Volunteer

Is your business, corporation or organization looking for a fun, hands-on way to give back and build team unity? Consider a partnership with Kids Above All to help our children and families to build better lives. Here are a list of Chicago-area businesses who already partner with us.

Beautification projects: Bring a group of employees to volunteer at one of our DuPage County group homes or Chicago-based houses for the current and former military personnel and their families in our Military Counseling program. Activities can include: removing weeds, planting flowers, mulching, painting (interior and exterior), installing new curtains, and building book shelves and tables. Please note: these projects are usually available twice per year at each location.

Collections/Kits: Assemble kits to provide the children and families in our programs with the essentials they need to build a strong foundation for the best possible life. Kits vary based on programs. Examples are:

• Baby Bundles: Make sure that the babies and young mothers foster care have what they need to start life off well. Bundles include: diaper bag, diapers, travel wipes, layettes, t-shirts, onesies, bottles, board books, toys, etc.
• Literacy Kits: Encourage children ages 2-5 in our early learning program to read and learn. Collect items such as books, flash cards, educational games, crayons, pencils, coloring books, alphabet building worksheets, number games, and soft toys that are part of stories (birds, farm and jungle animals, vegetables, fruits, cars, trains, planes, etc.).
• Adolescent Kits: Assemble kits that provide a fresh, welcoming start for a child or young adult entering a new foster home. Kits include: comforter (twin), shampoo, soap, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrush, lotion/oil, shaving cream, disposable shaver, tweezers, nail care, foot powder, towels and wash cloths.
• Welcome Home Kits: Equip the formerly homeless young adults in our Emerge program with things they need to feel at home in their apartment so that they can achieve self-sufficiency. Items include: toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash, shaving cream, lotion, shampoo, soap, deodorant, as well as bed sheets, towels and washcloths.

Are you looking for a way to get involved in helping a child reach their potential?

• Mentor: Make a positive impact in the life of a teen in our group homes or formerly homeless young adult in our Emerge program by providing academic or career guidance.
• Activity sponsor: Fund a monthly outing or an evening of fun for the teens in our group homes.
• Share your expertise: Host a workshop or seminar for our early childhood moms, current and former military personnel in our Military Counseling program, group homes youth or young adults in Emerge, educating them on a particular topic or teaching them a skill. Topics may include: online job searching, resume writing, financial literacy, budgeting, etc.

The holidays are a time of giving. Spread cheer by donating your time, talents and treasure to ensure our children and families experience the joy of the holiday season!

• Sponsor a Child: Make sure the holiday wishes of a child in our care come true by donating new toys, clothes, and books during our Holiday Gift Drive in early December.
• Toy Room Helper: Assist with sorting, organizing and packaging presents for the children in our programs during KAA’s Holiday Gift Drive. Weekend and evening hours are available.
• Holiday Party Sponsor: Help to fund a client gathering around the holidays, providing snacks, food and crafts for activities.
• Stocking Stuffers: Fill stockings with items to be given out at client holiday parties. Items vary by program and age range.
• Thanksgiving Meal Helper: Provide a box of food for one of our early childhood families or group homes to ensure that they can celebrate Thanksgiving together with their family.

Blanket-Making for Babies — Make flannel or plush blankets that babies can use for tummy time during visits from an early childhood educator or with their family as they start to grow up. A lot of babies in Kids Above All’s programs live in low-income apartments so a warm, clean blanket to play on is a big help!

To learn how to make blankets, please visit: https://www.dltk-holidays.com/xmas/eblanket.html

Diaper Cake Building or Diaper Drive — Babies in KAA’s programs always need new, clean diapers! You could host a diaper drive or have a day when you build diaper cakes for the children in our programs.

To learn how to make diaper cakes, please visit: https://diyprojects.com/diaper-cake-ideas/

Make a Valentine, holiday stocking, Easter basket for Babies – Create a Valentine card with a positive message to show our children you care. Provide a basket or stocking filled with items needed for a baby, like a pacifier, onesie, baby board book, baby wipes, diapers, and a small stuffed animal. You can even decorate the stockings or baskets for additional fun.

Holiday Meal Mix – Fill a basket including all the traditional fixings for a holiday meal that can be gift wrapped in a box or bag: pasta, potatoes, corn, green beans, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and dinner rolls.

Readers are Leaders Book Totes – Buy and fill book totes with items that will help babies and toddlers to get ready for kindergarten! Items can include: books, flash cards, teaching games, crayons, pencils, coloring books, alphabet building worksheets, number games, and soft toys that are part of stories (birds, farm and jungle animals, vegetables, fruits, cars, trains, planes, etc.)

Brown Bear Bags – Fill a gift bag with a brown bear book and a matching picture game. Create the game by coloring and cutting all the images: brown bear, red bird, yellow duck, blue horse, green frog, purple cat, white dog, black sheep, gold fish!

Baby Bathtime Basket — Build a basket for babies coming into our foster care or early childhood programs. Baskets can include:  baby shampoo, hooded towel wrap, lotion, key ring rattle, and a baby brush comb set.