CHICAGO – An early holiday gift greeted Lutheran Social Services of Illinois.
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The non-profit social services organization will receive $8,763 in unclaimed cash that was surrendered to Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs’ office after it could not be delivered to the Des Plaines-based organization.
“Each year around the holidays, we make an extra effort to return money to non-profits because their selfless acts of kindness help so many people,” Frerichs said. “We know every unanticipated dollar is a blessing when helping children, the elderly, and those battling mental health issues, and our staff feels very fortunate that we were able to play a small role in making this holiday season a little brighter.”
“What is remarkable about this claim is how unremarkable it is,” Frerichs said. “There is no mega-donor. There is no wayward anonymous gift. There are lots of small dollar amounts that seemingly represent every?day life, such as an unrealized discount on internet service, a credit balance from an apparent software company, and a balance from a company that hauled away trash.”
Of the 62 unclaimed cash properties surrendered, the smallest is the refund of one penny from General Electric Company, the largest is $2,520 from unspecified vendor checks, and the oldest is an uncashed $14 check issued in 2009.
Lutheran Social Services of Illinois was founded in 1867, and last year served more than 43,000 children, adults, and seniors through 50 program offices across Illinois, including foster care, mental health services, alcohol and drug treatment, affordable senior housing, and residential programs for adults with developmental disabilities.
“LSSI prides itself on being good stewards with our resources, and it’s reassuring that the Illinois Treasurer’s office makes such an effort to return these unclaimed assets to organizations like ours, as well as individual residents,” said Mark A. Stutrud, LSSI President and CEO. “Particularly in this last year, more people have needed our services than ever before, and this unanticipated money helps ensure our programs are available to those who require them.”
Illinois’ unclaimed property program – also known as ICash - is one of the state’s oldest consumer protection initiatives. In Illinois, the state treasurer is tasked with safeguarding unclaimed property, such as unpaid life insurance benefits, forgotten bank accounts and unused rebate cards. Illinois holds more than $3.5 billion in unclaimed property.
Since 2015, Frerichs’ office has returned more than $1 billion in unclaimed property, a record setting amount since the program was established in 1961.
The state treasurer is legally required to return the property to the rightful owners no matter how long it takes. Individuals can search the state treasurer’s database for their name or the name of their business or non?profit at www.illinoistreasurer.gov/ICASH.
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