WAUKEGAN – When the coronavirus pandemic hit their Waukegan neighborhood hard, Beacon Place did what needed to be done and recently passed a critical milestone in support delivered.
Since March 19, 100,000 pounds of fresh meat and poultry, milk products and vegetables were boxed up and distributed weekly to its Waukegan families free of charge, no questions asked.
More than 4,800 fresh meals were delivered to families, nearly 500 boxes of household cleaning supplies, PPE and supports for home health were provided, and more than 20,000 hours of programs for children and adults.
“These milestones are a testament that Beacon Place is doing what needs to be done, for families to stay healthy and navigate the incredible challenges of this crisis,” said Joshua Fulcher, executive director of Beacon Place.
Since the pandemic, Beacon Place has served more than 350 children and families, with a focus on staying healthy, moving forward academically, and remaining strong and stable as a family.
Last spring, when the crisis hit, Beacon Place moved immediately into weekly emergency support including food, household cleaning supplies and PPE to stay healthy. Weekly take-home academic kits were distributed for students kindergarten to 12th grade to continue to progress academically. And family informational packets from experts on the front lines of COVID-19 were given out to educate and inspire family discussions, plus games, puzzles, and craft activities for family emotional support at home.
When the school year ended, Beacon Place knew more work needed to be done, so they offered a six-week virtual summer school program and a five-week, on-site mini day camp for younger children in small group cohorts to have nutritious meals and a place to play one day a week.
In September, when school started, but in a virtual environment, Beacon Place first stepped in to make sure families were equipped with all of the resources to navigate school at home from pens and paper, to tables, chairs, desks and clocks, to chrome books and MiFi’s.
Once families were able to manage the school day, Beacon Place provided an additional extension of support with five weeks of on-site after-school academic and enrichment providing hands-on learning in STEM, art, literature and more. Virtual cooking and fitness classes occur, MOMS meetings happen weekly, and Parent University continues once a month. Special events and holiday activities have continued as well – all under strict COVID guidelines – but they have brought back a sense of normalcy into lives dramatically disrupted.
This support is critical in a community that has been hit particularly hard by the ravages of this pandemic. More than 20% of Beacon Place families have experienced the virus itself, with several losing family members. All have lost income, jobs and have experienced significant financial challenges.
“Ever since the first day that we found out that the school would be closing, Beacon Place was always there for my kids and the parents. You always provided help, no matter what was needed,” said Gabriela Vargas, a Beacon Place parent.
In a recent survey of families,100% indicated that the emergency support, health information, and household cleaning and safety supply support was beneficial to keeping their family healthy and nearly 95% of students have demonstrated progress academically as a result of their participation at Beacon Place.
“As we move into the winter months and the pandemic intensifies, we are poised to do everything we can to continue to lead our families forward, but we know that the long line of impact from COVID will continue long into the future,” Fulcher said. “We are aggressively planning now for what we will need to do next summer and beyond to continue to try and get our students back on track on the education path they deserve. We are in this for the long haul and will be dependent on donors and supporters who are ready to be a part of this journey.”