DuPage County Offers Texting Option to Receive Health and Human Services
DuPage County residents can text their ZIP code to 898211 and be connected with the county’s free 211 health and human services information and referral system.
The new texting option is available between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. weekdays. Residents can still dial 211 or go to www.211dupage.gov to find services near them 24 hours a day, seven days a week, county officials said in a news release.
Texting improves the county’s ability to connect residents with resources and support, Human Services Chairman Greg Schwarze said in a statement. Texting will start a conversation with a live, trained operator who can connect residents with the right information.
DuPage County has compiled a database of more than 600 service providers connecting residents to social service resources, including clothing or personal items, disaster help, food, health and wellness, income support, legal aid, transportation and more.
The 211 helpline, which launched in November 2022, is confidential. It has connected more than 8,000 people to social services, county officials said.
It is different from 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which provides free and confidential support for people in a mental health, suicidal or emotional crisis.
Police Step Up Enforcement of Drivers Texting
The Naperville Police Department is recognizing Distracted Driving Awareness Month and increasing patrols that will be looking out for drivers who are texting and driving, police said in a news release.
Naperville Police are partnering with the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Illinois State Police and more than 200 local law enforcement agencies who will beef up patrols during April for texting and other traffic violations.
It is illegal in Illinois to use a phone in anything other than hands-free mode, police said.
About 32,000 people nationwide died in crashes involving distracted drivers between 2012 and 2021, police said.
While everyone has a potential for distracted driving crashes, teens and young adults between the ages of 16 and 24 are especially at risk, police said.
The Illinois distracted driving campaign is funded with federal traffic safety dollars.
Naperville Ben & Jerry’s Offering Free Cone Day
Residents looking for a free ice cream cone and a chance to help the Naperville Humane Society can pop into the Downtown Naperville Ben & Jerry’s shop between noon and 8 p.m. April 16.
The shop, 120 Water St., will offer free cones as the company celebrates Free Cone Day, a tradition since 1979. For a $2 donation to the Humane Society, guests can receive their ice cream in a waffle cone.
In addition to cash donations, Ben & Jerry’s of Naperville will be collecting pantry staples for the Humane Society. The Humane Society is in need of non-clumping cat litter, canned Fancy Feast pate for kittens that is not fish, dry Science Diet kibble chicken for kittens, bleach, liquid laundry soap and soft dog treats that are made in the U.S.
The event also features a chance to win a raffle basket for $1 per ticket.
Earth Week Naperville Projects Planned
Several community events and volunteer projects are being held in April and May to commemorate the 54th annual Earth Day, which is April 22. This year’s theme is “Planet vs. Plastics.”
The City of Naperville’s annual Arbor Day Tree Sale is available until 5 p.m. April 17 at www.naperville.il.us. Pickup will be Saturday, April 20 at the Naperville Public Works Service Center, 180 Fort Hill Dr.
The Naperville Park District will host a district-wide volunteering event from 9 a.m. to noon April 20. Volunteers will help with park maintenance tasks such as mulching, planting and weeding at various parks. For more details, email rkrzyszkowski@napervilleparks.org.
Also April 20, the Naperville Police Department and Naperville Park District will host a free shredding event from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the parking lot of Centennial Beach, 500 Jackson Ave. Up to two boxes of documents can be brought to be shredded and recycled.
The Conservation Foundation will host its 33rd annual DuPage River Sweep to pick up trash at various sites in and along the waterway from 9 a.m. to noon May 4. Register by April 20 at www.theconservationfoundation.org.
Other local organizations are hosting plant sales on Saturday, May 11. Naperville Community Gardeners will have a plant sale from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Ron Ory Community Garden Plots, 811 S. West St., and the McDonald Farm’s annual plant sale hosted by the Conservation Foundation will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 10S404 Knoch Knolls Road.
Michelle Mullins is a freelancer.
