Elburn business groups, chamber aid food pantry
Two Elburn leads groups have partnered with the Elburn Chamber of Commerce to donate $1,120 to the Elburn and Countryside Food Pantry, which is in the community center at 525 N. Main St. in Elburn. It is the largest donation in the history of the partnership, which goes back nearly a decade.
Jim Shalek, a Yorkville insurance and financial adviser who is still a member, founded the first leads group in 2000 with two others when he was living in Elburn.
The leads groups include business men and women who meet for networking and socializing.
"We would pay in advance to cover the cost of breakfast, and when we had a surplus, we wanted to make a donation to a good cause," Shalek said. "We found out the chamber was offering to match a donation to the food pantry dollar for dollar so we became partners. It has become a tradition.
"Considering we live in one of the more affluent areas, it was inconceivable to me that anyone would go hungry," Shalek added. "Assisting food pantries is definitely a worthwhile cause, and not just around Christmas."
Shalek said the money will be disbursed throughout the year and will be available when the food pantry is low on funds.
For information on the leads groups and the chamber of commerce, call (630) 365-2295. To learn more about the Elburn and Countryside Food Pantry, call (630) 365-6655.
News from Waubonsee
Waubonsee Community College is seeking volunteers to tutor students in reading, writing and speaking the English language. Training and materials will be provided at no cost.
Located at the college's Aurora Campus on Stolp Avenue and Galena Boulevard, the adult literacy project will offer a training session for volunteer tutors beginning Tuesday, Jan. 27.
Volunteers who complete all 15 hours of the training will work with adults one-on-one or in a classroom environment. For more information or to register, call (630) 801-7900, ext. 4107 or 4106, or visit waubonsee.edu/adultliteracy.
In other news, Waubonsee Community College will undergo a comprehensive evaluation visit Feb. 11-13 by a team representing the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, which has accredited Waubonsee since 1972.
As part of this visit, Waubonsee is seeking comments from community members to inform the accreditation process.
The public is invited to submit comments regarding Waubonsee to: Public Comment on Waubonsee Community College, The Higher Learning Commission, 30 N. LaSalle St., Suite 2400, Chicago, IL 60602.
Comments should address Waubonsee's quality and its academic programs. Comments may also be submitted online, at ncahlc.org, by clicking on the "File Third Party Comments" link.