Fill a Heart 4 Kids seeks volunteers to assemble packages

LAKE FOREST – For most youth, spring break is a time for family, friends and fun. For homeless youth, it’s an unsettling and frighting time of the year with the safety net of school meals and other support paused.

Fill a Heart 4 Kids is asking the community to help homeless and at-risk youth stay nourished during the upcoming break by filling 800 “Spring Break in a Box” food packages from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 16 at Biddeford Blankets, 13820 W. Business Center Drive, Unit A, Green Oaks.

FAH4K is a nonprofit organization providing unaccompanied homeless, at-risk and foster children food, critical necessities, life skills and educational support to empower and Build Brighter Futures 4 Kids. FAH4K supports 2,800 children, teens and young adults throughout Cook and Lake counties.

FAH4K partners with 32 area schools to distribute Spring Break in a Box food packages to youth without access to food pantries. The March 16 community volunteer event is open to individuals, families, groups, corporations and school communities and requests a minimum one-hour time commitment.

Volunteers are asked to bring a box of nut-free cereal to include in the boxes. Monetary donations also are appreciated.

To register, visit https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080C4AACA82AA4F85-48223507-spring#/

History of Fill a Heart 4 Kids: In 2007, the McAveeney family opened their hearts and home to a baby in need of a temporary home. This experience exposed them to the world of vulnerable children couch-hopping, living in abandoned buildings, cars and garages or living in underfunded foster care facilities and group homes.

Feeling a need to help, the McAveeney’s daughter, Lilly, and her friends made 38 valentine’s gift bags to help children living in a foster facility feel loved and remembered. In 2008, FAH4K started igniting hope with Project Valentine WeCare Packages, special experiences and celebrations to help children feel loved and remembered. Children wrote thank you notes and asked FAH4K not to forget them.

FAH4K gained 501(c)(3) status in 2015, broadening its ability to support at-risk Illinois youth. Today, FAH4K is an award-winning organization providing critical necessities, food, clothing, educational support, life skills opportunities and experiences, as well as enriching hands-on volunteer opportunities to “Build Brighter Futures 4 Kids.” FAH4K, 1 Market Square, Lake Forest, is open to volunteers year-round from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. To learn more, donate or sign up to volunteer, visit www.fillaheart4kids.org. Stay connected to FAH4K on IG @fillaheart4kids and FB @fillaheart.