St. Charles nonprofit provides over 100 backpacks filled with supplies to D303 students

St. Charles nonprofit Big Hearts of Fox Valley hosted a packing event Aug. 6 where volunteers filled more than 100 new backpacks with school supplies for students in District 303.

Big Hearts of Fox Valley is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in St. Charles that was founded in 2014 to benefit District 303 children and families facing financial hardships. District 303 social workers and administrators work with Big Hearts to identify children in need.

The backpacks filled at the event will be delivered to the school district this week and social workers will see that students receive them before school starts.

The backpack donations are part of BHFV’s Back to School program, one of four programs the nonprofit runs to support D-303 students and families throughout the year. They also run the Christmas Gift Sponsorship program, Warm Coats Warm Hearts and Big Hearts Throughout the Year.

The Back to School program is new this year and was established after BHFV received a record number of requests for help this spring. The backpacks will be distributed to students in pre-K through high school and will reach almost every school in the district.

BHFV volunteer coordinator Julie Garthwaite said they have done backpack and supply drives before but never on this scale. At the event, five volunteers packed just more than 100 backpacks in less than two hours.

Garthwaite said the backpacks are filled with “everything [students] could possibly need,” including writing utensils, art supplies, glue, paper, notebooks, folders, calculators, headphones and several more supplies.

BHFV provides students with only brand-new, sturdy backpacks and supplies, many of which were donated. The rest were bought using monetary donations.

“We couldn’t do it without donations from the community,” Garthwaite said.

Garthwaite said Toys For Tots has been a generous supporter, providing many of the donated items. She said in addition to donations from community members, local businesses such as Primrose School of South Elgin and Goldfish Swim School helped by hosting donation drives to collect supplies.

“We know how exciting it is for students to go back to school with a new backpack full of supplies and Big Hearts wants them to have all the tools they need for a successful year,” Garthwaite said.

Garthwaite said they still are accepting donations of school supplies and backpacks and will continue packing and distributing the items through Aug. 19, so they can get them to students by their first week of classes.

More ways to support BHFV

BHFV will be collaborating with Alter Brewing in St. Charles to host a fundraising event Nov. 11 in which $1 of every drink sold will go to BHFV.

Every Wednesday in September, Polyanna Brewing will host charity bike rides in which a portion of each bike ride will be donated to Big Hearts.

On Sept. 22, BHFV will host the Brews and Big Hearts Fundraiser at Riverlands Brewing Company from noon to 6 pm. There will be raffle prizes, 50/50 raffle tickets, a food truck and a police versus fire department stein holding contest.

The next BHFV program this year will be Warm Coats Warm Hearts, which will begin distributing new coats to D-303 students in October.

Community members and business owners can support Big Hearts of Fox Valley by making monetary donations, volunteering their time, signing up to be sponsors or hosting collection boxes at their businesses.

BHFV is located at 720 N. 17th St. and exclusively serves District 303 students, which include children from St. Charles and portions of Wayne, Wasco, Elburn, West Chicago, South Elgin, Campton Hills and unincorporated Kane County.