Holiday 2012: Donations Sought for Annual Toy, Basket Drives in Downers Grove

Downers Grove Chamber, Park District Seek Toys for Annual Holiday Drive

The Downers Grove Park District has once again partnered with the Downers Grove Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals Network to host two drop-off sites within the Recreation Center and Lincoln Center for an annual holiday toy drive.

The toy drive is taking place through Tuesday, Dec. 4. Donations will benefit Family Shelter Service in Downers Grove.

New toys will be accepted at the following Downers Grove drop-off locations:

• Lincoln Center, 935 Maple Ave.
• Downers Grove Park District Recreation Center, 4500 Belmont Road
• Bright Horizons at the Esplanade, 3400 Lacey Road
• Downers Grove Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 2001 Butterfield Road, Suite 105
• Community Bank of Downers Grove, 1111 Warren Ave.

Additional toy donations will be accepted at the Chamber of Commerce After Hours event on Thursday, Dec. 13, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., located at the Downers Grove Golf Club, 2420 Haddow Ave.

For more information about the drive, contact Downers Grove Park District Public Information Specialist Justine Goode at 630-963-1304, or Beth Peterson, manager of marketing and programs for the Downers Grove Chamber of Commerce and Industry, at 630-968-4050.

DuPage County Basket Brigade

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and DuPage County residents are invited to participate in Operation Basket Brigade, which will collect and distribute food baskets to needy DuPage County families in time for Thanksgiving.

• County residents can help with Operation Basket Brigade in several ways:
• Donate food for the holiday baskets.
• Volunteer to help with the sorting and packing of food donations into holiday meal baskets.
• Help create awareness of this activity in their place of worship, where there may be other people who wish to donate food or volunteer their time to sort and pack the holiday food baskets.

DuPage County Township Officials will assist by identifying needy families and helping with the delivery of the food baskets, according to the DuPage County Health Department.

In addition to the goal of helping needy families, Operation Basket Brigade will be part of a warehousing and distribution exercise by the DuPage County Health Department’s Office of Risk and Emergency Management (OREM).

For detailed information on how you can assist Operation Basket Brigade, please visit www.dupagehealth.org/giving, or contact any OREM staff member at 630-221-7888.

Is your group, school or club doing something special to support the community this holiday? Share it with us and we will post it in a column. Contact Amanda Luevano at amanda@patch.com.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

There are plenty of ways to keep up on Downers Grove news:

• Sign up for our daily email newsletter

• Like us on Facebook for a slightly different take.