Each year, Barnes & Noble 2032 in Deer Park, Illinois sets out on an important mission for the holidays: to put a brand new book in the hands of every foster child in their area. Since Deer Park straddles both Lake and Cook Counties, that makes for a large community. Cook County, incidentally, is home to the City of Chicago and most of its surrounding suburbs, making it the second most populous county in the U.S. Combining the two includes over five thousand children under the care of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
Deer Park CRM Michelle Schmitz holds a special place in her heart for foster children because she used to be a foster parent herself. “I just understand the need and I’ve seen the amount of kids in this area that could use some help.”
