Giving Year in Review: Wheeling Township Residents Benefit from Generous Donors, Volunteers
Throughout 2017, Wheeling Township and its many programs were strengthened by local residents, groups, organizations and businesses who donated their time and talents, as well as financial resources to help those in-need. Senior citizens and the disabled, active military personnel and individuals experiencing financial hardship were among those who benefitted from the generosity of these individuals and groups.
General Assistance
The Township's General Assistance (GA) Department serves low income residents through a variety of programs during the year. This mission of 'Neighbors Helping Neighbors' is always being fulfilled.
The largest program in the GA Department is the Food Pantry. It takes nearly 50 dedicated volunteers to keep it running during 11 weekly shifts. During 2017, volunteers gave 4,150 hours of their time to operate the food pantry. There were 5,284 visits, which fed more than 11,000 people; more than one third of them were children and another third were senior citizens older than 62. Virtually all food donations are garnered through donations from within the Township. Monetary donations came from individuals, churches, community groups and businesses, which helped the Township purchase more than 50,000 pounds of food at a significantly reduced rate from the Greater Chicago Food Depository. The Noon and Sunset Rotary Clubs of Arlington Heights, as well as a private donor, kept the refrigerators filled with eggs and cheese. The Giving Garden program supplemented non-perishable items with home grown vegetables during the summer months.
The Ready 4 Success program provided 242 new backpacks filled with school supplies to children of low income families over the summer, enabling them to start the academic year off with the tools that they needed.
Senior Citizens and the Disabled
Wheeling Township's Senior & Disability Services Department had hundreds of volunteers and compassionate residents contribute in a variety of ways.
Each month, seasonal, craft/art projects, cards or gifts were donated to homebound residents and Meals on Wheels recipients. Two local residents also donated 25 handmade knitted/crocheted blankets and throws to these individuals.
Boy Scout Michael Balcerak achieved his Eagle Scout Rank by creating 75 emergency care kits and donating them to homebound Township residents. The kits included blankets, flashlights and other emergency supplies. Individuals who received them wrote thank you notes to Michael, and some even donated to the Meals on Wheels program.
Local residents generously gave toys, food and games to make the Township's annual 'Make a Difference Day Superhero Movie Event' possible, which provided handicapped Township children with a fun and carefree day out, to enjoy themselves.
The Prospect Heights Lions Club donated several thousand dollars to support the Meals on Wheels program, which has more than 350 volunteers (including 25 churches) who deliver meals daily throughout the year to senior citizens living in the Township.
Active Military Personnel
Working in tandem with Operation Support Our Troops, Inc., the annual donation drive netted more than 1,100 pounds of snacks and treats, along with toiletries, pens/pencils, socks, and other items for active military personnel around the globe. Additionally, residents donated $1,100 to mail care packages to active military members, and created 1,500 hand-written cards, pictures and letters to be sent along with the care packages. Donations to the Seats for Sailors annual campaign also provided funds to transport and feed recruits from the Great Lakes on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Holiday Giving Programs through General Assistance
Over the holidays in 2017, more than 100 gift bags brimming with bathrobes, clocks, chocolates, socks, cookies, purses, puzzle books and more were donated to local homebound and underprivileged senior citizens. Many who received gift bags told volunteers that without these gifts, they would not have received anything for the holidays.
Generous individuals gave 246 complete Thanksgiving baskets to Township residents, which included a turkey or a gift certificate, accompanied by side dishes so that in-need families could still enjoy a traditional holiday meal.
The Adopt a Family for Christmas program rounded out the year in December, where community donors shared the true meaning of the season with 238 families, which included 622 children and 416 parents. Their giving nature again proved that the spirt of the season is still alive in Wheeling Township.
Wheeling Township would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to each person who gave their time, talent or treasures during 2017. We could not serve the community to this extraordinary extent without you - the generous residents, groups, organizations and businesses who contribute so much each, and every year!
ABOUT WHEELING TOWNSHIP
Wheeling Township provides a wide variety of services and giving programs for in-need families living in the Township. These include financial assistance for income qualified residents, transportation for the elderly and disabled, a food pantry, Meals on Wheels, a mobile dental clinic, back-to-school supply drives, holiday giving programs, and others. The Assessor's office assists homeowners with the filing of property tax extensions and appeals, as well as handles issues and complaints, while the Clerk's office is available for voter registration and election information. Additionally, Wheeling Township maintains five miles of unincorporated roads, and maintains the historic cemetery located within the Township's borders.
There are currently more than 155,000 residents that live in Wheeling Township, in all or part of the following communities: Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Des Plaines, Mount Prospect, Northbrook, Prospect Heights, Rolling Meadows and Wheeling. Wheeling Township is bordered on the north by Lake Cook Road, by Wilke Road on the west, Central Road on the south, and the Des Plaines River on the east. For more information, please visit WheelingTownship.com.