300 volunteer experiences each year. Residents interested in volunteering can reach the organization at [email protected].

McAveeney told Forest & Bluff in March 2025 that her long-term goal is to build a campus where children can "come to live, learn, and be loved."