‘Neighbors helping neighbors’: DuPage awards more than $700,000 to small nonprofits

Carol Stream’s Repeat Boutique is cut from a different cloth.

It’s not a resale shop. Rather, the store embraces a “beautiful model of neighbors helping neighbors,” volunteer Lynn Dugan says.

DuPage County officials on Tuesday recognized Repeat Boutique and nearly three dozen other small but mighty nonprofit organizations by awarding funding through a county grant program.

“This small agency grant comes at such a beautiful time in our history. It’s going to be the seed money we need to hire an executive director,” Dugan said.

The boutique has provided donations of clothing and household items to refugees and other people in need who have been referred to the store by community agencies. Clients can shop for free every three months.

“We saw 4,000 families last year, served 18,000 individuals. We have 70 volunteers, completely committed, wonderful people,” Dugan told the county board. “But because of this growth, the breadth and depth of this growth, it is very difficult to keep up with this, this number.”

So when she received word that the center had received a $30,000 grant, Dugan “actually cried.”

“On behalf of all of us, we thank you for this critical investment so we can continue to make meaningful impact and differences in the lives of people of DuPage County, so together, we can ensure that dignity and relief are within reach for those who need it most,” she said.

County Board Chair Deborah Conroy and Greg Schwarze, head of the board’s human services committee, presented a ceremonial check to Dugan, who represented the grant recipients at Tuesday’s meeting.

The county board allocated $1,050,000 to fund “Round 2″ of the Small Agency Grant Program in fiscal 2025.

Officials announced a total of $711,336 for 32 agencies that provide programs and services in the areas of economic development, including job readiness and literacy; education and mentoring; housing and shelter; behavioral health; substance use disorder treatment; or food assistance.

Funding for the program came from American Rescue Plan Act investment earnings. Eligible nonprofits applied for up to $30,000 each.

“Each board member here played a vital role reviewing applications, which were previously vetted by finance staff, and as a district, members made the award selections,” Schwarze said.

Of the 32 organizations, the following 14 were selected for the maximum grant amount: Accelerate Climate Solutions; Darien Lions Club Foundation; DoodleBug Workshop Vocational Training Center; Elmhurst Walk-In Assistance Network; Glen Ellyn Youth and Family Counseling Service; Kids Against Hunger Illinois; My Child’s Life Matters Inc.; Naperville Neighbors United; Paws 4 Kids 4 Paws; Repeat Boutique; The Baton Pass; Westmont Lions Foundation; You Matter Inc. NFP; and Youth 4 Excellence Inc.

https://www.dailyherald.com/20250624/news/neighbors-helping-neighbors-dupage-awards-more-than-700000-to-small-nonprofits/