CHICAGO — Volunteers at the Irish American Heritage Center in the city’s Mayfair neighborhood on Monday collected items from educational materials, to food, medicinal and hygiene products for migrants who have arrived in Chicago.

People with donations started pulling up to the South Parking Lot of the Irish American Heritage Center on Monday before the event even started.

“We’re a great city and we’re a great neighborhood and our community is incredibly generous with their time; their talent and their treasure and people really want to be helpful,” Alderperson Samantha Nugent of the 39th Ward said.

Several local groups, elected officials and the Consulate General of Ireland in Chicago teamed up with the Irish American Heritage Center to help new neighbors arriving in the city.

The donation drive was to help secure needed items for migrant families.

“I can’t tell you how easy it was to get all these people on board,” Meg Buchanan, Executive Director of the Irish American Heritage Center said. “There was no thought process anywhere, it was ‘yes, what do you need?’”

Here’s a look at the latest numbers of migrant arrivals according to the Office of Emergency Management and Communications:

In the last 24 hours there have been more than 4,364 migrants living in city shelters. More than 570 migrants are also awaiting shelter placement.

Since the start of the operation, the city has welcomed nearly 10,591 migrants. That includes more than 5,664 migrants arriving by bus and another 4,927 plus arriving by other means.

Some of those items organizers are asking people to consider donating are non-perishable foods, baby food and bottled water, educational materials like books in Spanish for children ages two to five, and medicinal items including fever relievers for all age ages, lice shampoo and Pedialyte.

Hygiene products are a major need – including certain feminine products, soap, shampoo and conditioner, deodorant, baby wipes, diapers and more.

Kathy Forcier showed up with a large donation and tells us she feels grateful to be able to help.

“It’s amazing. I mean when I was picking out the things, I thought, you know I take all of this for granted,” Forcier said. “It’s in my closet at home and don’t even think twice about it. It kind of just breaks my heart to think that people don’t have these essentials.”

Nonprofit my block my hood my city – also part of organizing the donation drive –says they’re providing clean clothes for migrants.

“We’re here to share love and get the essential needs that they don’t have and need every day to be – to feel good about themselves and just to be humane and human,” JoJo Jackson of My Block My Hood My City said.

If you are able to donate any of the items listed above, organizers ask the the public bring the items to the South Parking Lot of the Irish American Heritage Center between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Monday, June 5.

Irish Community Services; Consulate General of Ireland; My Block, My Hood, My City; 39th Ward Alderperson Samantha Nugent, State Representative Mike Kelly, and State Senator Ram Villivalam partnered with the Irish American Heritage Center to secure items for migrants coming to Chicago.