NAPERVILLE, IL - DuPage County is well known for its affluent communities, top-notch schools and family-friendly environment; its what makes it the perfect place to call home. But if you look closely, well past the manicured lawns and stately homes, an increasing number of families are struggling to make ends meet, let alone purchase the basic tools necessary to achieve success in the classroom.
As a way to help these families, two years ago DuPage Credit Union began collecting items at its four Branch Offices to be donated to local philanthropic agencies for distribution to at-need students. It didnt take long to realize, the immediate need was larger and closer to home than anticipated.
Vice President of Business Solutions Amy Brandt recalls sending emails out to local schools informing contacts that the Credit Union had stuffed backpacks for their students in-need; someone in return, forwarded her email to the DuPage Regional Office of Education (ROE) and a collaboration was born.
"The need is greater each year," said Dr. Olga Rammer, Director of Administrative Services for the DuPage ROE. "It has been harder to get donations over the past few years because of the economy."
"They (ROE) had been unable to provide supplies to high school kids for years," she said. Since DuPage Credit Union had been founded by a group of Wheaton North High School teachers almost 60 years before, the collaboration with the ROE, "took us back to our roots."
With the partnership formed, Brandt and the Credit Union team set a lofty goal- to raise $10,000 in order to purchase 500 fully-stuffed backpacks, which included scientific calculators, protractors, dictionaries and other items, not typically donated at back-to-school drives. With a goal that large, the Credit Union held multiple fundraisers over the course of four months, which included Jeans Days for Team Members, online donations through the Credit Unions website, use of local media and a Drive, Drop & Donate event which raised over $2,000 on June 27
th.
"We were thrilled with our results and the generosity of our Members and the community," Brandt added, "in the end we raised over $9,800, which was used to purchase 500 supply-filled backpacks."
With the start of the school year just a few weeks away, on August 6
th, Credit Union Team Members, participated in the Catholic Charities Back-to-School Fair, which benefits DuPage ROE families, at the Odeum Expo Center in Villa Park.� During the seven-hour event; thousands lined up to receive free medical and dental exams, donated healthy lunch snacks, and of course the much-needed supplies.
"Helping out yesterday with the backpack drive was really an eye opening experience," said James Chyllo, DuPage Credit Union Wheaton Branch Manager. "Just to see how many kids are in need of simple school supplies in DuPage county was shocking."
"It was overwhelming," added Brandt.
As students collected their supplies, looks of relief and appreciation spread across the faces of their weary parents, as the students fumbled with zippers to see what each backpack held&before moving onto the next station.
"You could see the excitement on their faces and how much they appreciated receiving them," said Matt Bretz, Downers Grove Branch Manager."
Unfortunately, with about two-hours left in the Back-to-School Fair, the supplies ran out, which just demonstrates the increase in poverty, right here in DuPage County.� "It was frustrating not to be able to help everyone," said Brandt.
Despite running out of supplies, Rammer said this was the best year of partnering with businesses in five years. But agreed, "&the most heart-breaking thing is turning families away because we ran out of supplies."
With the success of this years partnership with the DuPage ROE, the Credit Union hopes to make this an annual fundraising event and strive to contribute more to the countys at-need students.
"I was glad to be a part of this drive and to work for a company like DuPage Credit Union," added Chyllo, "where so much time and effort was put in to ensure these kids got what they needed to start their school year off right."
NAPERVILLE, IL - DuPage County is well known for its affluent communities, top-notch schools and family-friendly environment; its what makes it the perfect place to call home. But if you look closely, well past the manicured lawns and stately homes, an increasing number of families are struggling to make ends meet, let alone purchase the basic tools necessary to achieve success in the classroom.
As a way to help these families, two years ago DuPage Credit Union began collecting items at its four Branch Offices to be donated to local philanthropic agencies for distribution to at-need students. It didnt take long to realize, the immediate need was larger and closer to home than anticipated.
Vice President of Business Solutions Amy Brandt recalls sending emails out to local schools informing contacts that the Credit Union had stuffed backpacks for their students in-need; someone in return, forwarded her email to the DuPage Regional Office of Education (ROE) and a collaboration was born.
"The need is greater each year," said Dr. Olga Rammer, Director of Administrative Services for the DuPage ROE. "It has been harder to get donations over the past few years because of the economy."
"They (ROE) had been unable to provide supplies to high school kids for years," she said. Since DuPage Credit Union had been founded by a group of Wheaton North High School teachers almost 60 years before, the collaboration with the ROE, "took us back to our roots."
With the partnership formed, Brandt and the Credit Union team set a lofty goal- to raise $10,000 in order to purchase 500 fully-stuffed backpacks, which included scientific calculators, protractors, dictionaries and other items, not typically donated at back-to-school drives. With a goal that large, the Credit Union held multiple fundraisers over the course of four months, which included Jeans Days for Team Members, online donations through the Credit Unions website, use of local media and a Drive, Drop & Donate event which raised over $2,000 on June 27th.
"We were thrilled with our results and the generosity of our Members and the community," Brandt added, "in the end we raised over $9,800, which was used to purchase 500 supply-filled backpacks."
With the start of the school year just a few weeks away, on August 6th, Credit Union Team Members, participated in the Catholic Charities Back-to-School Fair, which benefits DuPage ROE families, at the Odeum Expo Center in Villa Park.� During the seven-hour event; thousands lined up to receive free medical and dental exams, donated healthy lunch snacks, and of course the much-needed supplies.
"Helping out yesterday with the backpack drive was really an eye opening experience," said James Chyllo, DuPage Credit Union Wheaton Branch Manager. "Just to see how many kids are in need of simple school supplies in DuPage county was shocking."
"It was overwhelming," added Brandt.
As students collected their supplies, looks of relief and appreciation spread across the faces of their weary parents, as the students fumbled with zippers to see what each backpack held&before moving onto the next station.
"You could see the excitement on their faces and how much they appreciated receiving them," said Matt Bretz, Downers Grove Branch Manager."
Unfortunately, with about two-hours left in the Back-to-School Fair, the supplies ran out, which just demonstrates the increase in poverty, right here in DuPage County.� "It was frustrating not to be able to help everyone," said Brandt.
Despite running out of supplies, Rammer said this was the best year of partnering with businesses in five years. But agreed, "&the most heart-breaking thing is turning families away because we ran out of supplies."
With the success of this years partnership with the DuPage ROE, the Credit Union hopes to make this an annual fundraising event and strive to contribute more to the countys at-need students.
"I was glad to be a part of this drive and to work for a company like DuPage Credit Union," added Chyllo, "where so much time and effort was put in to ensure these kids got what they needed to start their school year off right."