DuPage County Opens 'Adopt-a-Resident' Holiday Program to Help Citizens in Need

DuPage County’s Convalescent Center is asking for the community’s help in making the holidays bright for everyone.

The “Adopt-a-Resident” gift drive, along with several other volunteer opportunities, allows DuPage residents in need to request a specific gift and another resident to buy that gift for them, DuPage County announced in a release Monday. Gifts include things like personal care products, gift cards and clothes and usually add up to around $50.

If residents are looking to contribute in a way that isn’t as costly, there is also the opportunity to donate to the “general wish list,” which includes anything from pricey items like perfumes to board games and postage stamps.

General Wish List:

• Clothes: Sizes Small-3X, machine washable only; men and women's button-down cardigans; two-piece suits; Cubs, Sox, Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks and Packers gear
• Accessories: Watches (inexpensive and large-face); costume jewelry
• Food: Store-bought only, no homemade; soft chocolate candy; tins of holiday cookies; sugar-free cookies
• Health and Beauty: Women's spray perfume; Men's cologne and aftershave; nail polish and polish remover; large nail and toenail clippers; men's electric razors; hand lotion; body wash
• Entertainment: New-release movies on DVD; audio books and music on CDs; DVD players; boom boxes; board games (Yahtzee/Scrabble/Life/Monopoly/Sorry/Battleship/Backgammon/Chess/Checkers/Card games like Uno)
• Miscellaneous: Forever postage stamps; writing pads and pens; 2017 wall calendars with large numbers; batteries; medium and large holiday gift bags; gift cards (Target/Walmart/Via/Best Buy/Amazon); large-print crossword puzzles; word find books; Sudoku books; money donations; Golden Shear's Hair Salon gift certificates and Gifts & Thrifts Shop gift certificates (available at the reception desk)

All of these donations must be dropped off to the Convalescent Center at 400 N. County Farm Rd. in Wheaton by Dec. 9 so they can be prepped for the annual Family Holiday Party.

If that’s not your cup of tea, there’s no shortage of volunteer opportunities at DPCC. Volunteers are needed for holiday events, concerts, socials and religious opportunities throughout the holidays — so if you’re not free Christmas, try Thanksgiving Day or New Year’s. A full list of volunteer opportunities is available here.

Community groups are also encouraged to visit DPCC to sing holiday carols to the residents and to donate handmade cards and crafts to people living there. Monetary donations are also accepted at the front reception desk from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day and will go toward decorations and holiday activities for residents.

More information about the Convalescent Center and these opportunities can be found here.

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