Operation Dropbox expands into Lake County

WAUKEGAN – The McHenry County Department of Health announced the sixth annual Operation Dropbox, a donation drive dedicated to supporting more than 3,000 local veterans and their families.

For the first time, the drive is expanding to include Lake County through a partnership with the Lake County Health Department. Organizations, churches, libraries and businesses in both Lake and McHenry counties are invited to participate as drop site locations.

Operation Dropbox is a multi-county initiative in which Medical Reserve Corps volunteers collect donations from drop sites and deliver them to Veterans Path to Hope, a nonprofit dedicated to providing housing, employment assistance, peer support, caregiver training and counseling to homeless veterans.

To learn more about Veterans Path to Hope, call 815-321-4673 or visit veteranspathtohope.org.

The Lake County satellite site, Lake County Veterans and Family Services, is a drop-in center staffed by veterans that offers the same services.

Both Lake and McHenry counties will hold state-mandated emergency preparedness exercises in June. McHenry County Medical Reserve Corps volunteers and MCDH staff will conduct one exercise. The Lake County Medical Reserve Corps and the Lake County Health Department will hold a separate exercise. Both will use the collected donations to simulate the process of unloading and distributing medical countermeasures in an emergency.

Operation Dropbox in 2024 saw a record level of community support, with 87 organizations participating as drop site locations and 8,283 pounds of donations for Veterans Path to Hope – both bests for the program.

Organizations in McHenry County interested in hosting a donation box can sign up here. The MCDH will provide all necessary materials, including donation boxes and signage. The deadline to sign up is April 4, with supplies delivered during the week of April 21. For information or to become a Medical Reserve Corps volunteer, contact the MCDH at Community-Health@mchenrycountyil.gov or call 815-334-4500.

For Lake County organizations, churches, libraries, and businesses interested in participating, please sign up here. For more information or to become a Medical Reserve Corps volunteer please contact the Lake County Health Department at HLHealthEM@lakecountyil.gov or call 847-377-8186.