By the time a group of nine volunteers from the Great Lakes Credit Union finished filling backpacks with school supplies as part of the United Way of Lake County’s Stuff the Bus program, they had provided enough for seven classrooms — 196 altogether.
“It makes me really happy,” Jessie Flores, one of the volunteers, said. “The kids need these essential tools to be successful in school. Every student needs these. They are our present, and they are our future.”
Flores and her colleagues put notebooks, pencils, folders crayons, scissors, earbuds, stylus pens and more into the backpacks on Tuesday at the United Way office in Gurnee as part of an effort to put more than 3,000 backpacks in the hands of Lake County students in time for the upcoming school year.
Bobbi Selvik, United Way’s manager of community engagement, said items like earbuds and stylus pens were added more recently because of the increase in the use of technology in education.
“Most of the kids have tablets or another electronic device provided by the school,” Selvik said. “They use the stylus-like pens. It makes it easier for them. So do the earbuds. We want every child to start school with the same resources as any other child.”
Jennifer Strom, United Way’s director of marketing and communications, said last year the organization oversaw the distribution of 3,775 backpacks and 300 teacher kits to four school districts and a host of community organizations who put them in the hands of under-resourced students.
“That’s what the teachers use when the kids run out,” Strom said, referring to the teacher kits. “Every year, we look to do as much as we can. We want to get them to the kids who need them the most.”
Starting the annual program on May 1 — it began in 2018 — Strom said United Way takes direct donations in the form of supplies from donors, as well as financial contributions. The money is used to purchase supplies and backpacks.
Once those are in hand, Strom said volunteers come into the office to complete the packages. Donations are accepted through July 30, and both the school districts and community organizations will receive them by Aug. 15.
Selvik said a calendar is developed to ensure the backpacks are ready for each school before the first day of class. One school got its supply on Tuesday. Volunteers helped “Stuff the Bus,” which was actually a car this time around.
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Patrick Basler, the Great Lakes Credit Union’s chief experience officer, said the organization has participated in Stuff the Bus each year of its existence. The 90-year-old financial institution started serving the enlisted and civilian personnel at Naval Station Great Lakes. Now, it has 23 branch offices in Lake, Cook, Kane and McHenry counties.
”This aligns with our mission of community give-back,” Basler said. “This is one of our volunteer programs. Schools provide the foundation of financial empowerment and education. Students need to understand the daily financial basics and what to do over the long term.”
Among the school districts receiving backpacks directly are Waukegan Community School District 60, North Chicago School District 187, Round Lake School District 116 and Mundelein School District 75. For larger districts, Selvik said United Way supplements the overall backpack effort.
With approximately 14,000 students in District 60, Superintendent Theresa Plascencia said United Way is one of many sources that help supply backpacks, which will be distributed at its annual resource fair on July 26.
“It helps supplement the work we do to ensure students have the supplies they need to start the school year ready to succeed,” Plascencia said in an email. “We’re grateful for United Way and the generosity of its partners. Efforts like this truly make a difference in our schools and community.”
Joining the school districts as recipients of the backpacks are a number of community organizations that are regular partners of United Way. Selvik said they include the Lake County Health Department, HACES, the Lake County Housing Authority and the Family First Center of Lake County.