As thousands of students throughout Lake County get ready to return to school in August, some volunteers and community partners with United Way of Lake County are reminded of their days as schoolchildren.
Stuffing backpacks with supplies like binders, folders, pencils, earbuds, headphones, facial tissue, crayons and more, nearly a dozen community volunteers and United Way staff caught a particular aroma.
“Notice that smell of brand new crayons,” Bobbi Selvik, United Way’s manager of community engagement, said. “It’s like childhood revisited.”
Volunteers, including some from Women United — United Way’s women’s affinity group — filled backpacks with school supplies for United Way’s fourth-annual Stuff the Bus effort Monday at the organization’s Gurnee headquarters, readying them for students.
Starting to collect backpacks and school supplies in early July from a host of community partners and individuals, Lori Nerheim, United Way’s vice president of marketing and communications, said they create an equitable environment for underserved youngsters.
“This ensures kids get the school supplies they need to prepare for their academic studies to build their self-esteem and set them up for success,” she said. “Our goal is for all kids to have an equal chance at success.”
Missing one basic supply can lead to frustration and a lesser performance. Selvik said leveling the playfield for all students is a major reason for Stuff the Bus.
“If a child does not have a red crayon to mark a correct answer, it hurts their self-esteem, their confidence and they lose their way,” she said.
Along with backpacks for students are specially packaged knapsacks, known as teacher kits. Selvik said they are designed to enable instructors to assist students if something is lacking during a lesson.
“If a kid needs an extra pencil, the teacher can give it to them so they don’t have to purchase a new one right away,” she said.
Approximately 3,000 backpacks will be delivered to school districts and social service organizations in Lake County. Nerheim said they include Waukegan Community Unit School District 60, Round Lake Area Schools District 116 and Antioch School District 34.
Along with schools, she said they are sent to the Mano a Mano Family Resource Center, Waukegan Township, Warren Township, the Department of Children and Family Services, the Lake County Housing Authority, Vertical Encounter Church and A Safe Place among others.
Both individuals and organizations gather the backpacks and school supplies. Nerheim said they can buy them from a prescribed list, or make a donation where United Way buys the materials. A $32 contribution provides a pack and its supplies. They can be deposited at a variety of locations around the county, including United Way’s headquarters.
Larger organizations including Waukegan Township, Warren Township, Aon, Fisher Paper and the LGBTQ+ Center purchase both backpacks and the requested supplies. Selvik said the organizations put the package together and deliver it to United Way. Donations are accepted through Aug. 15.
During the six-week period where school supplies and backpacks arrive at the United Way headquarters, Selvik said approximately 80 volunteers arrive to assist with the packaging. One of them is Tracy Henriques, who is part of Women United.
“We help kids in Lake County get ready for school and succeed in school,” Henriques said. “The bags we pack are going to help the kids.”
Nerheim said Women United is an affinity group within United Way of Lake County working to strengthen the community through philanthropy, leadership; and volunteerism. Their signature issue is early childhood education.
