A tradition of children helping moms in Palatine

A quiet tradition played out Wednesday on the streets of Palatine as a procession of children walked from St. Theresa Catholic School to the nearby PHD women's counseling center some seven blocks away.

With teachers serving as crossing guards, the caravan of students -- stretching nearly four blocks itself --made its way south down Benton Street and west on Slade Street until it reached the center at 37 N. Plum Grove Road.

Each student carried bags of baby items to donate to the center's Baby Closet, which serves up to 200 mothers a month who live within a 10-mile radius, center officials said.

First-grader Timmy Fasick, 6, of Palatine carried one-piece pajamas in his bag, while third-grader Charlie Fox, 8, of Inverness clutched a parcel full of rice cereal.

"I'm glad to be able to help the moms," Charlie said, "and it's a fun walk."

PHD, short for the Society for the Preservation of Human Dignity, offers counseling, education and support services to indigent women and their families.

While the agency formed nearly 40 years ago to support pregnant women, its services now revolve mostly around young families struggling to make ends meet.

"These will help us provide some of the practical side of parenting," said Executive Director Cathy Vincus, who joined her volunteers in receiving the gifts. "This will relieve our parents of a lot of the stress, so they can devote more time to things like being good parents."

While junior high students led the parade, eighth-graders waited until the end, where they paired up with kindergartners to make the long trek there and back.

For eighth-grader Mallory Remick, 13, of Inverness, the walk was bittersweet. After attending St. Theresa School all eight years and making the trek every year, she realized this would be her last.

"This is definitely one of the best things we do as a school," said Mallory, the student council president. "It's great how we can help these mothers."

She clutched her bag of infant formula in one hand, while taking in the other the hand of kindergartner Macy Liddy, 5, who proudly displayed her gift bag filled with baby bottles.

School officials time the walk every year right before Thanksgiving break. The Rev. Richard Zborowski led the students in a prayer service before they departed, reminding them of their many blessings and their ability to share those with the less fortunate.

"It's an extension of the school's mission," Zborowski said, "and of the social values of the Catholic Church."