People's Resource Center distributed a record 1,069 backpacks in a single day at its annual back-to-school event during the 2026 season, first reported by My Suburban Life.

The Wheaton nonprofit gave out 1,200 backpacks total. Each included school supplies and a gift card, said Sarah Martin, PRC's senior manager of social services.

"The motivation behind the back-to-school [event] is that we want to be able to set folks up for success in their school year, and we know that buying school supplies on top of all of the household's regular expenses can be challenging," Martin said.

Families with elementary through high school students spent an average of $863 on back-to-school items in 2026, according to the National Retail Federation.

A growing campus for growing demand

PRC has served DuPage County since 1975. The year 2025 marked its 50th anniversary.

The nonprofit completed an $8 million capital campaign called "Building a Better Tomorrow" and cut the ribbon on a newly expanded Wheaton campus in early 2025. The project added an 11,000-square-foot facility at 211 Naperville Road, creating a two-building campus alongside PRC's existing headquarters at 201 Naperville Road.

The organization serves about 25,000 DuPage County residents a year with help from more than 2,500 volunteers.

Its reach extends well beyond backpacks. PRC's food pantry distributed more than 53,573 shopping carts of food to DuPage families in 2025, according to the Wheaton Lions Club. The nonprofit also offers free art classes in painting, ceramics and collage at its Wheaton and Westmont locations, taught by local artists. And PRC partners with the Wheaton Public Library on a job-interview preparation program called "Tell Me About Yourself."

Countywide strain on families

DuPage nonprofits beyond Wheaton are reporting similar pressure. At Hope's Front Door in Downers Grove, Executive Director Janell Robinson said the organization saw a 32% increase in new families seeking help compared to the same period in 2025.

Martin said PRC's back-to-school event also connects families with social services beyond school supplies. Volunteers work directly with parents and students, and donors who no longer have school-age children shop for supplies on someone else's behalf.