WACO strives to aid disadvantaged youths hidden in suburbia.(Neighbor) - Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL)

Byline: Lorraine Swanson Daily Herald Correspondent

Stan Howard recalls the first time he helped out at a Christmas shopping trip for underprivileged kids sponsored by the Woodfield Area Charity Organization.

Preschoolers were bused to a local Wal-Mart store, where they received a visit from Santa, and then picked out presents for their families with the help of volunteers.

For some of the children, it was the only Christmas cheer they would know.

'Santa came in on a fire truck and the kids' eyes lit up. There wasn't a dry eye in Wal-Mart,' recalls Howard, a Palatine resident and WACO's vice president. 'Afterward, I got on the buses to make sure the kids were OK. A little 3-year-old girl tugged on my sleeve and said, 'God, bless you.' I just lost it.'

Since 1974, WACO has become a household word for its philanthropic work benefiting disadvantaged children and their families in 20 northwest suburban communities.

With very little fanfare, this group of business owners, executives, office workers and trades people have put some of the joy back into childhood for poverty-level kids with donations of bikes, picture books or a warm winter coat.

'(WACO) just gets bigger every year,' says Hoffman Estates-resident Joe Sernett, the president and co-founder of the charitable organization. 'The biggest thing WACO does is enable the average person to get involved with kids. We're the vehicle which puts volunteers in touch with hands-on programs.'

An upcoming example: On June 2, WACO will host an 8K Run/Family Walk, which will kick off at 8 a.m. at Roselle Road and Commerce Drive in Schaumburg.

Proceeds from the event, co-sponsored by Schaumburg's Omron Corp., will go toward the EvenStart Family Literacy Program. Advance registration is $15; the fee is $17 on race day. Individuals interested in participating or volunteering for the 8K run, or learning more about WACO, can call (847) 490-5946.

The organization was started by five area businessmen working out of their homes as sales representatives back in the mid-1970s - long before home offices became fashionable.

Since they were unable to attend holiday festivities hosted by their respective, out-of-state corporate offices, they threw their own 'office' Christmas party at a local restaurant.

After a few years of 'feeling sorry for ourselves,' according to Sernett, they decided to channel their energies into worthwhile causes. Their first project was purchasing a scoreboard for Hilldale Academy in Hilldale, a school for autistic children.

For many years, WACO's charitable deeds were performed anonymously, but as membership grew, so did the unique talents and resources each new member brought to the organization.

Recognizing that a sizable source of corporate support exists in the Woodfield Shopping Center area, WACO's membership went public. Today, the organization has 280 members who pay annual dues of $25 and volunteer thousands of hours working directly with disadvantaged children.

One of the many children's charities receiving support from WACO is EvenStart, a family literacy program based in Hoffman Estates. Through the organization, picture books and other educational learning materials are supplied to largely Spanish-speaking families in five suburban school districts.

'WACO helps us enormously,' says EvenStart Project Director Sandy Taenzer. 'Our families have exceedingly low incomes with limited education backgrounds. WACO has provided us with funds to put together 90 home family literacy boxes, as well as donating trucks to bring in loads of used furniture and clothing.'

One of the organization's most successful events to evolve in thepast decade is the Christmas shopping spree.

This past Christmas, 600 preschoolers from area Head Start programs were bused to Wal-Mart stores in Elk Grove Village, Streamwood and Elgin. Each child received $75 to fulfill their families' holiday wish lists. The kids were also treated to a visit with Santa and lunch from local McDonald's restaurants.

Other children's not-for-profit organizations receiving support from WACO are: Maryville Academy in Des Plaines; the Children's Advocacy Center in Hoffman Estates; Shelter, Inc.'s homes for abused children in Palatine and Arlington Heights; and suburban Drug Awareness Resistance Education programs.

Where WACO seeks to make a difference is in the pockets of poverty that exist in many Northwest suburban communities.

In a 100-square mile area encompassed by Schaumburg, Wheeling and Palatine townships, approximately 6,000 children under age 5 live below the poverty line, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health,

The fund-raising events WACO hosts during the year range from itswhimsical toy sailboat regatta at the village of Schaumburg'sannual Septemberfest, to standing-room-only luncheons atprestigious suburban hotels.

Last year, WACO raised $200,000, and collected another $300,000 in goods, to assist families with yearly household incomes of $12,500 or less. WACO alone is responsible for 10 percent of new toys collected in the Chicago metropolitan area for the U.S. Marines' annual holiday Toys for Tots drive.

In doing so, WACO has also garnered the respect of suburban mayors whose own communities have been enhanced by the services the organization provides.

'They're unique,' Palatine Village President Rita L. Mullins said. 'Usually organizations like this get together and have a vested interest, but not this group. They have great empathy and provide a better quality of life for all children.'

About 97 percent of the funds raised by WACO goes directly to local children's charities, with the remainder meeting the organization's low administrative costs, representatives say.

WACO's governing officers volunteer about 20 hours per week managing administrative operations and planning special events from donated office space in Schaumburg.

Perhaps WACO's biggest accomplishment is showing ordinary people what they can accomplish as a community for less fortunate members of that community.

'I feel as close to them as my own children,' says Lill Blankenburg, a Schaumburg resident and business owner.