By Tom Siebert

Assistant director for community relations

PADS of Kendall County

Fifteen-year-old Sydney Gonzales wanted to help the less fortunate in her community. When she heard about Public Action to Deliver Shelter (PADS) of Kendall County, her compassion was directed towards the local homeless population. "I thought about what it must be like to be out in the cold during the winter," Sydney said. "And I wanted to do something to help keep them warm."

So the home-schooled, National Honor Society student began asking members of her church, St. Patrick Parish in Yorkville, for donations. "I was shocked at how much I got," she said. "It was amazing." Sydney received hundreds of donated items that she then assembled into "winter care kits." The kits contained gloves, hand warmers, lip balm, and boxes of tissue.

She hopes they will help keep PADS guests warm for the rest of its season, which lasts until April 16 at seven area churches. They are: Cross Lutheran Church in Yorkville; Yorkville Congregational United Church; Harvest New Beginnings in Oswego; United Methodist Church of Plano; Trinity United Methodist Church in Yorkville; Church of the Good Shepherd in Oswego; and St. Luke's Lutheran Church in Boulder Hill. Extra kits will be used when the next PADS season begins in October. "It was an honor to help my community," said Sydney, who plans to continue contributing to society in a career as a forensic psychiatrist.

Anne Engelhardt, executive director of Kendall County PADS, is grateful to Sydney, the St. Patrick's contributors, and the outpouring of generosity that she witnesses on a regular basis.

"Almost weekly, someone donates clothing, boots, or shoes, hygiene products, and sometimes toys to be offered to homeless guests of PADS," Anne said. "Individuals, as well as groups, have made contributions this year."

For instance, Suzy's Pizza of Yorkville has been donating "care bags" of food to PADS. The Fox Valley Flyers girls' gymnastic team collected 138 items of cold-weather clothing. Salon Giovani in Plainfield donated coats, boots, scarves, gloves, mittens, and sweatshirts. And Cub Scout Pack 348 of Oswego brought cookies one night to the PADS site at St. Luke's church. She is also appreciative to the Caring Hands Thrift Shop in Yorkville, which donates clothing vouchers to PADS guests. And to the Kendall County Food Pantry, under the direction of Maria Spaeth, which provides PADS guests with much-needed storage for hygiene and personal care products.