Do GOOD campaign encourages DuPage residents to volunteer

DuPage residents are being asked to volunteer, donate and perform other good deeds as part of the biggest service campaign in the county's history.

The initiative promoting community service - Do GOOD DuPage - was launched this week by county officials and Giving DuPage, a nonprofit group that matches volunteers and donors with local charities. Campaign organizers say the goal is to inspire 150,000 people to participate by the end of June 2018.

"So many people are generous and do many types of things," said Shefali Trivedi, Giving DuPage executive director. "We wanted to have something that everyone can latch onto and have something for everyone to do, whether they're a student, a CEO or the mayor of a town."

"We're looking for families to create great memories by volunteering together and for schools to make service their motto," DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin said in a statement. "I'd like to see business and civic leaders join me in friendly competition to outdo each other in doing good for our communities."

Residents can sign up for Do GOOD Dupage at givingdupage.org/doGOOD.

There are 15 service ideas to sign up for in four categories - volunteering, donating items, creating awareness and celebrating volunteers.

Every idea has an end goal. One, for example, asks 1,500 people to find a new nonprofit organization they didn't know about before and write an article to create awareness for that cause, officials said. The article can be shared in their school or church newsletter or published on social networks.

Anyone wanting to create their own Do GOOD project can do that, too.

"We are a tremendously giving community," county board member Robert Larsen said. "But sometimes people who want to give don't know the most efficient way to do that. Giving DuPage and the Do GOOD DuPage initiative are designed to help that process along."

He said everyone involved with the service campaign is excited about it.

"We're hoping this is going to be a spark that's going to take off," Larsen said.

Trivedi acknowledges it's going to be "a really big challenge" to get 150,000 people involved. Still, she said she believes it's an achievable goal.

"We're a county of almost a million people," Trivedi said. "If we promote this as a county, we can do it."

Giving DuPage officials say everyone who participates is encouraged to share their Do GOOD stories on social media using the hashtag #DoGOODDuPage. There's also plans for ongoing community news and a blog to capture stories about the county's "Do-GOODers."