The Holiday Food and Gift Basket (HFGB) program provides assistance during the winter season to families experiencing financial hardship who live in the Oak Park and River Forest area. The criteria used to determine who qualifies for the HFGB program are similar to the guidelines set up by the federal government for free/reduced school lunch. If your child qualifies for free/reduced lunch and attends an Oak Park public school, you may benefit from this program.
In past years, the HFGB program offered food gift cards to families in November and family-requested gifts in December. Unfortunately, due to COVID19, it has been determined unsafe to shop for, transport, and provide actual gifts in December. The November gift cards will still be available. These cards will be electronic gift cards to Target, which can be used to purchase items online or at the store. They will be distributed the week of November 16. Due to a higher need this year, these cards may or may not be less than what has been provided in the past.
You must be the head of your household in order to apply for this program, and in some cases proof of income may be requested. If you would like to participate in this program, please email your designated school social worker to schedule a phone call to complete your application.
All applications must be completed by Friday, October 23, 2020. Only one application is needed per household/family.