Hosanna Lutheran comes through with supplies (and clothes)

There was no doubt in Jan Sternberg's mind that some children of less fortunate families, particularly those of single mothers, were coming back to school without the necessary school supplies.

In addition, they often lacked enough good clothing to get through a full school year.

In Sternberg's mind, it was divine intervention that she approached her pastor at Hosanna Lutheran in St. Charles 20 years ago with an idea to collect used clothing and seek donations for new school supplies to help those children.

"I just felt there was a need to help the lost and the least in our communities," said Sternberg, a member of Hosanna Lutheran since its charter year of 1981. "Pastor John Nelson was all for it and we created an outreach committee and went out and got donations."

The result was the annual School Supply and Clothing Giveaway at the church, which will be held for the 20th time from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the church, 36W925 Red Gate Road.

The concept has never been more timely, given the current economic conditions, and this year's planners expect 2,000 children of all school ages to receive supply packets and clothes.

Sternberg remembers the first time the school supply giveaway was held in 1990.

"When we first started it, we ran it for five days in our old location (off Crane Road) and we used a gym with no air-conditioning, so that was tough," Sternberg said. "That first year, we had clothes coming out of our ears at the end, so we donated a lot to Salvation Army and other churches."

The second year was funded through an auction at the church, Sternberg said, the funds were gone quickly after buying school supplies.

"When a young boy came to the church and asked if he could donate his allowance, I knew we could go to the church members and ask for more help," Sternberg added.

It has gone beyond Hosanna members helping, as St. Mark's Lutheran, St. John Neumann Catholic Church and Bethlehem Lutheran Church all get involved in helping the cause. The St. Charles Kiwanis Club and Thrivent Insurance also have pitched in.

Christy Jackson, who has been chairman of the last six events, looks at it as a "community ministry."

"It is a fabulous ministry that is just drawing more and more people," Jackson said. "We made 1,700 packets last year, and 1,800 children showed up, so we are making 2,000 this year."

Sternberg strongly feels that a higher power is making all of this work.

"God has put his stamp of approval on this," she said. "I can't tell you how good it feels to see the look on a child's face when they have these new school supplies."

Anyone interested in volunteering during the giveaway or donating gently used clothes or new school supplies can contact the church at (630) 584-6434, or drop off items at the church through Thursday.

Long time for library: Talking about a new library in Geneva has been going on for so long, it could be declared an official sport.

The library board's decision to buy a piece of property on Richards Street for an eventual move from the current James Street site at least puts an end to a part of the interesting debates that had everyone viewing the city like a Monopoly board.

The most intriguing scenario was the library moving to the land occupied by the old Sixth Street School, and City Hall becoming incorporated in the current library building. The current City Hall would then be considered as a future cultural arts center - providing office and possibly theater space for performing arts organizations and troupes. A site for a cultural arts center remains a topic of debate.

Even though it is potentially four to five years away, at least the library knows where it could move - if the economy ever rights itself enough to consider a referendum.

Long time for rec center: Batavia has had its own longtime discussion about a needed public entity, and it has nothing to do with another bridge in town.

The park district has long contemplated the city's first legitimate recreation center, making a pitch to build it in Quarry Park.

That idea was shot down, and a better idea surfaced - building it as a centerpiece in downtown Batavia along Island Avenue and replacing the current retail strip that is mostly empty.

Timing is everything, of course, and this is not the best time for a referendum. But residents should listen closely to the pitch, as this may be the best time to get the best price for such a project, and its long-term benefits for that area and the city residents can't be denied.

Batavians may want to recall the debate about a library being placed downtown and ask if that was really a bad idea, as many wanted you to think. Then think about a new recreation center that would draw more people downtown than any other current entity, and ask if that is really a bad idea.

Sparkling new look: Colonial Café hierarchy are spending plenty of time around their new restaurant, at 552 S. Randall Road, making sure everything is just right for customers.

It's a significant change for the west side Colonial in St. Charles, which has been opened for a week and has welcomed new and longtime patrons to a brighter, livelier setting.

"It can be a little noisier at times with kids than the other restaurant, so we're setting up the quieter atrium area to be for our senior citizen customers and those with hearing aids," said Colonial president Tom Anderson.

Colonial made the move from its spot on Lincoln Highway near the vacant land of the former St. Charles Mall site to this new location close to the Kane County Clerk offices.

Those who haven't had a chance to visit will be pleasantly surprised at the modern new look and brighter atmosphere.

Avoid those scams: The best way to avoid getting scammed is to know how the bad guys try to do it.

A free program about scams and identity theft will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon Tuesday at the Hunt Club Village in St. Charles.

State Sen. John Millner (R-Carol Stream) and the Illinois Attorney's General Office are offering the program to seniors citizens who need to know about various forms of financial exploitation.

More information is available at Millner's district office, (630) 351-9340.

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