Thanksgiving Meals Provided for 46 Needy Seniors

Throughout the week of Thanksgiving, the Humanitarian Service Project gratefully received volunteers to help deliver and bake home cooked or freshly bought Holiday meals for 46 needy seniors. Volunteers first chose how many seniors they wished to provide a dinner for. The volunteers then decided which holiday meal items to purchase or bake from a list provided by their senior(s). Items included a small cooked turkey and other various holiday assortments. This year, some groups donated to as many as 12 seniors!

This Thanksgiving the Humanitarian Service Project is especially thankful for the warm caring hearts of the many volunteers who helped spread holiday joy into the lives of our needy seniors. Thank you for providing holiday meals to our seniors, adding a wonderful experience that otherwise would have been missing.

As December approaches the Humanitarian Service Project still has many goals to accomplish in order to serve families in need this Christmas. However, we are glad to announce that thanks to the generosity of our supporters, 150 families will now receive 150 lbs of non-perishable food instead of 100 lbs! Additionally these families will receive 16 to 24 varieties of fresh fruits and vegetables, a frozen turkey, fresh bread, 7 frozen meats, and gifts for the children.

We are also very thankful to our Monday volunteers for helping out with the food sorting. They came in early this morning to compile non-perishable items in boxes for each of our 150 needy families and 120 seniors.

We are still in need of Christmas family sponsorships. It is $60 for one family, $120 for two families, $180 for three families, and $240 for four families. This will enable them to receive 250 lbs of groceries and Christmas presents.

Once these non-perishable food boxes are completed we will be focusing on toy sorting. Let us know if you are able to volunteer, Monday through Friday 9:30am-5:30 pm.

What HSP is Thankful For

Thanksgiving is tomorrow and there are many things to be thankful for this year. In the wake of the day to remember all the important things in life, HSP family answered the very important question what are you thankful for?

♦ I’m thankful for the wonderful support that the project receives, without this support; we would not be as successful as we are today.

- Karole Kettering, Founder/Executive Director

♦ I’m thankful for my parents for never giving up when the going gets tough. Also for their advice and preaching no matter how much I hated it. In addition, for life because it is the only gift that you can enjoy each and every day.

- Alex, Database Administrator

♦ I’m thankful for loyal friends and a supportive family

- Megan, Children Birthday Project Coordinator

♦I’m thankful for family, friends, and being able to work with such fantastic people. I’m also thankful for having such good health

- Sarah, Senior Citizen Project Coordinator

♦ I’m thankful for food on my plate, a roof over my head, a coat to wear on cold days and a fantastic support system (friends and family).

- Kelly, Intern

♦ I’m thankful for the Humanitarian Service Project and all the help it provides to families that truly need it.

- Jan, Toy Room Coordinator

♦ I’m thankful for my family and friends.

- Katie, Intern

♦ I’m thankful for the opportunity to spend quality time with friends and family, the opportunity to read for fun now that I am done with college, being able to shop at resale shops that have nice brands and low prices. In addition, that all my siblings are together even if I’m not with them.

- Sharon, Intern

♦ I am thankful for having my family with me and having an opportunity to study at Elmhurst College.

- Liliana, Intern

♦ I’m thankful for the 6-15 gifts in each child’s birthday box, the three months of the Feed The Kids Project, the two people who founded and made HSP possible, and a partridge and a GIVING TREE!!!!

- Abhi, Intern

HSP would like to thank everyone who has helped out and has made a difference in the lives of hundreds of needy people. We can not do it any of this without you.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Turkey Given For The Holidays

As Thanksgiving Day draws closer, HSP has many things to be thankful for, including all the fantastic donations and support we have been receiving all year round. Today we received 200 frozen turkeys and 200 holiday meals from the Northern Illinois Food Bank gifted by DuPage Willow Creek Church. The 200 turkeys will go to families this holiday. Along with the turkeys we received 200 holiday boxes that provide all the items necessary to have a full thanksgiving meal. Included in the box are stuffing, corn, greens, mashed potatoes, gravy mix, cranberry sauce and a dessert, everything that reminds you of home and family.

Our HSP family is very thankful for the opportunity to provide for needy local families. We are so blessed to have the turkeys and the holiday boxes!!

Monday Volunteers Box Meat for Seniors & Families

Despite the stormy start to the day, today is turning out to be a bright and fantastic, just like the volunteers that came in this morning to work in the warehouse. Troop 935 came and worked with our outstanding Monday morning food sorting team and theses volunteers started putting together bags of meat for our needy seniors as well as our needy families. It was the first time for all of the girl scouts and everyone was eager to help out. All of the meat that these wonderful volunteers put together will be going to 120 seniors and 150 families next month for our annual Christmas Offering. Each bag that was put together contained selections of 3 poultry, 2 pork and 2 beef.

Thank you Troop 935 and our Monday Morning team for coming in and helping prepare meat for 150 families so they can have some great meals during the holiday as well as for the 120 seniors who receive the meat as part of the 90 pounds of food they receive each month for Delivery Day.

Thank You Again!!

Fun Craftsmanship

This week, HSP received a very unique donation of toys from the Dupage Woodworkers.

These toys, crafted out of wood, ranged from helicopters to boats to cars to animals - including giraffes, camels, hippos, squirrels, and even a whale!

HSP would like to thank Richard Ogren, who delivered the toys, and all of the Dupage Woodworkers for making such a wonderful Christmas contribution.

Help Older Children In The CBP Family

The holiday shopping season is upon us, and ‘tis the season to buy toys!! HSP is truly grateful for all toy donations that come through our doors each and every month, but we are in special need of toys for the older members of our Children Birthday Project family for Christmas as well as for their birthday.

Not sure what to get a child between the ages of 8-12 or in need of a friendly reminder, here are a few ideas that will make a child feel special whether it is on Christmas morning or after blowing out their candles on their birthday cake.

For Girls:

- Crafts and items that will help mold their creativity. For example bead kits, jewelry kits, how-to-draw kits.

- Beauty items, because every girl wants to feel like a princess. These items can include bath gel, lotions, shampoo & conditioners as well as bath gloves and luffas and a purse

- Items that can capture and save life’s most important memories like a camera, picture frame and journal.

For Boys:

- Craft items that will also help mold their creativity. For example model kits (cars, plane, animals) and how-to-draw kits, Lego’s.

- Sport items, because sports promote team work, responsibility, fitness and are just fun to play. Example of sports items are football (Jr. Size), Basketball (Size 28.5), Soccer ball (Size 4), and a Frisbee.

- Handheld electronic toys, since we are in the age of technology. Example of games, Wheel of Fortune, Life, Monopoly, Deal or No Deal.

HSP needs your help. Help put a smile on a child face and donate toys to the older members of the Children Birthday Project Family!!

Help Needy Children This Christmas!!

With only a number of days left in November, Christmas will be here before we know it. HSP is still in need of Giving Tree’s, which will provide needy children with a Christmas they will otherwise not get. This Christmas HSP has committed to providing 834 underprivileged children with Christmas gifts.

If you are interested in providing gifts through a giving tree, simply let us know the number of children you would like, and the date in which you need the wish list by. We will then email you the number of wish lists that you requested. Each wish list contains suggested items for each child. You may choose to purchase the entire list, or just one item. Once you have purchased the gifts you will be asked to return them wrapped to our center located at 465 Randy Rd. Carol Stream, IL by December 10^th

If you could help out, we would greatly appreciate it. More and more families are in need of special donors to help out so their children have something to look forward to this holiday season. In fact, the need for assistance is so high, a waiting list has been created, and growing in numbers each and every day. HSP would love to help all 834 children we committed to as well as the families that are on our waiting list, but we can’t do it without you!!

Help light up a child’s face, like the little girl below and give a Giving Tree!!

A Friday Full of Volunteers

This past Friday, HSP was full of volunteers, getting all the last minute Delivery Day tasks completed and helping us prepare for our Christmas Offering. Full of energy and enthusiasm, HSP was blessed to have three groups of volunteers working on not only Delivery Day tasks, but Christmas Offering as well, all at the same time!!

Glen Crest Middle School was busy with food sorting. They helped checked expiration dates as well as do inventory on recent non-perishable food donations. The group worked hard to help us have the food ready to be boxed.

Also helping out, was Glenbard South’s National Honor’s Society. They helped out by making B-boxes in preparation for our Christmas Offering. These boxes will go to 150 local needy families this Holiday season. These students did a fantastic job preparing boxes and ensuring each box weighs 25lbs.
Lastly, Wheaton Warrenville South’s Key Club was here putting together the produce boxes. The 90 pound box filled with 6 varieties of fresh fruit, 12 varieties of fresh vegetables and two or more fresh breads were going to needy seniors who are part of our Senior Citizen Project.


HSP would like to thank all the volunteers that came on Friday and helped out with D-Day and Christmas Offering preparations. Thank you so much for volunteering your time!!

Also, a special Thank You to Larry & Abhi who both led the volunteer groups. Thanks so much you two, we couldn’t have done it without you!!

Week of Celebrations

This week has been full of wonderful wishes and celebrations for HSP. Not only did we celebrate a birthday of a very dedicated staff member who coordinates the Senior Citizen Project, but we also celebrated the birthday of a smart and a resourceful intern.

Each month, HSP delivers fresh produce to low-income seniors in the community, and our Senior Citizen Project coordinator, Sarah, is the anchor who makes it happen behind the scenes. All of us at HSP send her the warmest wishes and a very happy birthday.

If our Senior Citizen Project coordinator is the anchor, then our interns are certainly unsung heroes, without whose help none of us at HSP would be able to get any sleep.

Happy birthday to our intern Marisa. She has been an invaluable help to us, and we send her our warmest wishes too.

We had a wonderful Halloween!

Although we are beginning to look ahead to Thanksgiving and Christmas, we don't want to forget about all the wonderful help we recieved for Halloween! SCP's Holiday Meals Program for Halloween was wonderful! 22 volunteers delivered a meal to 39 seniors in the program! Not only are we thrilled with how many volunteers helped us, we are also so excited about all the positive feeback we have received both from our seniors and the volunteers!!

Morgan, a volunteer who delivered a meal to 2 seniors for Halloween said,

"I would very much like to continue participating with this program, I think it's a wonderful opportunity to provide acts of kindness through the greatness of food and smiles. Thanks for including me! I loved being able to do this for both women."

It is so inspiring to hear that the volunteers get just as much out of the experience as the seniors. Thank you to all the volunteers who helped us provide this wonderful gift for Halloween and every other holiday throughout the year!!

HSP Receives Generous Donations

HSP is really blessed. Today we have had numerous donations from supporters that have showed their generosity in a big way. Today, we have received an anonymous donation of 16 bags of non-perishable items. Taking two trips and a rolling cart, the fantastic donor’s donation will help all of the needy seniors in our program.

 

Also rolling into today was a toy drive from an old friend Madeline Main. Giving for over 4 years, Madeline & St. Alphanonsus Women’s Club of Lemont donated 4 boxes and 12 bags of toys. This generous donation will help provide for our children, so they can have something to look forward to on Christmas Morning

 

 

Lastly, we received an outstanding donation from Downer’s Grove North Direct Action. Today the outstanding students stopped by to drop off 500 cans of foods in 13 boxes and 5 bags of food they collected from their very successful food drive. The students also received a tour of HSP so they can see first hand where their donation is going and who it is going to help.

Volunteer Warehouse Manager Needed

Are you outgoing, work well with others, organized and possess leadership skills? Then HSP is looking for you. HSP is in need of a special volunteer for this month as well as the month of December, who really wants to make a difference in the lives of needy seniors and children this holiday season.

We are looking for a Volunteer Warehouse Manager. The Volunteer Warehouse Manger duties would include working with volunteer groups that come in a sort; help receives donations as well as move and organize donations. In November, the focus will be on food sorting and boxing non-perishable items for the 150 families we are serving this Christmas while in December we will be focused on sorting toys and preparing the gifts for distribution.

If you are interested in donating your time and skills, email HSP at hsp@humanitarianservice.org or give us a call at (630)221-8340. We can’t wait to hear from you!!

We love to see new faces! We want to thank Karen Marnell and Mary Kay Schultz from the Villa Park library for stopping in to see us. We were so happy to give them a tour of the facility and hear about their passion to help those in need.

They are seriously considering sponsoring a needy senior in our Senior Citizen Project and they are planning on holding a toy drive to benefit our Christmas Offering this year! They are also considering being a part of our Secret Pal program. Their goal is to help us year round in any way they can. Their dedication to serving will make a difference to HSP. They plan on spreading the word of their efforts to enroll others in our cause. We look forward to many happy days of service in the future and a wonderful partnership in serving humanity.

Preparing for Delivery Day!

Today HSP is blessed with stellar volunteers who are helping to get ready for the Senior Delivery Day this Saturday. The volunteers were busy all morning assembling non-perishable bags full of items such as crackers, cookies, and canned goods that will be delivered to our needy seniors. In addition, our seniors will be receiving 16 varieties of fresh fruits and vegetables, toiletries, 7 selections of frozen meats, breads, personal care items and secret pal gifts.

Thank You Monday Morning Volunteers! We are thankful for all you are doing to help make Delivery Day run smoothly.

We are still in need of volunteers to help out with Delivery Day.

We are in need of delivery drivers and 1 more volunteer to help load the vehicles of our volunteer drives from 7:45 am-Noon. If you are interested in volunteering or if you would like to find out more information you may either email HSP at scp@humanitarianservice.org or give us a call at (630)221-8340.

Do you believe in as you sow so shall you reap?

When you do good things, good things happen back to you.

We make it as simple as possible for anyone looking to do something good and kind.

For Angelina last year, it was going to be just another day on December 25^th. No matter how hard her Mum worked, and no matter how much it nagged at her heart, Angelina’s mother could not afford anything special for her 9-year old daughter on Christmas day.

Humanitarian Service stepped in, and through a simple act of kindness from just one man who never met Angelina, made her Christmas special.

There are many untold stories just like this that happen in the background during the Christmas season. And with this year’s Christmas holidays swiftly approaching, the Humanitarian Service Project has collected poverty-stricken children’s and low-income senior citizens’ Christmas wishes and is now sending those wishes out to people, just like you, people who want to do something good and kind by making those wishes come true.

If your heart is looking to help, then please give us a call for more information at: 630-221-8340.

Volunteers Help Prepare For Holiday Season

Today HSP was busy with volunteers from The Joint Commission. The five stellar volunteers busily sorted and boxed canned goods to prepare for families who receive them for Christmas. The fantastic volunteers packed boxes from 12:30-3:00pm and helped lessen the load of the busy holiday season.

This is not the first time that The Joint Commission has volunteered their time at HSP. We have seen their smiling faces as food sorters over the last four years. They have also have hosted food drives and collected can good to help the needy seniors and children in our program. In fact, in 2008 they donated 16 boxes of food, collected from one of their many successful food drives.

Thanks A Million Joint Commission for volunteering and helping change lives!!!

Noble Fool Theatricals Visit HSP

HSP wants to give Noble Fool Theatricals Performing Arts Academy one more enormous thanks for their fantastic donation. Six of the young actor and actress who took part in Sleeping Beauty, stopped by yesterday to drop off their collected pajamas and slippers. The excited children came in with 10 bags of items all going to needy children HSP serves.

Before these fantastic children left, they were given a tour of the HSP building to get a glimpse of where the needy children are served first hand.

We are so appreciative for Noble Fool’s donation as well as taking time to come to HSP. Those ten bags of pajamas and slippers will help our children sleep beauti-fully, especially as cold weather and the holiday season nears. Thanks again for your out of this world donation!!!

Happy Tuesday!

HSP is receiving today an outstanding donation of sleepwear and teddy bears from The Noble Fool Theatricals Performing Arts Academy. The Academy’s cast of 6 to 9 year olds put on a performance of Sleeping Beauty on Saturday and Sunday the 23rd and 24th of October, where they collected donation items instead of paying for admission. Noble Fools Theatricals Performing Arts Academy opened its door in 2006 offering theatrical training not only children, but adults as well.

With the enthusiasm and open heart of even the youngest audience members, the stellar performance and clothing drive collected 139 pairs of pajamas, 77 pairs of pajama socks/slippers and 112 stuffed animals in just two performances. Inspired by the idea of helping children sleep beauty-fully, the donation of sleepwear and teddy bears will help children in our program sleep like prince and princesses.

The Theatre puts on well known off Broadway performances including the longest running off Broadway performance of I Love You, Your Perfect Now Change and A Christmas Story for the Holiday Season, all featuring some of the finest actors and actresses, taught by people who love what they do.

Thank you Noble Fool for thinking of HSP!! Your donation will make a big difference in the lives of our needy children!!

Holiday Meals Delivered To Needy Seniors!!!

Yesterday was Halloween, and 40 of our seniors received holiday meals from incredible volunteers. These fantastic volunteers not only drove the food to the seniors, but provided the ghoul-ishly good meals as well. With the holiday meals delivered, the volunteers could only say positive things about the experience. In addition, with the exchange of kind words between the seniors and volunteers, it is not surprising that both seniors and volunteers had an unbelievable Halloween!

Here are some of the comments from the seniors and volunteers:

“I brought Barbara roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, corn bread, and apple pie, she loved it and she blessed us as always!”- Volunteer Jennifer

“I delivered a turkey dish with chicken soup to Essie Mae, she was very thankful and grateful” –Volunteer Hazel

“Had a wonderful time with Eleanor, I dropped off the food and stayed for a couple of minutes, we enjoyed our visit” – Volunteer Kathleen

“As always, your generosity blows me away” – Senior

“A simple act of kindness has a beauty all its own” – Senior

Thank you volunteers for the meals and giving a senior an extra special Halloween Treat!!