A Note to our Wonderful Supporters

We at the Humanitarian Service Project are always so delighted by all of the wonderful ways in which our supporters show how much they care for the needy children and senior citizens we serve. All of the people we serve here at HSP come from very low financial situations, and do not have enough to meet basic needs. However, the ways in which members of the community have worked through HSP to reach out to these people is always inspiring. We want to thank all of our supporters for allowing us at HSP to make such a big impact in the lives of people we so desperately need our help.

As evidenced by the bikes given to Lake Park Elementary yesterday, and our Senior Citizen Project Delivery Day last Saturday, we at HSP, and our supporters, have really hit the ground running this young year to reach out to the needy people we serve in our programs. We want to specifically recognize just a couple of our supporters whose donations this week represent the wonderful things all of the friends of HSP do for those in need.

First, we want to thank United Stationers in Carol Stream for a donation of over 150 Snoopy beanie babies for the needy children in our Children’s Birthday Project. United Stationers has been a friend of HSP for several years, and this donation of theirs is sure to bring smiles to a number of needy children. Secondly, we want to thank Carmax in Hillside for the donation of a whole mini van full of non-perishable food for the sake of the needy seniors in our Senior Citizen Project. Marvin, who dropped off the food, said everyone at Carmax is already coordinating other ways to reach the needy through HSP. Again, we just want to thank, not just these great donors, but all of the friends of HSP. It is only through your caring support that HSP has been able to touch the lives of the countless needy families and individuals we have reached through our projects.

A Gift for Needy Children

We at the Humanitarian Service Project are excited to announce that today, 10 children’s bicycles were picked up from our center in Carol Stream to go to needy children at Lake Park Elementary School in Addison. We are happy to give the bikes to Lake Park Elementary, because we know the bikes will bring joy to very needy children at the school. HSP coordinated with Lake Park Elementary last month, as well, to provide Christmas gifts to the students through our annual Christmas Offering. We know Lake Park will put the bikes to good use, because of the great amount of need at the school. 88% of the students at the school come from families of incomes low enough to receive free school lunch.

We at HSP are always looking for more ways to reach out to those in need in our community. We have been very happy to be able to provide for the needy children at Lake Park, and look forward to doing more for them. However, it is only through the generosity of our supporters that anything we at HSP do for the sake of the needy children and senior citizens is possible. We want to thank everyone who contributes to HSP for helping us reach these needy children at Lake Park Elementary, and everyone else we serve. If you want to know more about our programs, or for ideas about how you can partner with HSP to reach out to someone in need, check out our website at: http://www.humanitarianservice.org/getinvolved/index.html.

A Spice of Life Donation

There is an old saying that goes “diversity is the spice of life.” This is a saying that we can get behind here at the Humanitarian Service Project. In order to do everything possible to reach out to the needy senior citizens and children that we serve, we have a number of supporters assist us at HSP in a myriad of ways. With such a diverse group of wonderful volunteers and donors, it is always interesting to see the many different ways they show how much they care for the needy people served by HSP’s Projects.

One donation came in yesterday that we feel truly exemplifies how great it is to have groups from different backgrounds contributing to HSP. This great group brought a youthful energy into reaching out to the needy senior citizens in our senior citizen. In fact, everything about this group is youthful…they’re 10. We want to thank these fantastic young donors from Forest Glen Elementary School’s 5th Grade Ambassadors Group for a donation of 40 personal care kits for the needy seniors in our program. Every young member of the group decorated a bag for one of our seniors and packed it full of items like wash cloths, tooth brushes, tooth paste, soap, cough drops,vitamins, Ensure protein shakes, and tissues, to make sure the needy seniors feel good and cared for. We know the seniors will be delighted with the bags, and want all the members of the Ambassadors Group to know that their thoughtfulness will really help a senior in need.

Overseeing a Successful Delivery Day

The volunteer loaders and drivers for our Senior Citizen Project Delivery Day this past Saturday had a little extra audience. Humanitarian Service Project’s Co-founder and Chief Financial Officer, Floyd Kettering, spotted a curious hawk surveying the event. Our volunteers sure did not fail to give this observer something to watch, as our monthly delivery day went off without a hitch. Our Senior Citizen Project Coordinator, Tierney Hogan, said despite the large snow the day before, road conditions were thankfully clear and safe for our many volunteer drivers. She also said many extra volunteers came out to help load the cars who were a big help keeping everything running smoothly, particularly because we had a few extra donated goodies going out to our needy seniors this month. We want to thank everyone who contributed to our delivery day this month. It is only through your wonderful help that HSP is able to continually make such a big impact in the lives of the needy seniors we serve.

Every month, each of the 120 needy senior citizens in our Senior Citizen Project receives over 90 pounds of much needed groceries including fresh produce, several types of frozen meats, fresh bread, non-perishables, paper products, personal care items, and a gift from their “secret pal.” We are always in need of people interested in driving these much needed groceries to the seniors either on a regular monthly basis, or as a back up for our regular drivers. Please call us at 630-221-8340, if you would be interested in serving needy senior citizens in this way.

Snow? What Snow?

Forgive the cliché but the weather outside is frightful, but Humanitarian Service Project’s volunteers are so delightful. Today, despite inclement weather, there were several volunteers who came in (many of them on short notice no less) to help us prepare for our senior delivery day tomorrow. First, there was a group of several of our wonderful supporters who made room in their schedules on short notice to help us sort all of the fresh produce for the 120 needy seniors that we will be delivering to tomorrow. Secondly, we want to thank our intrepid volunteer drivers Mike Reich and Tom Hogan, who completely shrugged off the snowstorm to pick up a donation of bread for our deliver day project as well. We want to thank all of these volunteers, Karla Hogan, Christiane Blume, Mike Bolsoni, Steve Stasiak, Marilyn Kinney, Mike, Tom, and the other friends of HSP who took time out of their day today to help prepare us to reach all of the needy seniors we will serve tomorrow.

Every month each of the 120 needy senior citizens in our Senior Citizen Project receive 90 pounds of essentially groceries including, fresh produce, several frozen meats, fresh bread, non-perishables, paper products, personal care items, and a small gift from their “secret pal.” So many wonderful friends of HSP help make this possible in numerous different ways such as, sponsoring a senior in the program, being a “secret pal,” being part of our Monday Food Sorting Team, or volunteering as a loader or driver on our delivery days themselves. If reaching out to senior citizens who are truly in need, in any one of these ways, interests you, you can see our website for more information: http://www.humanitarianservice.org/getinvolved/index.html.

A Senior Says Thanks

At the Humanitarian Service Project there are so many people that offer their time, talents, and resources to help us reach out to the very needy senior citizens and families that we serve. It is only through all of these people (i.e. you) that HSP is able to reach so many people in need. For that reason, when we receive a message of gratitude from someone we serve, we figure it would only be fitting for us to share it to all of you as well. So when we received a thank you from a senior today, we thought it only natural to share it with you.

The senior writes, “Many thanks to all of you and all you do. My Xmas was happier because of all your efforts. I appreciate all of the lovely gifts you sent to me, also your monthly donation. That’s what keeps me going.”

Every month each needy senior in our Senior Citizen Project receives 90 pounds of greatly needed groceries including several varieties of fresh produce, frozen meats, fresh bread, non-perishables, paper products, and a gift from their secret pal. So many of you help in so many different ways to make this all possible, we want to you to know you have both the gratitude of our needy seniors as well as our own. Thank you so much for helping HSP really reach out to so many who desperately need assistance.

HSP Welcomes a New Volunteer!

Humanitarian Service Project would like to introduce you to a new face around our office, Nancy Bagdonas. Nancy will be volunteering to help out in the office on Mondays and Fridays. Nancy will be helping in a number of ways around the office, particularly with things at our front desk. If you happen to pop in on Monday or Friday, please be sure to welcome Nancy to the HSP team!

Nancy became involved in HSP through her membership of the Carol Stream Women’s Club. Nancy joined the Women’s Club when she retired from CSX Railroad, because of her desire to give back to the community. She volunteered here at HSP through the club at Christmas time, and decided she wanted to volunteer around here regularly. Nancy is interested in learning more about how things run here at HSP in hopes that she, and the Carol Stream Women’s Club, can find new ways to help HSP reach out to the needy senior citizens and children that we serve.

Nancy’s hobbies include gardening and cycling. Nancy has been heavily involved in service for many years with her family through the MS Foundation. For years Nancy and her family have run a rest stop for the Nation MS Society’s “Tour de Farms” bike ride, and she is excited that this year she will be cycling in the event. We at HSP are excited to have Nancy volunteering here, and look forward to having her passion for service around the office.