Good Luck, Pedro!

Yesterday everyone at Humanitarian Service Project got together to bid farewell to our Accounting Intern Pedro, who completed his internship yesterday. Pedro has been a fantastic presence in the office, and has been of incredible help both as an accountant and in other departments around the office (thanks, in no small part, to his bilingual skills.) HSP Co-Founder and Chief Financial Officer Floyd Kettering, who has been working one on one with Pedro throughout Pedro’s internship, said he had a fantastic time working with Pedro because he is so diligent and hard working. At the goodbye party we had for Pedro yesterday, everyone else echoed Floyd’s sentiment.

Pedro has just a few credits left to go for his accounting degree, after which he will be preparing to take his CPA exam to become a full fledged accountant. We all wish Pedro luck in this endeavor, and know that he will do great!

Pedro said he had a great time being an intern at HSP, and was grateful for the opportunity. We at HSP feel the same way about working with Pedro. If being an intern at HSP sounds like an opportunity you, or someone you know, would be interested in pursuing, you can view our opportunities online at internships.com, idealist.org, or many local colleges’ online job posting websites. Or, you can call us at 630-221-8340 for more information.

Hot off the Presses

There is an old adage that says “all press is good press.” However, we at the Humanitarian Service Project know this old saying is inaccurate because some press isn’t good, it’s great! For that reason, we at HSP are excited to announce that HSP was featured in both The Daily Herald and The Carol Stream Press over the weekend.

Both articles were about the toys donated by HSP to the needy children at Lake Park Elementary in Addison.


You can read the Daily Herald article online here: http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20111223/news/712239794/

And the Carol Stream Press article online here:
http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/carolstream/newsnow/x2084005364/The-big-number-415

We want to thank Beth Mistretta at The Daily Herald and Sara Smith at The Carol Stream Press for the, not good but great, articles getting the word out about HSP. We also want to thank all of our supporters who made the donation for all the needy students at Lake Park, and all the other 1100+ children we served this Christmas, possible. It is only through your heartfelt support that HSP is newsworthy.

Happy Holidays from HSP!

We at Humanitarian Service Project are currently wrapping up our Christmas Offering and looking forward to take a few days off to celebrate the holiday with our families. Before we do so, we wanted to take some time to reflect on the Christmas Offering. Because of the outpouring of support from our donors and volunteers, we managed to reach over 1600 needy children with gifts this year, as well as provide food for the needy families in our Children’s Birthday Project. This includes the gifts given to the 416 needy children at Lake Park Elementary in Addison (which we discussed in the blog yesterday,) a first for HSP’s Christmas Offering. We want to thank all of our fantastic donors and volunteers who put so much love into helping us reach out to all of the very needy people we served this Christmas. Your heartfelt support is what makes all that we do at HSP possible.

If there is a camera that takes photos wide enough to show all of the gifts and food we at HSP gave to needy families for our Christmas Offering this year, we certainly don’t have it, but these photos should give you a glimpse of what was given out this year.

Just a reminder, Humanitarian Service Project will be closed for the holidays next Monday, December 26th, and Tuesday, December 27th. We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Quite the Story

A person doesn’t have to be around Humanitarian Service Project for long before they start acquiring good stories to tell. Today, it was Paul Yambrovich, our Community Outreach Coordinator, who got a new story under his belt. We thought it imperative to share this story with all of our supporters, not just because we think it is such a great story, but because all of our supporters had a hand in making it a reality.

Paul’s story is about Lake Park Elementary School in Addison. Earlier this week, we delivered Christmas gifts to all 416 children at the school, and Paul was invited to the school today to witness all of the children receive the toys. He described it as “the coolest thing [he’s] seen since [he’s] been here at HSP. The kids were so happy; many of them were literally jumping up and down for joy.”

Lake Park Elementary is a school with many needy children. Almost 90% of the students come from families so economically needy that they are on the free lunch program. Lake Park’s principal told Paul that for many of the needy students at the school, this would likely be all they would receive for Christmas. It is only through the overwhelming support of all of our supporters that HSP was able to provide gifts to these needy children at Lake Park Elementary, and the over 1100 other children we have reached out to this Christmas. We want to thank all of donors and volunteers for all they have done to make it possible.

A Marathon We Are Happy to Run (metaphorically)

We at the Humanitarian Service Project are still in the throes of our marathon Christmas Offering distribution. We have had over 75 needy families who requested to be on our Christmas Offering waiting list come to our center in Carol Stream today to pick up Christmas gifts for their children age 3-15. However, we still aren’t calling it quits after this crop, we will have dozens of more needy families from the waiting list coming in the next two days. We want to thank all of our wonderful volunteers and donors who have made it possible for us to reach so many needy families this Christmas. This Christmas HSP has been able to provide for roughly 1600 needy children (400 more than last year.) We want to thank all of our supporters from the bottom of our hearts, because it is only because of all of you that we have been able to make a positive impact in the lives of so many people who need it.

We want to bring special recognition to one of the groups who have helped us recently make our Christmas Offering possible. Last night, 42 members of the UIC College Prep Marine Corps JROTC came in with over 200 toys and with hearts ready to work. Our Toy Room organizer Jan Thompson said, “It was one of the biggest thrills of my life, watching 42 marine cadets stream into that tiny room and sort all of those toys so fast.” We want to thank the UIC JROTC, and all of our other wonderful donors and volunteers, for making our Christmas Distribution days this year such wonderful successes.

Status Report

This post will be shorter than usual, because our Christmas Offering Distribution is still, at this very second, going on. However, we wanted to take a quick time out to thank everyone who made today possible. Specifically we want to thank the volunteers and donors who have made our Christmas Offering this year such a success. We have had almost 240 needy families come in today to pick up food and Christmas gifts for their children aged 3-15. Also, thanks to the overwhelming support of our donors, we will be serving over 140 more needy families this week with Christmas gifts, who called in requesting help for Christmas as well.

We want all of our donors and volunteers to know that it is only through your fantastic support that we at Humanitarian Service Project have been able to make such a positive impact in the lives of so many needy families this holiday season. We want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts, as well as, wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Distributing Cheer

Humanitarian Service Project would like to extend a humongous thank you for the over 70 volunteers that made the first stage of our Christmas Offering Distribution a success this past Saturday. Thanks to these hardy volunteers we succeeded in providing 100 of the needy families enrolled in our children’s birthday project with Christmas gifts for all children age 3 to 15 in their family as well as over 250 pounds of food (including fresh produce, seven frozen meats, bread, a turkey, and six boxes of non-perishables.) Our second distribution day is tomorrow, in which over 230 needy families from our children’s birthday project will be receiving Christmas gifts, as well as food, to help make Christmas special for them. With all the wonderful support we have received from our donors and volunteers, we are prepared for another successful distribution tomorrow. We want to thank each and every one of our supporters from the bottom of our hearts, it is only through your heartfelt assistance that HSP is able to make such a positive impact in the lives of so many needy people in the area.

We are also happy announce that because of the overwhelming support we have received for our Christmas Offering this year, today HSP was able to donate Christmas gifts to every student at Lake Park Elementary School in Addison today (totaling 416 students.) Almost 90% of the students at Lake Park Elementary come from families with low enough economic backgrounds to qualify for free school lunch. If it were not for the wonderful support we have received from our generous donors and steadfast volunteers, we would never have been able to reach out to this very needy school.

Sweating for a Good Cause

According to the Mayo Clinic, regular exercise not only helps control your weight and keep fit, it has numerous other positive affects on your mood, energy levels, and sleep cycle. Of course, when that exercise is taking place in our warehouse it has a much larger positive benefit; all the exercise done in our warehouse helps make an impact in the lives of the needy families and seniors we serve.

We want to thank all of our volunteers for exercising both their bodies and hearts to assist us in reaching out to the needy families we are serving this Christmas. We specifically want to acknowledge the groups who came in today to volunteer. A group of 5 from Kohl in Downer’s Grove, a group of 12 students from Midwestern University, Wheaton North Key Club, and a group of four girl scouts from Metea Valley High School. These fantastic groups, and a number of other fantastic volunteers, have generously given their time and energy to help us sort food and toys for the needy families we will be serving tomorrow at our Christmas Offering Distribution. We want to thank all of you for your help in making Christmas special for the very needy families that we serve.

It Sure Beats a Partridge in a Pear Tree

This time of year, it is unlikely for any to go the entire day without hearing a song about Christmas. Everyone is sure to have their own favorite, but a very popular one likely to be heard by all this year is “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” Many of the gifts described in this classic Christmas song are somewhat peculiar (when was the last time your true love gave you three French hens?) In fact, unless you are a really big bird person or are really into watching lords leap, the gifts included in the song are downright impractical. However, we at the Humanitarian Service Project have been blessed to receive far more practical gifts this Christmas; the gift of wonderful volunteers.

We have been so lucky to have a number of groups and individuals who, to show their “true love,” instead of sending away for a partridge in a pear tree have taken it upon themselves to donate their time and energy to help us reach out to needy families at Christmas time. We want to specifically thank the groups who came in today to work in our warehouse. Firstly, we want to thank the Transition Group from Glenbard North High School who helped us set up to prepare for the first stage of our Christmas Distribution, which is this Saturday. We would also like to thank a group of 5 from Kohl’s who helped us sort gifts, as well as sort and weigh potatoes and onions for the needy families coming on Saturday. Last but not least we want to thank a group of four from the Roselle Lyons Club who, among other things, helped us organize gifts in our warehouse. We want to thank these groups, and all of our other wonderful volunteers. We wish them a joyful 12 days of Christmas.

Unambiguously Generous

Way back in 1964, the late children’s poet and author Shel Silverstein published one of his most popular works, a book entitled The Giving Tree. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with the classic children’s book, it is the story of a tree who continually gives whatever is asked of him by a little boy, in each stage of the boy’s life. What makes this story somewhat unusual amongst others in children’s literature is that interpretations about the moral and themes of this story vary widely from person to person. Some see the story as sad, whereas others see it as a story about unconditional love. However, we at the Humanitarian Service Project have our own “giving trees” around here which are much less ambiguous. Our “giving trees” are gifts provided by donors (who are as generous as Shel Silverstein’s giving tree) to make Christmas special for needy children, or senior citizens. Unlike Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree, we think the verdict on our giving tree donors is much more cut and dry; they are amazing!

With the senior giving tree gifts having been delivered to the needy seniors yesterday, and the first families coming to pick up the children’s giving trees this Saturday, we wanted to take this opportunity to extend our thanks for the wonderful generosity of all of our giving tree donors. All of the drivers who delivered the gifts to the needy seniors yesterday said that the seniors were overjoyed to receive all of the wonderful gifts generously donated by their giving tree donors. Steve Stasiak, who delivered the giving tree gifts to all of the needy seniors we serve in Bensenville (plus 2 others,) said “it was very clear that these gifts were making a big impact in [the seniors] lives.” We want to thank all of our fantastic giving tree donors for devoting their time and money to make such a big impact in the lives of the needy seniors and children we serve.

Bravo Ginna!

During award shows, like the Oscars or Emmys, the orchestra plays an important, but somewhat awkward role. When the recipient of an award is going on and on, the orchestra has to begin playing and interrupt the award winner to let them know they are taking too much time. We don’t have this problem at the Humanitarian Service Project (which is good because we couldn’t afford an orchestra anyway.) The people we want to recognize are always so very deserving, and humble, you would never be able to characterize any of them as long winded. Such was the case today, as we showed our appreciation for a volunteer of ours that more than deserves special recognition, our volunteer Secret Pal Coordinator Ginna Ericksen. Ginna has been helping with our Secret Pal Program for quite some time now, and volunteered to help us a lot more this season to organize, not only the Secret Pal Program for the seniors, but also the giving trees going to the seniors. Ginna stepped up right at a time when we really needed her, and has performed well above and beyond the call of duty. We were very happy to take a little time out to recognize Ginna today, to thank her for all she has done for the sake of the needy seniors we serve!

We thought today would be the perfect day to thank Ginna, as today represented the culmination of all of her hard, and generous, work. Today was the gift delivery day to the 120 needy seniors in our Senior Citizen Project. All of the generous gifts provided by the seniors’ secret pals, and other bighearted, giving tree donors went out the door to make the holiday season a little more special for the seniors. We want to thank all of the wonderful volunteers and donors who made it possible for us to reach out to all of our seniors this Christmas. Your generosity has made a huge impact in the lives of those who desperately need it.

Party Time

Imagine walking into a room and seeing a pile of 10 gifts lying on a table. You would naturally assume that a party is going on in that room. Who wouldn’t? A grouping of gifts is an international symbol that says, “Party over here.” Of course, we at the Humanitarian Service Project are not the kind of people who do things small so, when we held a party yesterday, it wasn’t a collection of ten gifts that signified it was a party, but several thousand. Yes, yesterday was our annual boxing party, for the sake of the needy families and senior citizens we serve. We had a group of almost 100 volunteers who came to the party to help sort gifts for the estimated 1200 children and 120 seniors we will be reaching out to with gifts at Christmas time. We want to thank all of these fantastic volunteers for taking time out to help us get organized for Christmas. There heartfelt work will help us at HSP make Christmas a little more special for all the children and senior citizens that we serve.

However, our annual boxing party certainly doesn’t mean we are all partied out. Every day from now until December 23^rd will be a busy day here at HSP as we continue to get things ready for our Christmas Offering. In fact, we had groups from The Kiwanis Club of Willowbrook/ Burr Ridge, Plymouth Tube in Warrenville, and Cabela’s in Hoffman Estates volunteering in our warehouse today, to continue the work from the boxing party. We want to thank them, and all of our other volunteers, for making all that we do for the needy families and individuals we serve possible.

The Great Cardboard Castle of the HSP

The Pyramids of Giza, the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal, all of these are likely to spring to mind while contemplating the man-made wonders of the world. While it may not last as long as these (in fact, we’re counting on it) we at the Humanitarian Service Project have, what we feel, is a worthy submission to be counted among these legendary constructions; the Great Cardboard Castle of the HSP. With walls and towers of cardboard boxes, and a moat of black plastic bags, the Great Cardboard Castle of the HSP is a fortress built both for (and of) the gifts for the estimated 1200 needy children and 120 needy senior citizens. The Great Cardboard Castle of the HSP is the only seasonal castle that any of us at HSP know of. It is an annual labor of love built by the goodwill of our donors and volunteers, for the sake of the very needy people we serve.

We also want to specifically thank the volunteer groups that came in today to serve in the castle, (formerly known as the warehouse,) for the sake of the needy people we serve.

We want to thank the Interact Club of Lyons Township High School who spent over 4 hours sorting gifts, and food in the for the needy people we serve.

We also want to thank a group of seven from the Rotary Club of Bloomingdale/ Roselle who’s hard, and heartfelt, volunteer work made them integral members of our castle’s retinue.

And last but not least is a group of 4 students from Glenbard South High School’s Key Club. This fantastic club comes in every month the day before our Senior Delivery Days to help us prepare to send over 90 pounds of groceries to the 120 needy senior citizens in our Senior Citizen Project.

On top of these groups, we want to extend our deepest thanks to all of our supporters who help us at HSP in a myriad of different ways. It is only through your support that we are able to reach out to all of those in need that we serve. You are the foundation for which we have built The Great Cardboard Castle of the HSP.

Strength in Numbers and in Heart

Many people who study ants (that’s Myrmecologists for you trivia buffs) became fascinated with ants because of their ability for team work. A group of ants can move objects many thousands of times heavier than any individual ant by working together. Many people consider this a marvel of the animal kingdom. While we at Humanitarian Service Project do not wish to offend any ants, or any myrmecologists, we think the teamwork that ants are capable of does not hold a candle to the work our volunteers can accomplish by working together. Through all of their hard work, they have accomplished tasks infinitely more impressive than anything observed by any Myrmecologist. It is only through them that HSP manages to reach out to all of the needy families and senior citizens we serve both for Christmas and year-round.

HSP has had so many groups coming in recently to help make our Christmas Offering run smoothly. We want to thank each and every one of them, for their heartfelt service, as well as call attention to the groups who have been in, in the last few days:

A group of 5 from General Mills, who helped sort Christmas gifts as well as a number of other tasks in our warehouse.

A group of 12 students and their chaperones from Geneva High School who, among other tasks, helped us prepare for our monthly Senior Delivery Day this Saturday during which the 120 needy seniors in our Senior Citizen project each receive 90 pounds of groceries.

The Direct Action Club of Downer’s Grove North High School who came in with a very generous donation of gifts for 150 needy children and 25 needy senior citizens, which they themselves sorted in our warehouse as well as assisting in our toy room, and other tasks.

5 volunteers from Kohl’s in Wheaton, who helped sort and organize toys in our upstairs toy room.

9 volunteers from longtime friend of HSP, United Stationers who helped organize our warehouse to store all of the gifts for the needy children we will be serving this Christmas.

And, last but not least, 14 pharmaceutical students from Midwestern University who did a number of tasks in our warehouse including organize the toys already brought in by our wonderful donors for the needy children we serve.

Again, we want to thank, not only these groups, but all of the volunteers who help things run smoothly around here at HSP. Without you, we would never be able to make Christmas a special time for all of those we serve.

The Christmas Rush

One of the interns around here has a unique Christmas memory. When he was in 4^th grade, his class put on a Christmas concert for their parents. However, his teacher felt a certain aspect of the Christmas season was not being represented in the show, which included such standards as “Jingle Bells” and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” so she added a song that she felt encapsulated the underrepresented side of Christmas. The song was called “The Christmas Rush.”

Let us tell you, that particular facet of the Christmas Season is certainly not underrepresented here at the Humanitarian Service Project. All week we’ve been hurrying and scurrying alongside our donors, and volunteers, embracing the Christmas rush, in order to make Christmas a special time for all of the needy senior citizens and families that we serve.

We want to thank all of the donors and volunteers who have taken time out of their own personal Christmas rush to share in ours. A few specific groups we want to mention by name are the Carol Stream Women’s Club for going above and beyond to provide for a very needy family in our program, Lesley Ronson Brown and everyone at Yoga by Degrees in Wheaton for providing Christmas gifts for 19 needy seniors citizens, and the Bengali Association of Greater Chicagoland for bringing in a carload of food for the needy families and seniors we serve. We want everyone of our supporters to know that it is only through their help that we at the HSP can make a positive impact in all of those we serve who desperately need it. We wish you a Happy Holidays, and best of luck with your Christmas rush!

Kohl’s Cares

We at the Humanitarian Service Project don’t have uniforms, but that doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate a good uniform when we see it. One positive aspect of wearing uniforms is how well they can convey a message. That being said, uniforms also carry with them a responsibility; to live up to the message they present. Earlier today, we at Humanitarian Service Project had a group of uniform-clad volunteers who certainly did not shirk this responsibility. Their actions more than backed up the message written in plain english on their uniforms. That message was “Kohl’s cares.” Humanitarian Service Project would like to extend a big thank to a group of 5 volunteers from the Kohl’s store in St Charles; Craig Stiles, Stephanie Krauss, Pam Serrano, Max Jansky, and Lori Casey, and their district manager, Sheryl Mark, for volunteering in our warehouse today, and showing how much they really do care.

This group spent three hours sorting food for the sake of the needy families and senior citizens that we serve both at Christmas time and throughout the year. Pete Laabs, one of our seasonal warehouse supervisors, commented that these volunteers from Kohl’s were incredibly hard working. The care and passion that they put into working here will help HSP make Christmas a very special time for the needy families and seniors that we serve.

If you too wish to show how much you care for those in need of others, there are a number of ways you can do so. You can learn about our Christmas Offering at our website here: http://www.humanitarianservice.org/whatwedo/christmasoffering.html, or you can call us at 630-221-8340 to schedule a time to volunteer.

It’s Beginning to Feel A Lot Like Hat Weather

The grass may be holding onto its green hue now, but, with winter weather already here, soon enough it will turn a wheat-like brown. When that happens, we at Humanitarian Service Project will surely be breaking out our winter hats and gloves to combat the cold. However, for many of the needy children and senior citizens we serve, good winter clothes are hard to come by. If you would like to help keep a needy individual warm this winter, we would be thrilled to accept donations of new winter coats, hats, gloves, or scarves.

At Christmas time we at Humanitarian Service Project get into the spirit in order to make Christmas special for all of the needy individuals and families we serve. We will be serving an estimated 1200 children with Christmas gifts, as well as the 120 needy seniors in our Senior Citizen Project. We will also be providing food assistance for 250 of the needy families in our Children’s Birthday Project. If you would like to help us reach out to these people in desperate need, by donating new winter clothes (gloves, hats, coats), toys, or food please call us at 630-221-8340 for more information or swing by our center at 465 Randy Road in Carol Stream.

Cold Weather, but Warm Hearts

With the mercury dropping lower and lower and the sun setting earlier and earlier, it is clear that winter is upon us. People are bound to be cold from head to toe at this time of year, but we at that Humanitarian Service Project have experienced first hand that the same can not be said for the hearts of our volunteers and donors, which are as warm now as they are at any time of year. We have had so much wonderful support recently to help us reach out to the needy families and senior citizens that we serve at Christmas time. We want to thank everyone who has donated or volunteered; it is only through your heartfelt assistance that HSP is able to make such a positive impact in the lives of those that truly need our assistance.

We would like to recognize a few donations that came in today that came some very warm hearts:

· We want to thank Barnes and Noble in Oakbrook for the donation of 1658 new books through a book drive to give to the needy children in our Children’s birthday project. We also want to thank our volunteers Mike Baumgartner and Steve Stasiak for setting aside time to pick up and load the books.

· We also want to thank United Stationers in Carol Stream for the donation of several large boxes of food collected through a food drive for the needy seniors and families we serve at Christmas time. United Stationers has been a huge supporter of HSP for the past 5 years, and we are incredibly grateful for their partnership.

· And finally we want to thank Accurate Personnel in Bensenville for the donation of a van full of toys for the needy children we serve at Christmas time. The donation was so generous; we were temporarily overwhelmed in our warehouse with where to put it.

HSP Thanks Some Great Volunteers!

Humanitarian Service Project would like to extend a big thank you to Heather Kobzarev, Laura Van Dame, and Norma Villasenor, who volunteered time in our warehouse yesterday to help us prepare for the upcoming senior delivery day, and Christmas Offering. The three came in as part of a course they are taking at Elmhurst College. They spent over two hours sorting food non-perishable food that had been donated through a number of fantastic food drives. We want to thank these three for their hard work. We would also like to thank our volunteers Tom Hogan, who helped this group from Elmhurst get acclimated to our warehouse, and Karyn Rizzo, who joined up with the group and sorted onions for the needy seniors in our Senior Citizen Project.

The work done by these wonderful volunteers will help HSP reach out to the needy families and senior citizens we serve. At Christmas time we will be providing gifts for an estimated 1200 needy children and the 120 needy seniors in our Senior Citizen Project. 250 of the families in our Children’s Birthday Project will also receive food for Christmas. Considering all of this, on top of the monthly delivery of 90 pounds of groceries to the needy seniors in the Senior Citizen Project, we rely a lot on the heartfelt support of volunteers like these. If you are interested in volunteering on weekdays in the month of December to help out, like these fine volunteers, please call us at 630-221-8340 so that we can reserve you a spot.

The Spirit of Giving!

Every so often the Humanitarian Service Project receives an exciting donation consisting of something other than food, personal care items, or birthday gifts. HSP would like to thank Ecumenical Support Services for the Elderly (ESSE), Adult Care Center of Faith Lutheran Church in Glen Ellyn, for their recent donation of two recliners. These recliners will be delivered to seniors in our Senior Care Program. The recliners were added to last month’s “items donated” list that each senior in the program receives in the mail. The seniors can then call in and request these bigger items if they are in need of them. The recliners are both maroon and in very good condition. One of them has an electric lift that helps you to stand back up after sitting in it. The recliners will be delivered by some of our wonderful volunteers Bud Newman and Larry Erven, this afternoon to seniors George and Rhonda Fox and Della Robinson. Hopefully this donation will make our senior’s lives a little easier and more relaxing for the holidays!

‘Tis the Season

Thanksgiving is in our rear view mirrors, and Thanksgiving leftovers are surrendering more and more space in our refrigerators that they captured late last week, there in no denying that we have entered the rush of the Christmas Season. Christmas is a very busy time here at the Humanitarian Service Project. For Christmas we will be supplying gifts for an estimated 1200 needy children, as well as the120 seniors in our Senior Citizen Project. We will also be supplying food to 250 of the families enrolled in our Children’s Birthday Project on top of the monthly delivery of 90 pounds of groceries to the seniors we serve. So many wonderful volunteers and donors have stepped up to help HSP make this all possible. We would like to thank them all for helping us make an impact in the lives of the needy people we serve, through the myriad of ways in which they support us.

One such group that we would like to thank is the Daisy Troop of Briar Glen School, who conducted a food drive for the sake of the needy seniors and families we serve. They brought the food to our facility in Carol Stream yesterday, packed into the trunks of several cars. The troop got a tour around our facility, so they got a first hand look at how their food drive would help us reach out to those in need. We want to thank these great Daisies for their thoughtfulness and hard work.

If you, like this Daisy Troop, would like to help HSP make Christmas a little more special for the needy people we serve, there are a number of ways you can help out. We particularly have a need for volunteers, high school age or up, to come in during the month of December to help us sort and organize the food and gifts going out as part of our Christmas Offering. However, there are a number of other ways you can help as well, such as providing a giving tree for a needy child, donating toys or food, etc. You can learn more at our website here: http://www.humanitarianservice.org/getinvolved/index.html, or, if you are interested in volunteering, please call us at 630-221-8340 to reserve a spot.

What We’re Thankful For

We at HSP want to issue a huge thank you to Elk Grove High School, for donating a large amount of food and personal care items through a food drive. Everyone at the school went above and beyond to help the needy senior citizens and families that we serve. The two cargo vans sent to pick up what they had collected came back packed to the brim. With all that Elk Grove High School collected, we at HSP will be able to do so much to make a difference in the lives of those in the area under the burden of poverty. We want to, again, thank everyone at Elk Grove High School so much for such an overwhelming display of compassion. We also want to thank our volunteer drivers Dick Adamo and Joe Dooley for driving to Elk Grove to pick up and deliver the food. Thanks guys!

In this time of giving thanks we at Humanitarian Service Project want to let all of our donors and volunteers know that we are truly thankful for all of the wonderful things they do to help us reach out to the needy senior citizens and families in our programs. With your fantastic support, HSP has managed to make a positive impact in the lives of countless people in need.

Thanks Again to our Long Time Friend: The Rotary Club of Bloomingdale-Roselle!

The Rotary Club of Bloomingdale-Roselle has been great friends with the Humanitarian Service Project (HSP) for 12 years and has made another outstanding donation of $800 to sponsor a senior in our Senior Citizen Project (SCP).

The club has consistently sponsored Betty S. in our SCP. This afternoon, the club presented HSP with the check for $800 to continue to support their adopted senior with 90 pounds of nutritious food each month along with paper products, cleaning products and personal hygiene items that are donated by volunteers.

Paul Yambrovich, HSP’s community outreach coordinator, was invited to speak at a joint meeting with the Rotary Club of Bloomingdale-Roselle and the Rotary Club of Schaumberg. In total, 45 members were in attendance as Paul gave updates on the good works that have been provided by their funding. Paul also talked about specific information on how Betty’s life has improved with their generous help.

Additionally, one of the members of the club, Tim Jarzemsky, donated $60 to our Christmas Offering. This money will sponsor 1 family and provide them with 2-3 weeks worth of groceries and at least 5 gifts for each child under the tree.

The monetary donations are not the only way that this group helps the needy in their community; the Rotary Club will be coming in on December 9^th to volunteer and help sort gifts that will be distributed to families in the area.

Thanks again to our great friends from the Rotary Club of Bloomingdale-Roselle. Your continued support is truly inspiring and makes a difference in many needy children, seniors, and families in our own community!

Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts Making a Difference!

Every day here at the Humanitarian Service Project brings in new and different groups that want to help, especially around the holidays. This week we have seen multiple Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops bring in items from toy drives and food drives that they held.

We would like to thank Cub Scouts Pack 151 from Fairview School and Daisy Troop 41159 from Westbrook School, both in Mount Prospect, for their generous contribution. Together these 2 groups brought in over 80 toys! These toys will be wrapped and given to needy children in the Dupage and Kane counties. Your thoughtfulness to think of others will be much appreciated this Christmas.

We would also like to give a big thanks to a Daisy Troop from Lowell Elementary School in Wheaton and Cub Scout Pack 191 from Carol Stream. The Daisy Troop was able to collect 55 boxes of non-perishable items and also made beautiful Thanksgiving placemats. The Cub Scout Pack had 2 SUV’s full of food that they were able to collect over the course of the food drive. This food will be delivered to seniors also in the Dupage and Kane county area just in time for the holidays.

Thank you again to everyone who helped out with these drives. Your kind donations will make the lives of needy children, seniors and families a lot brighter and filled with joy this season!

Thank You OCC and Glenbard South Key Club

We at Humanitarian Service Project have been blessed with the friendship of numerous wonderful individuals and organizations, who have been fantastic partners in our efforts to reach out to needy families and senior citizens in the area. We want to take this time to thank two specific groups who came to our center in Carol Stream to help out on Friday of last week. The first group we’d like to thank is a group of 10 volunteers from OCC in Chicago who came in to sort the fresh produce that went out to the seniors in our Senior Citizen Project as part of our delivery day this past Saturday. The employees of OCC have been fantastic friends of HSP. They have, to date, raised over $18,000 for our Senior Citizen Project through employee “jeans days,” employee raffles, and other charitable giving. This group of 10 came, for the second time this year, to volunteer in order to get a hands on understanding of what their generous giving allows us to do for the needy seniors we serve. We want to extend our deepest thanks to these volunteers, Karen, Jon, Ty, Denise, Joe, Carmen, Steve, David, and Valerie and all of the other employees at OCC, for all the support they have given to HSP.

The second group we would like to thank is a group of six students from Glenbard South High School’s Key Club, for also assisting in our warehouse on Friday. The club at Glenbard South has been regularly coming in on the day before our delivery days for years to help sort produce, and do other jobs in our warehouse. All of the wonderful young people who volunteered here at HSP through the Glenbard South Key Club have helped us make a difference in the lives of countless people in need. We want to thank this group of six, and all of those who have come before from the club, for all their heartfelt work. At this time of year, our need for volunteer groups like these really increases. If you, either as an individual or in a group, would like to volunteer some time helping out here at HSP, please call us at 630-221-8340 to reserve a time for the month of December.

Thanks for a Great Delivery Day!

We at the Humanitarian Service Project want to thank everyone involved in our monthly delivery day to the seniors in our Senior Citizen Project this past Saturday, the 19^th. Thanks to the wonderful support of both our many veteran volunteers and some fantastic new helpers, our deliveries to the 120 needy seniors in the project went off without a hitch. We wanted to thank everyone involved for making the deliveries to our seniors a continued success. This Saturday was the first delivery day for our Senior Citizen Project Coordinator Tierney Hogan, and she wanted to thank all of the volunteers for helping make it a success while she is learning the ropes.

Every month, the 120 needy senior citizens in our program receive 90 pounds of groceries including fresh produce, bread, 7 frozen meats, non-perishables, paper products, personal care items, and a gift from their “secret pal.” In order to make this a possibility, a number of fantastic volunteers and donors help out by doing a myriad of different tasks like sorting food, loading cars, delivery to the seniors, being a seniors “secret pal” etc. If you would like to be involved in HSP’s delivery days to help us make a difference in the lives of these needy seniors, please call us at 630-221-8340. Our next delivery day is on December 10^th.

Food Drives Galore!

In the past few days the Humanitarian Service Project has seen a wonderful effort by numerous groups who have put together food drives and brought in generous donations of non-perishable items. These donations were contributed by a group of 8^th grade girls with St. John the Baptist Parish in Winfield, Gregory Middle School in Naperville, and Giant Steps Jr. High in Lisle. The food donated to HSP is used in our Senior Citizen Project. This project delivers over 90 pounds of nutritious food to over 120 needy seniors in the DuPage and Kane county area every month. This is especially important and appreciated around the holiday season!

· The girls from St. John the Baptist Parish organized a service project to collect food to be donated to HSP for needy seniors in time for Thanksgiving. The girls reached out to friends and neighbors of Winfield Estates with flyers and empty grocery bags. The flier said “we are passing out these grocery bags with the hope that your generous hearts will be touched by those truly in need,” in anticipation that their friends and neighbors would fill them with food to be donated. The young girls received a tremendous response and brought in dozens of bags of donated food! The girls were so enthusiastic to help that they immediately started unloading and sorting the food in the warehouse.

· In addition, Gregory Middle School made their food drive a school wide effort! All staff and students were asked to bring in any non-perishable items that they could between November 3^rd and 17^th. HSP’s volunteer driver, Pete Laabs, picked up the donation from the school yesterday and the end result was an entire van full of food!

· Last but certainly not least is the Giant Steps Jr. High Group. These special needs students came in this afternoon with a very personal donation. Each student was able to individually put their contribution in the warehouse and see where a donation actually goes and how it is sorted to be delivered. The students also got a tour of HSP’s building and were able to see all the different projects that go on under our roof.

HSP would like to thank all 3 of these groups for their generous and hard work! Your kindness will make a difference in many people lives, especially during this holiday season!

HSP Welcomes a New Intern!

Humanitarian Service Project is excited to introduce you to our new intern, Kelsey Rhoney. Kelsey recently graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in communications, and will be helping us out with public relations and marketing. Kelsey says she applied for the internship here at HSP, because she thought it would offer her both an opportunity to gain worthwhile experiences as well as to help others. Kelsey is very involved in service; she works with Operation Support Our Troops on weekends and was active with Big Brothers Big Sisters in college.

Kelsey says she became very involved in service in college. When she entered college she was considering a future in teaching, so she became very involved volunteering with children. As far as some other facts about Kelsey, she is in the Illinois Army Reserves and she often competes in triathlons. We’re sure Kelsey’s fondness for service and fast paced activities will serve her well here at HSP. We are happy to have Kelsey on the team! Please join us in welcoming her.

Thank you Girl Scout Troop 157 and Max Hyman!

With the holidays fast approaching, the Humanitarian Service Project is seeing many generous donations from groups and individuals in the surrounding area. HSP would like to recognize the 17 girls from Girl Scout Troop 157 for their outstanding donation of 20 senior care kits that will be delivered to the needy seniors in our Senior Citizen Project this Saturday, November 19^th. The girls were eager to donate and spent their free time putting the kits together. These special packages come in decorated shoeboxes, gift bags or baskets, and include items such as facial tissues, tea packets, chapstick, coffee, hot chocolate, and numerous other items. The girls were very excited to help out and enjoyed working on this project together. In addition to putting together the kits, the Girl Scouts included personal notes into each package for a special touch. HSP would like to give a big thanks to all the girls that contributed and let them know that their kind donation will be greatly appreciated this holiday season!

The Humanitarian Service Project not only aids needy senior citizens but needy children as well! Recently, Max Hyman of Highland Park, IL dedicated part of his Bar Mitzvah to helping serve these underprivileged children. Rather than the guests bringing a gift for him, Max asked everyone that attended to bring an item of sports equipment to donate. By the end of his celebration, Max was able to collect six bags of equipment from his guests that he then donated to HSP to be used as gifts for needy children. The donation consisted of soccer balls, volleyballs, basketballs and various other items is sure to bring a smile to children’s faces during the holiday months. This thoughtful donation is an admirable example of how one person can make a difference in our community. If you are interested in donating or volunteering in any way, please call 630-221-8340 or check out our website at humanitarianservice.org for more information. Every donation and volunteer makes a difference!

Thank You St. Petronille and Favia!

These days we at the Humanitarian Service Project are getting busier and busier. With our Christmas Offering fast approaching, the needy senior citizens and families that we serve rely on us to not slow down. For this reason we would like to extend a big thank you to a group of ten youth and their chaperones from St. Petronille Parish in Glen Ellyn and a very youthful at heart group of 15 from the Favia group, a financial planning firm in Villa Park, for volunteering their time and youthful vigor in our warehouse this past Tuesday and Wednesday respectively. These groups donated hours of their time sorting food for the needy families we reach out to out Christmas time. We want to thank these fantastic volunteers from St. Petronille and the Favia Group for the hard work they did. We also want to thank our faithful volunteers Tom Hogan and Larry Erven for supervising them in our warehouse. The generous, “can do” spirit we have seen reflected in this group, and our other volunteers and donors, is what makes all that HSP does to make a positive impact in the lives of the needy seniors and families we serve possible.

We’ve said it before, but it bears repeating, we at HSP are always so thrilled with the wonderful support we receive from our volunteers and donors. This Christmas, HSP will be providing gifts for an estimated 1200 needy children and the 120 seniors in our Senior Citizen Project. We also provide 3 weeks worth of groceries, including fresh produce, frozen meats and non-perishables, for 100 of the families in our Children’s Birthday Project and a turkey with all of the makings of a holiday meal to 150 more of the families in the project. This is all on top of the normal, monthly delivery of 90 pounds of groceries to the seniors we serve. Without the support of our wonderful volunteers and donors, we at HSP would not be able to do all of this for the needy people we serve. We still have room for volunteers in the month of December. If you are interested in participating, please call us at 630-221-8340 to reserve a spot.

Thank You NNNC

Humanitarian Service Project would like to extend our deepest thanks to the Naperville Newcomers and Neighbors Club (NNNC.) HSP was the club’s chosen charity of the month, and they donated a trunk full of toys to benefit the needy children we serve through our Children’s Birthday Project and Christmas Offering. HSP was represented yesterday at the club’s yearly “Make, Bake, and Buy Luncheon,” the club’s largest annual fundraiser, but out Community Outreach Coordinator Paul Yambrovich and speaker team member Anne Henricksen. Paul and Anne got the opportunity to speak to the group to discuss how the group’s fantastic support has allowed HSP to make an impact in the lives of the needy seniors and families we serve.

Paul said he was happy to be able to speak with the group because they have been such a wonderful friend of HSP. The NNNC has been helping HSP reach out to needy children in the area by sponsoring children, and providing toy drives (like the one they just donated) for sixteen years. We want to thank everyone in the Naperville Newcomers and Neighbors Club for all of their heartfelt support over the years.