Grocery bags filled with free school supplies helped attract more than 2,000 people to the annual DuPage County Back to School Fair on Wednesday, but many other services also were available to low-income families.
Children lined up for medical, dental and eye exams and inoculations. At another table, youngsters waited to be fingerprinted, photographed and videotaped in order to help police find them if they ever are missing from their homes.
In all, 66 service agencies were available to offer help ranging from budget counseling to discount coupons at the seventh annual fair sponsored by Catholic Charities of the Joliet Diocese at Odeum Sports & Expo Center in Villa Park.
“DuPage is one of the wealthiest counties in the country, but of nearly 150,000 schoolchildren, 10,000 are from low-income families,” said Mary Tarnow, fair coordinator.
Children whose families meet the income requirement–$2,536 a month or less for a family of four–were eligible for services.
Dozens of volunteers worked for three weeks to stuff bags with school supplies that filled two trucks parked outside the center.
“It’s a one-shot stop,” said Marjorie Barber, a West Chicago mother who brought her sons, Morris, 14, a freshman at West Chicago High School, and Tyreese, 11, a 6th grader at Indian Knoll Elementary School in West Chicago.
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The boys were there for booster shots and school supplies, and Barber stopped at several booths for information on finances and social service agencies.
One of the longest lines was for $5 discount coupons for clothes and $7 coupons for a child’s winter coat at thrift stores.
Also popular was the service to provide identification of children. Leann Sackett, a producer for Time Warner Cable Co., interviewed children for two-minute videotapes, asking their name, address, school and other facts.
New this year was the car seat inspection. In the parking lot, 14 volunteers trained by Lana Millsap, community services manager at Elmhurst Memorial Hospital, spent 20 minutes with each family, discussing car seat use. Those with inadequate seats were given free replacements.