Thousands get aid at Villa Park school fair

Hours before the doors opened, hundreds of people were lined up outside the Odeum Expo Center in Villa Park Wednesday morning, all in hopes of getting assistance at the 25th annual Catholic Charities Back to School Fair.

Thelines of people - filled with low-income DuPage County families of many cultures - remained steady throughout the day.

Attendees spoke Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Polish and numerous other languages as they waited for their chance to pick up free school supplies, get free vision and dental screenings, and meet with providers who could help them with other necessities throughout the coming school year.

Fair coordinator Amy Lambert said about 5,000 individuals representing around 1,200 families attend the event each year. It is one of three annual back to school fairs organized by Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Joliet.

"We try to make it a one-stop event for them, meaning we pull together every resource possible to help our families to be better to sustain themselves later," she said. "We have the perception that DuPage County is very affluent, which it is, however, there are many pockets within DuPage County where the families are truly struggling."

The fair always takes place on the first Wednesday in August. Lambert said some attendees have been coming for two generations now, like Kathleen Vega of Naperville, who came with her sister and her sister's children.

"When we were younger my mom would come," Vega said. "I think it's a great event. I don't have kids, but I learned opportunities for jobs, insurance, stuff like that."

Lambert said it is nice to provide assistance to families who keep coming back, "even though we're trying to break that vicious cycle."

Attendees had a chance to browse rows of tables filled with information from about 84 service providers that offer assistance with housing, employment, medical services and other basic needs.

Kids excitedly carried new backpacks stuffed with items specific for elementary and high school students. Families also had a chance to get free haircuts and pick up free books, free food items and free cellphones at the event.

Gaganbeep Singh of Lombard came to the fair with her two children, who are entering fourth and sixth grade. She expressed gratitude for the volunteers at the event and said it was helpful to pick up all the necessary school supplies in one spot.

"It's really good," she said as her children carefully selected a few free books to bring home. "They're really caring, every person is taking care of us very nicely."

Aside from all the positive feedback attendees gave for the services they were provided, a second annual blood drive at the event also was well-received.

"Many of our families feel like they don't have anything to give back to the community, so this is a way to instill dignity into our families and help them to feel prideful again," Lambert said. "You feel kind of down and out when you're out having to get assistance like this."