Students in Need

The goals of the Foundation for Learning include providing resources to ensure the success of students in need. Since 2014, generous contributors have donated $107,316.15 to support students in need at Libertyville and Vernon Hills High Schools. These funds are used to help students who are in difficult financial circumstances meet their basic needs in order to be able to focus on learning.

How can you help make a difference?

The District 128 Foundation for Learning continues to collect monetary donations to meet its goal of providing resources to ensure the success of D128 students in need. Anyone wishing to support the fund can donate in two ways:

• Credit card users may donate online by visiting this link.
• Checks can be made out to D128 Foundation for Learning and sent to
  • D128 Foundation, 50 Lakeview Parkway, Suite 101, Vernon Hills, IL 60061

Funds collected will be given to further support the students in need at LHS and VHHS.

How the Foundation Helped Students In Need During the Pandemic

April 2020 - Foundation for Learning Helps Families Weather the Pandemic through Students in Need Fund

Since 2014, generous contributors have donated $81,441 to the D128 Foundation for Learning’s Students in Need fund that supports students in need at Libertyville High School and Vernon Hills High School. These funds are used to help students who are in difficult financial circumstances meet their basic needs in order to be able to focus on learning. There could be no greater time than now for the schools to use the funds to support families as they navigate the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the high schools closed in mid-March because of the pandemic, each school continues to provide meals to its students that qualify for these meals through the free and reduced lunch program. Cafeteria staff and staff members at each high school prepare the meals weekly. Students have the choice to pick up their meals for the week or, for those that cannot get to the high school during the day, have staff members deliver the meals to their home. Families are receiving supplemental items for their family including food, cleaning supplies and toiletries if they request these items.  

To supplement the student meals that were distributed on Monday for the week of April 20, LHS used funds from the Students in Need Program to include gift cards for 36 families from Libertyville restaurant Pizzeria DeVille. Families will be able to order food and either use curbside pick up or delivery. Pizzeria DeVille owner John Durning was very excited about the opportunity to partner with LHS and generously provided an additional 25% to the total amount of gift cards the school purchased. 

VHHS chose to include gift cards from Target stores so that families could purchase needed food and supplies. The $25 gift cards were distributed to 51 families with their meal packages. Families were very surprised and thankful for the gift cards according to VHHS Assistant Principal Greg Stilling who assisted with food distribution on Monday.

The Ace Hardware on Peterson Road in Libertyville has been great at working with District 128 to help us get hard-to-find cleaning supplies for our families. 

Both schools will continue to work with local businesses to supplement what is included in the meal packages that are distributed to their high school families in need for the remainder of this school year. If your organization would like to work with the District 128 Foundation for Learning in offering ways to assist our families in need, please contact Executive Director Diane Phillips at diane.phillips@d128.org.