Shelter Inc. looking for tagger volunteers

Shelter Inc. is seeking volunteers to serve as "taggers" at the 18th annual Shelter-A-Child Tag Days, held Friday through May 11 at stores throughout the Northwest suburbs.

Over the past 18 years, Shelter's taggers have included individuals and families, civic groups, corporate volunteer groups and school groups. Approximately 200 taggers are needed this year.

"We encourage all those who have a heart for children and a few hours free that weekend to join us in helping children in need," said director of development Carol Brown.

Taggers solicit contributions in two-hour shifts throughout the Northwest suburbs. On Friday, taggers are needed from 6-8 a.m. at the Metra stations in Arlington Heights, Arlington Park, Barrington, Des Plaines, Mount Prospect and Palatine. Volunteers are also needed in front of Dominick's, Jewel-Osco, and Wal-Mart stores from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through May 11.

Participating stores are located in Arlington Heights, Barrington, Bartlett, Buffalo Grove, Deerfield, Des Plaines, Elgin, Elk Grove Village, Glenview, Highland Park, Hoffman Estates, Lake Zurich, Mount Prospect, Niles, Palatine, Park Ridge, Rolling Meadows, Schaumburg, South Elgin, Streamwood and Wheeling.

Proceeds will benefit Shelter, a licensed and accredited community-based nonprofit child welfare agency.

For more than 30 years, Shelter has provided emergency and longer-term care and housing for children and adolescents from birth through age 17.

Children and adolescents who are abused, neglected, dependent or in need of supervision are cared for in emergency, traditional and home of relative foster care programs, or in Shelter's three group homes: the emergency-care boys group home in Palatine and the Jennings Home for Girls in Schaumburg, or in the longer-term older adolescent group home in Arlington Heights for boys ages 16 and 17.

Shelter also provides the only Healthy Families program in the Northwest suburbs, a home visitation and parenting education program for first-time parents. Services are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Shelter provides these services in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake and McHenry counties.

Shelter-A-Child Tag Days is sponsored by the Kappa Delta Sorority Chicago Northwest Suburban Alumnae Association and Harris NA

For more information or to volunteer, call (847) 590-6188, ext. 22, or visit shelter-inc.org.