We continue helping families during COVID. Please like and follow our Facebook page to see current needs. The greatest needs are donations for rent and utilities and gift cards for food, gas, and clothing. Examples for gift cards include Aldi, Target, Walmart, Goodwill, Plato's Closet, and any gas card.

Checks are payable to: The Batavia Foundation for Educational Excellence. Mark "CHIP IN Batavia" in memo.

Checks can be dropped off at or mailed to BPS District Office, 335 W. Wilson St., Batavia IL  60510. 

Gift cards: In order to best support our families, see below for recommendations:

• Groceries/Food: Aldi, Target, Walmart, Jewel-Osco, Walgreens
• Clothing: Kohl's, Goodwill, Plato's Closet, any shoe store, Walmart
• Transportation: Gas cards

Here is a list of items we need the most:

•  Snacks- Individually wrapped snakcs and water bottles
• During the winter: snowpants, gloves, hats, scarves, boots and coats. You can bring to any school or the Clothes Closet. Families in Batavia and Batavia Township shop for free at the Clothes Closet and Food Pantry. Drop off is T, W, F 8:30-12.  100 Flinn St. next to water treatment plant. 
• Halloween costumes to any elementary school during Sept- Oct
• [Email Chipinbatavia@gmail.com first for more information] Personal care items such as deodorant, chapstick, small kleenex, contact lens solution, baby/hand wipes, nail clippers and nail files, vaseline, hair brushes, hair ties, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, etc.
• Dresses: Prom dresses and short dresses too (homecoming, special events)- Collecting in February/Marhc
• Musical instruments
• Gently used bicycles, and locks to be given away after they are cleaned and fitted- Bikes For Batavia program with Batavia Bicycle Commission. We can only take new helmets. Contact bikesforbatavia@gmail.com
• School supplies such as calculators, backpacks, folders with pockets, pens, sharpies, rulers, erasers, post-its, binders, markers, etc.
• Electronics: Laptops, iPads, and Chromebooks
• Valentine’s Cards in January at any elementary school for kids who cannot buy them for their classmates

Batavia Apartment General Store

Residents of the Batavia Apartments visit the General Store one time per month. They are awarded points based on their apartment/family size and can use those points to trade in for items that are not covered by SNAP. To empower the residents further, if they participate in other programs or volunteer for the Resident Service Coordinator, they can earn extra points for the program.

Items most needed: 

kleenex, toilet paper, cleaning suppolies, paper towels, soap, tootpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo.

You can drop off at Batavia Apartments and get a donation form.  

Any questions, please contact Lynn Queen -

merchhousing.org

Batavia Apartments

630-879-3117 Phone

630-879-0665 Fax                  

Below are ideas for how you can volunteer:

• We often need help picking up furniture and delivering if you have a truck or manpower!
• Help organize and work prom drive which be on March 12 (March 11 set up)  (organize at Library; work/set up event at library; promote).  Need help after event to clean up and move extra dresses to storage unit.
• Pick up food from Pantry monthly to deliver to families in need who are without a car
• Food collection drive for Friday Backpacks; work with Fox Valley Christian church who makes backpacks every week- work with any groups who want to collect food
• Start a gift card collection (a few churches did this and collected over 70, $10 gift cards). Most needed year-round: ALDI, gas, Target, Kohls, WalMart, Plato's Closet and Walgreens.  OR SNACK Collection!
• There is often a big lost and found at each school around Christmas and end of school year with nice items-Looking for volunteers to pick up the items in December and May and wash them and give them to the Clothes Closet. 

St. Vincent de Paul