Local Companies and Schools Brighten the Holidays for DuPagePads Clients
Recently, 94 holiday meal bags were created for families and individuals in DuPagePads Supportive Housing apartments as a result of a generous food drive organized by Villa Park Office Equipment.
Holiday meal bags were delivered around Thanksgiving, along with a $25 Jewel gift card for each household to purchase perishable food items or a turkey.
This is the fifth year that Villa Park Office Equipment has organized a holiday food drive.
To create an even larger donation, the company enlisted support of local schools and friends: Lisle Junior High School, Albright Middle School in Villa Park and Stevenson School in Lombard. When they were looking for desert items and drink mix, they reached out to the Jel Sert Company in West Chicago who provided 600 packets of pudding mix and drink mix.
These efforts made the food drive the company’s largest yet, collecting over $2,000 in monetary donations and gift cards and a record-high 4,213 food items.
These food items included stuffing mix, instant potatoes, bread/muffin mix, canned vegetables, gravy mix, canned cranberries/fruit, green bean casserole ingredients, boxed desserts and disposable turkey pans.
With such an overwhelming response, the company even collected 10 boxes of canned meals like beef stew, ravioli and more for program participants in DuPagePads Medical Respite program.
This program provides short-term housing for those who are homeless and in need of bed rest. These non-perishable meals enable participants to focus on recovery instead of where their next meal will come from.
Carol Simler, DuPagePads President & CEO, shares “We are grateful to Villa Park Office Equipment for energizing the community and once again creating a tremendously thoughtful meal donation for our Supportive Housing tenants and Medical Respite clients. The outburst of participation from the schools and companies is heartwarming.”
The holiday meal bags are provided to tenants in DuPagePads Supportive Housing apartments. This program provides subsidized housing for those that had been homeless for a year or longer and have a documented disability or disabling health condition.
Program participants receive ongoing case management from DuPagePads which improves their health, assists them in become acclimated to their community and stabilizes their lives, with more than 89% having been housed for a year or longer.
Additionally, last year this program saved taxpayers $2.5 million, as people are not using the expensive justice or health systems.
Clients in this program are living on tight budgets, so the holiday meal bag donations are highly anticipated and appreciated.
“This holiday meal bag donation has everything I need to prepare a holiday meal for my family, even the pan for the turkey! I can’t thank DuPagePads and their supporters enough for helping me carry on our family traditions and make happy new memories,” says Judy, a DuPagePads Supportive Housing tenant.
Looking to assist families and individuals who are homeless this holiday season? Learn about the many ways to make a difference here.