Plainfield Central PTSO Helping Needy Families for 21st Year

The Plainfield High School-Central Campus Parent Teacher Student Organization (PTSO) is collecting monetary donations for its 21st annual Christmas drive for needy District 202-area families.

The PHSCC PTSO will use the money received to provide Christmas dinner and buy individual gifts for needy District 202 families. Last year the PTSO helped more than 30 families in the District 202 community. 

“We continue to have families in need in our community,” said Linda Hanley, the coordinator of the Christmas drive.  “We do our best to help everyone that we can.”

The PTSO helps as many families as are identified, and has never turned away anyone in need.  Families are identified through school staff and social workers throughout the district.  Families who believe they are eligible to be adopted should contact their school’s social workers. 

Each family’s wish list is assigned a number to ensure the identities of the families remain strictly confidential.

Monetary donations can be made payable to the PTSO Needy Family Drive and mailed to Plainfield High School-Central Campus, 24120 West Fort Beggs Drive, Plainfield, 60544. Please send monetary donations to the attention of Audrey Stein.

Each year the PTSO works with local businesses, citizens and school organizations to purchase gifts and dinner items for these families. 

The group also collects items throughout the year and asks District 202 parent and school groups to adopt a family, give a monetary donation or hold a canned food drive to help needy families.

Several District 202 schools will be involved again this year, Hanley said, including Lincoln Elementary, PHSCC, and Ira Jones and Indian Trail middle schools.

As well, numerous private families and community and service groups have pledged their support including C.W. Avery Family YMCA, Abri Credit Union, Followers of Christ Lutheran Church, First Community Financial Bank, the PHSCC Student Council, First Midwest Bank and Best Buy in Joliet. 

This year, the families will receive the food and toys that have been collected and/or purchased one to two weekends prior to Christmas.

To donate money, volunteer, or adopt a family, please contact Hanley at (815) 439-2670 or via e-mail athanfam7@comcast.net , or Audrey Stein at (815) 436-3200 or via e-mail at astein@psd202.org.