Hope’s Front Door in Downers Grove eases the back-to-school burden for families in need

Selecting notebooks and a new box of crayons is a ritual this time of year, and thanks to the work of volunteers with Hope’s Front Door in Downers Grove, more than 225 students will have the supplies they need to start the new school year.

But in the joy of celebrating a new school year, there’s worry, too. Kathy Nazzarini, program director for Hope’s Front Door, said she fears that the number of students facing a need this year will be considerably higher than expected.

The nonprofit Hope’s Front Door began aiding those in the local communities in 2000 and was officially incorporated in 2003. With rented space at First Congregational United Church of Christ in downtown Downers Grove, three paid staff members and a network of volunteers provide emergency assistance to individuals and families in crisis.

Assistance can range from helping someone make it to work or a medical appointment with a gas card or transportation voucher to connecting people to resources for vision and dental care.

The nonprofit has seen the waves of those seeking help rise and fall, and lately, the number of people seeking assistance has been on the rise, Executive Director Janell Robinson said. She’s been with the organization more than 20 years.

Individuals and families that struggled in the pandemic are finding new challenges with the recent rise in costs for goods and services. In the first six months of 2022, Hope’s Front Door had 175 first-time households reach out to the organization for assistance. Additionally, the organization is seeing a lot of returning clients who had been stable for several years.

“Two, three times a week, we’re seeing returning folks, some we haven’t helped in more than 10 years,” Robinson said.

While “Now Hiring” signs can be found in the windows of many businesses, in DuPage County, limited public transportation along with rising costs for gas, rent and food can create a series of obstacles for the working poor. While there are jobs, Robinson said the question is will the job allow individuals to support their household. When gas prices rose above $5 a gallon, families faced a challenge to fill their tanks with gas or buy groceries.

“Transportation is a lifeline. If you can’t get from point A to point B, you can’t find a job or maintain a job,” Robinson said. “Transportation in DuPage County is a basic need. Not having access to the funds to get around is incredibly destabilizing.”

The rising need is one of the factors that has Nazzarini concerned about providing back to school supplies for students. She estimates the average cost of new school supplies is about $200 a child. Multiply that by three children and a family is spending more than $600.

Hope’s Front Door School Supply Drive is a collaboration with the Downers Grove Junior Woman’s Club, individuals and several local companies that purchased and donated supplies. Volunteers from the Downers Grove Junior Woman’s Club organized the supplies, and families registered for an appointment to pick out notebooks, folders, markers and even a new backpack.

“Students from preschool through college are able to have the supplies they need for the new school year and that puts the kids in a much better position and they can start the year like everybody else,” Nazzarini said. “It’s really wonderful how our community has pulled together to make this happen.”

The school supplies distribution began in mid-August, with appointments during the day as well as early evenings to accommodate working parents.

While many clients find themselves at Hope’s Front Door because of a crisis, it has support programs that are designed to help clients find greater stability. Volunteers serve as job coaches in the Pathways to Employment program, which gives clients access to job search tools including computers and fax machines.

Nazzarini said volunteers are essential to the program. She started as a volunteer and it wasn’t long before her work experience in the corporate realm helped her bridge from volunteer to staff members at Hope’s Front Door.

Pathways to Financial Help is provided with partner financial institutions. Volunteers serve as mentors on debt management and savings programs. Clients can participate in a grant-matching program through creating and contributing to a savings account.

“This is helping people start a nest egg,” Robinson said. “There are definitely pockets of poverty in this area. People are one crisis, one missed paycheck from becoming homeless.”