ILLINOIS LETTER ID DRIVE

The Invest in Kids Act’s Tax Credit Scholarship Program provides strong incentives for donors to support Illinois children from low-income homes and guarantees a high-quality education at a Catholic school of their choice. Students may use these scholarships to attend a nonpublic school of their choice, including the 157 archdiocesan schools in Cook County and Lake County. Your donation reduces what you owe to the state at tax time or could increase your state tax refund, all while funding a quality Catholic education for a child and supporting our Catholic schools!

If you want to take advantage of a tax credit and our 1-for-1 Matching Program, we can help you get started. Obtaining a letter ID is the first step.

Step 1

• Log on to mytax.illinois.gov to Request Letter ID
• If you already have an account, enter your username and password to verify.
• If you do not have an account, scroll down to the “Individuals” box on the left.

Step 2

• Click on “Request a Letter ID.”

Step 3

• Enter your Social Security Number and one of the following:
  • IL-PIN
  • Most recent adjusted gross income
  • IL driver’s license number
  • IL state identification number
• Click “Submit,” confirm your email address, then click “OK” and receive your confirmation.

Your Letter ID will arrive in the mail at the address on your previous year’s tax return within 7-10 business days. The Letter ID expires 90 days from the date it is issued. Please activate your account upon receipt of Letter ID. If you have questions, call 312-534-2617 or email
investinkids@archchicago.org. Wait until December 1 to make your donation and take advantage of the 1 for 1 Matching Program.

Detailed instructions on completing your donation are available here. As a reminder, under the Invest in Kids Act, corporate donors are not permitted to direct their donation to a specific school.

Each year before Thanksgiving, and again before Easter, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul reconnects with families it has helped in the past. They are invited to come to the church to select items that they need and want for their family’s use. We offer pantry items, toiletries, paper products, and supermarket gift card for fresh foods and other items for their feast. We know the people we serve. Each family has been visited at least once, and some several times over the years, by two members of the Society. These home visits are an important part of our service to those in need and it is in sitting down and talking in the privacy of a person’s home that we assess their situation and offer the help we can. (During the pandemic we met people outdoors or by phone.) We have met pregnant women whose lives have been upended by difficult situations, workers without paid sick leave, a dad who could not work due to cancer, and later his widow with young children who wondered how she would manage.  We serve families living in basements, in apartments above a store, in two flats and in apartment buildings on Western, Wilson, Lawrence, Montrose, Kedzie and many other streets in our area.

These are your neighbors. Some speak Spanish, some speak Arabic, many speak English. Most of the families we serve have children but others are older adults and people dealing with chronic illness who are often living alone. When they call on us, they are calling on you as members of our parish, and when we answer, it is through your generosity that we can offer them food, toiletries, help with a bill, clothing, and other necessities.

If you are able to donate groceries and toiletries, please bring your donation to the church during the usual Mass times up through Friday, November 18th. You may also donate through Give Central or place cash or checks in the Poor Boxes located either side of the stairs just outside the Gathering Space in Queen of Angels Church.

May God bless you for your generosity.