Help Project Backpack with school supplies donation
Elgin Community College and its partners are preparing for Project Backpack, a community-based initiative to benefit students in need. Donations of school supplies will be accepted through Friday, July 31 at several locations.
The event will take place Saturday, Aug. 8 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Building J Spartan Events Center, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin.
Supplies are received through individual, retailer, church, and community organization donations. Students who provide proof of residency or enrollment in Community Unit Districts 300, Elgin Area School District U-46, or at ECC for fall 2015 are eligible to receive supplies.
Backpacks are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis; limit one backpack per student. A range of community agencies and services also will be available at the event to help individuals in need.
Since 2010, more than 10,000 backpacks have been distributed. Last year's event saw close to 2,000 backpacks handed out, and 4,500 people in attendance. The college also partnered with Northern Illinois Food Bank, supplying families with 3,000 bags of nonperishable food items. The partnership will continue again this year.
Donations of the following supplies are needed:
• Two pocket folders, solid color only
• One subject notebooks, wide rule, solid color only
• Packs of loose leaf/filler paper, 150/200 count, wide rule
• Packages of yellow wood, standard No. 2 pencils, 10 count
• Black pens
• Scissors, gender-neutral color
• Glue sticks, 0.21 oz.
• Rulers, wood or gender-neutral color
• Pack of 24 count crayons, Crayola preferred
• Gender-neutral backpacks
Donations will be collected at the following locations:
• Anderson Animal Shelter, 1000 S. LaFox St. (Route 31), South Elgin
• Community Crisis Center, call (847) 697-2380 for information.
• U-46 Educational Services Center, 2nd floor reception area, 355 E. Chicago St., Elgin
• Elgin Chamber of Commerce, 31 S. Grove Ave., Elgin
• Elgin Community College Student Life Office, Building B, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin
• Elgin Township Supervisor Office, 729 S. McLean Blvd., Elgin
• Family Service Association of Greater Elgin, 1140 N. McLean Blvd., Suite 1, Elgin
• United Way of Elgin, 1797 N. LaFox St., South Elgin
• YWCA Elgin, 220 E. Chicago St., Elgin.
Project Backpack is sponsored by Elgin Community College Office of Student Life, Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society, Student Government, Faculty Association, and ECCP3, the Community Crisis Center, Kane County Regional Office of Education, Kane County Teachers Credit Union, school districts U-46 and 300, and United Way of Elgin.
For more information, contact the ECC Student Life Office at (847) 214-7370 or visit project-backpack.org. For information in Spanish, call (847) 695-8686.