Donate School Supplies to Wheeling Township's 'Ready 4 Success' Program

A substantial number of families in Wheeling Township struggle to afford many of life's basic necessities, which can include required school supplies at the start of the school year for their children. The Ready 4 Success school supply program was established to address this challenge and help to allow local school children to focus on learning.

In-need Wheeling Township residents can apply for their children to receive donated school supplies now through Aug. 10, 2018. Certain documentation is required in order to qualify for this program. Please call the Township at (847) 259-7730 to make an appointment. If the application is approved, school supplies will be distributed at the time of the appointment.

Donations of new school supplies, which are tax deductible, are also being accepted until Aug. 10, at the Wheeling Township Supervisor's Office, 1616 N. Arlington Heights Road, in Arlington Heights, from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Donations are tax-deductible.

"Providing required school supplies to children whose families cannot afford them allows these students to focus on what is important, and that is being prepared and ready to learn on the very first day of school," said Wheeling Township Supervisor Kathy Penner. "This program has had great success in doing just that over the last several years.

The list of needed school supplies includes: backpacks, markers, binders, paste, colored pencils, #2 pencils, pencil cases, erasers, pens, crayons, folders, rulers, glue, scissors, loose-leaf paper and spiral notebooks.

Since 2012 when the program was established, nearly 1,800 backpacks filled with school supplies have been donated to in-need children who live in Wheeling Township. Backpacks and school supplies are disbursed to families whose income falls below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level, which is a monthly gross income of $4,183 for a family of four.

For questions, please contact Wheeling Township General Assistance at (847) 259-7730 or email Julie Villarreal at jvillarreal@wheelingtownship.com.

For information, visit wheelingtownship.com.