Beyond stencils, pencils: U-46 school supply fair helps needy families

Call it a leg up, not a hand out.

Elgin Area School District U-46 will host a back-to-school fair Saturday for needy students at schools which operate on a continuous learning calendar - beginning their academic year each July and ending in June.

The fair provides Channing, Garfield and Sheridan elementary students with backpacks, school supplies and health services.

According to 2006-07 state report cards, about 75 percent of the students at these schools are English learners, and 90 percent are from families that qualify for free or reduced-price lunches.

Many are uninsured and have no regular source of health care.

The fair is designed to help students get the supplies they'll need for the upcoming year, and to help parents access the various services available to their students, said Karla Guzman, U-46's coordinator of Hispanic outreach.

Kids receive backpacks filled with pens, pencils, notebooks and erasers after their parents visit a number of booths from local social service, civic and religious agencies.

Families can apply for All Kids - state heath insurance for children from low-income families - and free or reduced-price lunches.

The YMCA of Elgin, the Community Crisis Center, Centro de Informacion y Progreso, and the Literacy Connection are among the 25 agencies that will attend this year's fair, Guzman said.

Last year, 227 families attended the back to school fair. About 400 children received backpacks.

U-46 Homeless Liaison Maggie Dempsey said officials expect about 500 families this year. Pamphlets about the fair were sent home in school report cards, and handed out during summer registration, Dempsey said.

"With how the economy is going, more families than ever need to be aware of what services are available to them."

Saturday's fair will run from 9 to 11 a.m. at Channing Elementary, 63 Channing St. in Elgin.

"I'd recommend getting there as early as possible on Saturday," Guzman said. "There's always a long line waiting, even before the doors open."