Students with disabilities give back to Little City

About 38 students from Hoffman Estates High School's Adult Transition Program South at Higgins Educational Center collected nonperishable food items over the past several weeks and assembled more than 30 Thanksgiving food baskets at Little City in Palatine Saturday, Nov. 19.

The baskets are given to families in Little City's home-based support program, which provides in-home services to families caring for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

This marked the seventh year the Adult Transition Program South students participated in the project at Little City, said Pete Capra, a lead teacher with the Adult Transition Program.

"Each year, the goal is 35 bags for 35 families, and each year we meet that goal and there's always extra," he said.

During November, the students collect donated, nonperishable food items while they bring a coffee cart to different departments at Hoffman Estates High School for teachers.

"If you bring items, you get a free cup of coffee," Capra said.

The students, who also bring donations from home, look forward to the project each year. "As soon as school starts, our returning students are always asking about it," he said.

For the families who received home-based services from Little City, the Adult Transitional Program students' food baskets are a heartwarming way to celebrate Thanksgiving.

"They also make cards for each bag, so the families receiving the bags will enjoy some great artwork made by the students," said Catrina Johnson, manager of volunteer services at Little City.

The project also provides a way for the students to see Little City, where several graduates of the Adult Transition Program currently are participants, Capra said. And it allows them to be active members of a community service project.

"I feel like people are always helping them, so for them to be on the other end and helping others in need, it really hits home. They really have an opportunity to be a community member who helps out, and they take pride in that. They like being able to help somebody else," Capra said.

The Adult Transition Program serves students with mild and moderate cognitive impairments who have met the requirements to receive a high school diploma, yet need to continue developing vocational, life skills, community and leisure skills up to their 22nd birthday.

Students are determined to be eligible for the transition program through the Individualized Education Program process.

In addition to home-based support services, Little City provides housing, education, recreational and vocational programming to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Palatine and the surrounding community. Its Chicago office provides foster care and adoptive placement services.

For information about Little City, contact Tim Gavin at (847) 221-7859 or tgavin@littlecity.org.

For information about Hoffman Estates High School's Adult Transition Program South, contact Pete Capra at (224) 653-6490 or pcapra@d211.org.

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