Many opportunities to Make a Difference

Saturday is Make A Difference Day, a national day of good deeds. So scan our sampling of local projects and sign on to make a difference.

Project coordinators should let USA Weekend, who created the nationwide event, know how they did. Go to www.makeadifferenceday.com.

Arlington Heights

• Baird and Warner of Arlington Heights is sponsoring a food drive from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Jewel food store at 122 N. Vail in Arlington Heights to benefit Shelter Inc. of Arlington Heights. The organization provides emergency and temporary housing for children and adolescents who are abused, neglected or in need of supervision. Call (847) 392-1855 for information.

Aurora

• Seven local high schools will spearhead efforts to lead a food drive to replenish local food pantries. The event is being organized by the City of Aurora Community Services Department/Youth Services Division. Call (630) 906-7445 ore e-mail kmaurice@aurora-il.org.

Batavia

• Suicide Prevention Services, at 528 S. Batavia Ave., Batavia, is looking for donations of toilet paper, paper towels, white or colored copy paper and rolls of stamps. Call Mari Wittum at (630) 482-9699, ext. 229.

Buffalo Grove

• The Kingswood United Methodist Church at 401 W. Dundee, Buffalo Grove, will host a resource center from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to help job seekers. Call (847)398-0770.

• The students and families of Pritchett School, 200 Horatio Blvd., Buffalo Grove, will create arts and crafts projects for and write friendly letters to the children and young adults who reside at Little Angels, a home for individuals with severe disabilities and complex medical needs. The school will also raise money through a bake sale, used book sale, lunch and children's games raffle. In addition, students will be spending time with some of the residents from Little Angels. (847) 353-5723.

Carpentersville

• Baird and Warner Residential Real Estate is collecting nonperishable food items at its office at 2255 Randall Road for the Community Crisis Center of Elgin. Baird and Warner volunteers will also be outside of Wal-Mart in Elgin, collecting goods for PADS of Elgin. (847) 452-8831.

• The DeLacey Family Education Center at 50 Cleveland Ave. will host its annual food drive for the FISH Food Pantry. Nonperishable food items as well as personal care items and baby supplies can be dropped at the school's main office through Friday; deliveries will be made Saturday morning. Call Lori Pepper at (847) 426-1450.

Crystal Lake

• Members of the First Congregational Church of Crystal Lake and other volunteers will meet for breakfast Saturday and then will fan out into the community for various projects with nine different agencies. The projects are developed around agency need -- yardwork, construction, cleanup and painting. The church is seeking volunteers. (815) 356-1017. E-mail gooding6@juno.com.

Elburn

• The Conley Outreach Community Services group is seeking volunteers from 9 a.m. to noon at The Conley Farm at 47W085 Main St. Road. Duties include cleaning out old garage sale items from the horse barn, clearing debris from a creek bed and insulating the first floor of a corn crib. Children 13 and older are welcome with adult supervision. (630) 365-2880.

Elgin

• The Woodland Meadows East Homeowners Association will meet at a local home for a fellowship get-together. The group will then collect and distribute food donations to the Hanover Township Food Pantry and will distribute clothing and personal packets of toiletries to the Community Crisis Center in Elgin. (847) 608-9964

• Evangelical Covenant Church of Elgin, 1565 Larkin Ave., invites community service organizations to open booths at its location and recruit volunteers. The church is also working with LifeSource for a blood drive, and with visiting nurses for the possibility of offering flu shots. Call (847) 888-2302.

• The Well Child Center at 620 Wing St. is looking for volunteers to patch and paint the laboratory where children are weighed and measured. A mural would be a welcome addition. Paint will be provided. Call Trish Roth at (847) 741-7370.

• Volunteers (some in costume) are needed for a Halloween hike at the Boy Scout Camp at 27W955 Big Timber Road. Volunteers will lead kids along a nonscary trail designed for preschool children and up. Participants should arrive at 12:15 p.m.; tours begin at 1. Call Rich Dennis at (630) 584-9250, ext. 222.

Geneva

• Day One Network, 1551 E. Fabyan Parkway, is seeking an LCD projector and screen, six new desktop computers and six laptops. The organization assists children and adults with developmental delays or disabilities. Call Terry Kammes at (630) 879-2277 or e-mail tkammes@dayonenetwork.org.

• The H.O.P.E. (Helping Our Planet Earth) organization sponsored a weeklong summer environmental education camp for underprivileged Appalachian children. After camp, group members follow up with the kids and their families and try to continue to make a difference in their lives. On Saturday, there will be a reunion party for the 2007 campers, featuring free pizza, entertainment, games and gifts. H.O.P.E. members will also collect "holiday wish lists" from the most destitute families. Call (630) 917-3912.

Ingleside

• Volunteers will cap off a monthlong food drive with a collection from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the C.O.O.L. Food Pantry West, 25519 W. Highway 134. Call (847) 693-9046.

Hampshire

• The Women's Service League of Hampshire will collect nonperishable food items for the Burlington/Hampshire Food Pantry from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. League members will be going door-to-door. Monetary donations made payable to the food pantry also will be accepted. (847) 683-4163.

Hoffman Estates

• A group of residents will be helping a disabled woman who is wheelchair bound. Anyone may volunteer. Call (630) 924-2892.

Kane County

• The American Red Cross is seeking high school-aged volunteers to distribute and post posters in storefronts to publicize the 2008 Hometown Heroes Awards Banquet. Distribution will take place throughout central Kane County Saturday. All materials will be provided, and the group requests a one- or two-hour commitment. Call Kay Catlin at (630) 443-8844.

Lake Villa

• Prince of Peace parish, 135 S. Milwaukee Ave., is in its fifth year of participating in the "Twelve Wicker Baskets" program. Parish members collect food in 12 baskets before each Mass. All food will be given to the Open Arms Food Pantry in Antioch. (847) 356-5850.

Lincolnshire

• The KNOTS organization of Great Lakes plans to visit with senior citizens at the Pond's Premier Assisted Living nursing home, 170 Jamestown Lane. Anyone may volunteer. (847) 785-0137.

• The Vernon Area Public Library District is hosting a charity fair from 1 to 3:30 p.m. at 300 Old Half Day Road. More than 20 organizations will be on hand to educate the public about their purpose and goals. In addition, the library will host an American Red Cross blood drive from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call (847) 634-3650 or e-mail sgalton@vapld.info.

McHenry

• Holy Apostles youth group volunteers will be going door to door to collect food for PADS and Home of the Sparrow. The event honors the memory of Jeremy and Jonathan Scholnick, who died in a car accident in 1999.

Naperville

• The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County will work from 9 a.m. to noon to remove litter from the trails and shorelines at East Branch Forest Preserve. The main entrance is on Glen Ellyn Road one-quarter mile south of Army Trail Road, approximately two miles north of North Avenue (Route 64). Volunteers need to sign one-time waivers available at http://dupageforest.com/volunteer/forms.html. Forms should be brought to the site, and children must have a waiver signed by a parent or guardian. Groups of five or more need to register at (630) 933-7681.

Palatine

• Employees from Baird and Warner's Palatine office will be out in the community from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. collecting donations of nonperishable food items. Employees will collect items at the Dominick's food store at Quentin and Euclid roads in Palatine and at the Jewel store on Palatine Road in Hoffman Estates. Donations will benefit the Palatine Township Food Pantry. (847) 991-5000.

Schaumburg

• The Make A Difference Club at Herbert Hoover Elementary School is working to design a resource library, or kits, that benefit patients suffering from memory loss. Students and parents will host an ice cream social for residents of an area nursing home. (847) 357-5799.

St. Charles

• The Salvation Army Tri-City Corp., 1710 S. 7th Ave., is seeking donations of nonperishable food items, paper goods, diapers, shampoo and deodorant. Donations can be delivered to the office from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (630) 377-2769.

• The Riverwoods Christian Center, 35W701 Riverwoods Lane, is looking for volunteers for general outdoor cleanup. Duties include cutting trees, splitting wood, burning brush and seeding bare grass. Call Jay Curtis at (630) 584-2222, ext. 206, or e-mail Jay@RiverwoodsChristianCenter.org.

• Lazarus House, a homeless shelter at 214 Walnut St., is seeking volunteers for tree-trimming, painting and insulating. Call Donna Bauer at (630) 587-2144 or e-mail donnab@lazarushouseonline.com.

• The St. Charles Park District is looking for volunteers of all ages to work from 9 am. to noon Saturday at Campton Hills Park, at the corner of Campton Hills and Peck roads, to help restore the natural area. (630) 584-1885.

Sugar Grove

• The Fox Valley area Girl Scouts Council is looking for volunteers to prepare the Scouts' camp in Big Rock for the winter season. Youth ages 13 and older are invited (with adult supervision) to assist in taking down platform tents and bed frames. Project runs from 9 a.m. to noon. Call (630) 897-1565, ext. 109, for meeting location.

Wheaton

• Advanced Heath Care Associates offices will be Collecting for the People's Resource Center food pantry in Wheaton. Citizens are asked to bring food donations to two locations: 1001 E. Odgen, Suite 202, in Naperville and 721 E. Roosevelt in Wheaton. Deliveries will be made Saturday. (630) 260-1300.

• The Wheaton chapter of the Infant Welfare Society of Chicago is collecting new 24-count boxes of crayons for distribution to needy children. (630) 690-3910.

• Jefferson Preschool will wrap up three collection drives with deliveries to the agencies that are benefiting. Volunteers will deliver batteries to Operation Support Our Troops -- Illinois, boxes of cereal for the People's Resource Center and used crayons to SCARCE to be melted down for children with occupational needs. Donations can be dropped off at the school, 130 N. Hazelton, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. today and Friday. Call (630) 682-2474.

• Friends Sarah Lydon and Claire Voltarel of Wheaton will be combining their 10th birthday parties Friday and asking guests to bring items for the People's Resource Center. The items will then be delivered on Make A Difference Day.

• The Adams Park Friends, the Wheaton Sister City Commission and the Friends of Wheaton Library are seeking volunteers to help weed Adams Park. (630) 653-1538.

• Wheaton Christian Grammar School will write letters to troops and fill holiday stockings for servicemen and women through Operation Support Our Troops -- Illinois. (630) 668-1385.

• Whittier Elementary School classes will make banners for troops through Operation Support Our Troops -- Illinois. (630) 653-7579.

• Girl Scout Troop 1900 of Lincoln Elementary School, the First Presbyterian Church and St. Michael School first-graders will fill holiday stockings for servicemen and women through Operation Support Our Troops -- Illinois. Items for stockings also can be taken to the Wheaton Park District Leisure Center, 208 W. Union, (630) 665-1415, or Community Center, 1777 S. Blanchard, (630) 690-4880. See www.osotil.org for needed items.

• Hawthorn Elementary School will collect coats and canned goods for the People's Resource Center at its pancake breakfast. (630) 665-3471.

• Briar Glen Elementary School will collect items for the People's Resource Center during the school festival.

• Madison Middle School and St. Paul Lutheran Church both will collect food for the People's Resource Center.