In early August, MidwestHR’s 180 Initiative team volunteered at the Back to School Fair hosted by Catholic Charities of Joliet. This event serviced the underprivileged families of the DuPage County area through providing free backpacks, books, and school supplies, as well as other services to ensure the students are ready for school. In particular, our team helped families fill out paperwork to register for the event and delivered some heavier items to participants’ cars.
Our volunteers helped many families who waited in line for hours for the fair to begin.
Catholic Charities of Joliet is an organization that helps families and individuals in need throughout the Chicagoland area by hosting multiple donation events, providing counseling services, and offering community classes among other resources. The annual Back to School Fair reaches thousands of students and provides them with the essential tools they will need for the start of the school year. Furthermore, the fair provides free haircuts and free basic dental, vision, and medical check-up vouchers among other services. These additional services not only ensure that the students are ready to return to school, but also give parents peace of mind that their children have resources to succeed in education.
It was a warm day to be outside, but many of the families came prepared with umbrellas to stay cool enough to wait and get their new school supplies.
This was the 180 Initiative’s second time at the Back to School Fair because of its huge impact on the local community. We were pleased to discover that the event partnered with SCARCE, which is a local organization that the 180 Initiative had volunteered at earlier this year! It was great seeing our local volunteer centers collaborate to create the largest influence on the community. MidwestHR’s 180 Initiative team hopes to return to the Back to School Fair again next year!
