Bolingbrook HS Staff Members Launch Program for Disadvantaged Students

Submitted by Valley View School District 365U

Photo: Leda Martinez and Kim McElroy check out some of the clothes available in the Connect Program closet for disadvantaged or homeless students.

Three staff members at Bolingbrook High School have launched a new program designed to help make everyday life a little better for homeless and/or disadvantaged students.

The Connect Program, housed in a tiny room on the third floor of the high school, is in its infancy stages, but BHS Special Education Case Managers Alice Cameron and Kim McElroy, as well security guard Leda Martinez, are pleased with the reaction from both staff and students thus far.

“Many of our caseload students are in need of a lot of resources,” McElroy said. “We wondered how we could help, how we could give back to these students. We decided to collect clothing for the winter season and also for prom as well.”

Since the concept was first introduced at the start of the current school year, BHS staff has responded to the efforts of the Connect staff with donations of everything from shoes to clothing and jackets. Connect also collected toiletries for the Nov. 7 Families In Transition event sponsored by the Will County Regional Office of Education and Valley View School District 365U.

Each month involves a donation theme with October and November focusing on coats and blue jeans and February and March featuring prom dress donations. The December effort will seek gift cards to be given to students for the holidays.

Now that the closet is stocked, the trio hopes to receive referrals from BHS counselors and social workers. Students themselves can also contact Connect directly.

“Everything is kept completely confidential,” McElroy said.

The Connect room includes a “dressing curtain” behind which students can try on clothing to make sure it fits before they take it home.

Cameron, McElroy and Martinez hope to serve VVSD middle school students somewhere down the road.

“I’m proud to be part of this,” said Martinez, who has been with VVSD for nearly eight years and commutes every day from Hammond. “I love it. I love my school.”

“It makes me feel great to give back,” McElroy added.