More than half of all households experiencing homelessness in suburban Cook County have a child under 18, according to Housing Forward. The west suburban nonprofit is asking Oak Park-area residents to help those families prepare for the school year.

Housing Forward's annual school supplies drive is collecting at least 200 filled backpacks for K–12 students experiencing homelessness across its 26-community service area. The organization published the call for donations on July 21.

Donors can drop off backpacks at Broadview Wesleyan Church, 2218 S. 18th Ave. in Broadview, on two dates: Monday, Aug. 17, from 9 a.m. to noon, and Tuesday, Aug. 18, from 4 to 7 p.m. Housing Forward's website includes a suggested supply list and a donor form to complete before bringing backpacks.

For residents who want to help but don't have time to shop, the organization is also accepting $100 Walmart gift cards to cover school uniforms. Some students Housing Forward serves attend schools with uniform requirements.

Rising need

The drive comes amid rising homelessness in the western suburbs. Housing Forward's emergency shelter hit or exceeded its 20-person capacity on 55% of nights during the first half of 2025, up from 15% of nights in all of 2024, according to the organization. The shelter served 173 individuals in 2024, many of them families with minor children.

Housing Forward recorded an 18% increase in homelessness across its service area from 2023 to 2024, roughly in line with the national increase reported that year, according to a January 2025 report in the Wednesday Journal. Suburban Cook County overall saw about a 12.5% increase based on the January 2024 Point-in-Time Count.

Housing Forward CEO Lynda Schueler warned in January 2025 that the numbers would keep climbing. The shelter data since then bears that out.

Housing Forward serves 26 communities in west suburban Cook County, including Oak Park. The nonprofit, founded in 1992 as a coalition of congregations providing emergency shelter, now works to transition individuals and families from housing crisis to stable housing.

How to help

Drop-off details and the suggested supply list are on Housing Forward's website. Gift card donors can reach Cherrell Jackson at [email protected] or call 708-338-1724.