Community Corner

White Shirts, Neckties Needed to Help Give Teens a Fresh Start

Students who have pleaded guilty to minor legal infractions are ordered to attend the H.E.A.R.T. Organization in Bolingbrook and abide by a dress code.

A local nonprofit organization is in need of button down white shirts and neckties to help area youth get back on track.

Area students ages 12 to 18 who have pleaded guilty to minor legal infractions are ordered to attend the H.E.A.R.T. (Helping, Enriching, Advising, Reaching and Teaching) Organization in.

Those enrolled in the 13-week intervention program have to abide by a dress code that includes a clean white shirt and black pants.

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“We teach them to dress for success,” said JoAnn Robinson, founder of the organization.

But sometimes students who are enrolled do not have the proper attire.

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“White shirts is just not a common piece of clothing for children,” Robinson said. “Parents will say, ‘Well, we’ll have to buy one.’ Sometimes we have to put them on our females too because some of the girls will show up with tops that are not appropriate. We try to have the shirts available at no charge to make the entrance into the program easier.”

Donations of any sizes of white shirts are appreciated, Robinson said.

“People don’t even have to clean them. If they need dry cleaning we have a dry cleaner here that does our shirts for 50 cents a piece,” she said.

Necktie donations are also needed.

“We love to put the students in white shirts and neckties,” Robinson said.

The items can be dropped off at the .

Robinson lauds the community’s support of the H.E.A.R.T. program.

“I could not do this work without the love and encouragement of my village,” she said. “Thank God for a second chance program like this to give these kids a fresh start.”

For more information, call Robinson at (630) 226-8742.


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