Big Hearts of Fox Valley donates nearly 200 backpacks to Kane County students

St. Charles nonprofit Big Hearts of Fox Valley hosted a packing event this month where volunteers filled 184 new backpacks with school supplies and distributed them to students in District 303, ahead of the first day of school.

Big Hearts of Fox Valley is a nonprofit in St. Charles founded by St. Charles residents Minor and Jennifer Mobley in 2014 to benefit District 303 children and families facing financial hardships.

Big Hearts President Jennifer Mobley said the success of the program is due to the community’s generosity.

“When our community comes together like this, we’re not just filling backpacks—we’re filling hearts. Every pencil, notebook, and eraser is a reminder to these kids that they are seen, valued, and supported. That’s what Big Hearts is all about.” Mobley said in a news release. “We couldn’t have done it without the incredible generosity of our community.

Each backpack was filled with supplies curated specifically for each student’s grade level, with the goal of helping children feel equipped, confident and valued on their first day of school. They were distributed Aug. 11.

Big Hearts relies on District 303 social workers and administrators to identify children in need, donations from the community to purchase the backpacks and supplies, and volunteers to pack and distribute the backpacks.

The backpack donations are part of BHFV’s Back to School program, one of four annual programs the nonprofit runs to support D303 students and families. They also run the Christmas Gift Sponsorship program, Warm Coats Warm Hearts and Big Hearts Throughout the Year.

The Back to School Program began last year and provided backpacks to just over 100 students. This year, nearly 200 students in 16 different St. Charles schools received backpacks through the program.

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.

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.

For more information on Big Hearts of Fox Valley or to volunteer, visit their website at www.bigheartsfv.org or email info@bigheartsfv.org.