Naperville Park District wants to remind residents who need it that it can help with fees

Not only did the COVID-19 pandemic shut down many Naperville Park District activities last year, but it also stunted efforts to help struggling residents access services through a fee assistance program.

Brad Wilson, the park district's director of recreation, said program participation reached a peak in 2019 but fell off drastically in 2020 because of the pandemic. Now that services have returned, the park district is trying again to reach residents who are struggling financially.

"It's something the park district definitely sees value in providing to the community," Wilson said. "We have different avenues to increase awareness."

In 2019, 457 residents benefitted from $53,000 in fee assistance. Because of the COVID-19 shutdowns, assistance plunged to just over $10,000 last year as only 109 applications were approved.

The peak of 2019 capped decades of growing awareness and support for the program, particularly through partnerships with the city's school districts. According to park district statistics, participation in the fee assistance program has grown more than 400% since 2008.

Even though the program is part of the budget process each year, Wilson said it is not limited by the constraints of the budget. If additional fee assistance funding is needed, park officials will find it.

The park district isn't starting from scratch in trying to rebuild the program in the wake of the pandemic shutdowns, but Wilson acknowledged the work required to reach those in need. Projections indicate the park district will issue about $35,000 in fee assistance this year.

"We are seeing it bounce back," he said. "Not quite to the 2019 levels but, honestly, our participation numbers aren't back up to those levels."

Approval is granted yearly and allows a maximum of $100 for one program or activity per season. The preschool maximum assistance award is $300 annually.

All requests must be received three weeks before the beginning of a program, and documentation is required to be accepted.

Residents can apply for the fee assistance program at www.napervilleparks.org/feeassistanceprogram. People are also encouraged to donate to the program at the website.

"We want to make it as easy as possible for our residents," Wilson said. "It's important that we reach as many people as possible who need help."