Donations help Bartlett group home buy new vehicle
Residents of a suburban facility for men with developmental challenges are finding it easier to get to work and other activities these days thanks to some recent donations allowing the home to buy a new minivan.
Before the purchase, the Bartlett Learning Center had been using an unreliable 1998 Toyota with more than 100,000 miles on it to transport residents in its Cuppertino group home for men, said development director Linda Frye-Danner.
“It just got to the point that we felt it wasn’t safe,” Frye-Danner said, adding that vehicle breakdowns “increase the possibility of accident or injury.”
The Knights of Columbus Peter Damian Council 8699 donated $1,000 in February to the center to help with the fundraising for the replacement vehicle. Frye-Danner said the center also received a grant and about half a dozen other donations that allowed the purchase of a new 2013 Dodge Caravan.
The center is thrilled to have a new van, Frye-Danner said, but she also noted that money is always tight.
“The state of Illinois is just not funding us as quickly as they should,” she said. “In order to maintain our viability as a group home and provide the best care that we can for these gentlemen ... it is necessary for us to search elsewhere (for funding).”
Anyone interested in making a donation can contact Frye-Danner at (630) 372-9319. For information on the Bartlett Learning Center visit blcinc.org.