DuPagePads put out the call for desperately needed childcare items due to a considerable increase in children in shelter this winter, and Rathje Woodward LLC and its employees answered. DuPagePads is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that has combatted homelessness in the county for over 35 years, working to feed and shelter individuals in need of support and access to services.
On January 26, DuPagePads published a Facebook post detailing their need for items such as baby wipes, diapers, pull-ups, and other baby essentials. RW Attorney Dan Szczesny saw the post that morning, emailed the firm’s partnership, and the firm immediately created a donation drive for employees and family members to contribute.
A phone call with Chad Pedigo, Vice President of Development with DuPage Pads, revealed that there were over 90 children in shelter presently, with approximately one-third under the age of 10.
Rathje Woodward LLC employees banded together and gathered hundreds of diapers, pull-ups, and wipes, plus baby clothes and other day-to-day essentials for the children and families in shelter. The firm supplemented the attorneys and staff’s generosity with a matching donation of items listed on Pad’s Amazon Wishlist.
On Thursday, February 3, 2022, Associate Attorney – Daniel J. Szczesny, Firm Administrator – Toni LoCasto, and Paralegal – Eleni Begaj, delivered the items to Pads headquarters in downtown Wheaton. While on site, Vice President Pedigo explained Pads’ role in DuPage County, detailed current initiatives and programs offered to combat homelessness by equipping participants with skills to build mental, emotion, and financial stability, and shared an update on Pads progress towards converting a former DuPage hotel into a full-time shelter and resource center.
Pads will soon host its 16th Annual Taste of Hope dinner at Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace on March 3, 2022. If you are interested in supporting this wonderful organization, please consider attending and/or sponsoring. To make an online donation please visit https://dupagepads.org/donate/.
RW was founded in Wheaton, Illinois in 1938. From its roots in DuPage County, Illinois, the Firm has grown to represent clients in matters throughout the United States. As a longstanding member of the community, we are proud to facilitate hope. If you have questions about how Rathje Woodward LLC can assist you or your business with pressing legal needs, please call the Wheaton, office at 630-668-8500.
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For more information regarding Rathje Woodward LLC’s practice areas and its attorneys, please visit www.rathjelaw.com