Sally R. Needs a Sponsor like You!!

Getting old is not always as easy as we plan it to be, but it is easier when you have a friend to help you along the way. For the seniors who take part in our Senior Citizen Project, we are that friend that helps with life’s curveballs.

Sally R. is one of the seniors who receive support through our donor’s generosity and open hearts. 67 year old Sally was born in Massachusetts. As an only child, her mother passed away at the age of 82 and her father at 80. After marrying a computer programmer, Sally moved around the country from Florida to Ohio to Iowa until finally arriving in Illinois. Since divorced, her ex-husband is retired in Minnesota. Sally has lived the last six years quietly in DuPage County. She used to work as a waitress, but has since retired.

Age has not been kind to Sally as she suffers from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and last year was diagnosed with diabetes. “I worry about the diabetes because I know it causes all kind of other problems. I have cataracts on my eyes and I am afraid of getting glaucoma,” she shared.

Because of Sally’s diabetes, eating healthy foods is extremely important. This is something she could not afford to do before. “All I can rely on is my social security, and that is not enough to eat healthy,” she says. The monthly deliveries of 15 varieties of fresh fruits and vegetables, 7 frozen meats, and bread, 5 plastic bags of non-perishable food, and paper and personal care items such as toilet paper, paper towels, and Kleenex truly make a difference in Sally’s life and well-being.

Help support our seniors like Sally whose participation in our Senior Citizen Project has relieved the stress of daily life by being a sponsor. To sponsor a senior it is $800 a year (that’s $70 a month) or a co-sponsor for $400 a year (that’s $35 a month). Be a sponsor and help our seniors who have difficulty helping themselves.

Just Can't Get Enough

This week we got a call from Kelly Moody, a former intern here at HSP. Kelly called to tell us she wanted to return to volunteer! She loved interning at HSP so much that she felt compelled to come back and contribute!

While interning, Kelly wrote the blogs and Facebook updates for HSP. She decided to return because, “I want to help and I think it’s a good organization and a great opportunity to help families in need.” Kelly loved contributing to an organization she believed in and she loved the people she worked with here at HSP. The feeling is mutual!

When news spread that Kelly was returning, many staffers lit up with smiles on their faces and kind words on their lips. “She is just an amazing girl,” said our Administrative Assistant, Sharon.

Kelly, whose home town is Wheaton, just graduated from the University of Missouri with a bachelor’s degree in Communications. We can’t wait to have her back and look forward to the great work she’ll be doing and the brightness she’ll bring with her!

Senior Wishlist

Every senior in our senior citizen project has a wishlist which they can update every month. They request items that they would like and if the cost is between $5-25, we will let their Secret Pal know, who can bring the items before the next delivery day. Seniors can ask for basic necessities like bath products, utensils, bedding, clothes and gift cards as a few examples. They can also ask for larger items as well such as furniture or appliances like radios, TVs or toasters. The larger items are donated by our supporters throughout the community. Since this past delivery day, we have discovered that a few seniors would like a computer, but HSP has no monitors available at this time. We have the towers, keyboards and mice. However, we need a few monitors to complete the package. HSP has volunteer drivers who deliver and set up the computers at the seniors’ homes.

If anyone has a computer monitor that they no longer need, a few of our seniors would love to have them.

Don’t have a monitor? Here are other larger items that seniors in our program are requesting:

• Toaster (8 seniors requesting)


• Ironing Board (7 seniors)


• Fan (7 seniors)


• Microwave (6 seniors)


• Vacuum (6 seniors)


• Mini Fridge (5 seniors)


• Coffee Maker (3 seniors)


• Silverware (3 seniors)


• Answering machine (3 seniors)


• Rocking Chair (2 seniors)


• Air mattress (1)

Food Drive for HSP!

Yesterday, HSP received 491 pounds of food from St. Athanasios Greek Orthodox church in Aurora, IL. This food came from their Food Pantry FISH program (Food/Indigence/Self Help) which is run by George Nicholas. The program’s goal is to provide resources (social & religious), food, and financial assistance to those in need. We have been receiving their food since 2003 and it has been such a blessing!

Our wonderful and hard-working volunteer, Rich Patera, eagerly volunteered to pick up the food and transport it to our warehouse. He has been volunteering with HSP since 2003 as a delivery driver. You may have seen Rich helping out during some of our past Christmas seasons, working almost full-time in our warehouse!

We would like to thank everyone involved with this successful food delivery. We are incredibly grateful for the help we receive!

Secret Pals Needed!

Here at HSP, we’ve been happy to enroll more seniors and expand our Senior Citizen Project program. We know these seniors desperately need our help and are so grateful to get it. But the addition of more seniors means we need more Secret Pals!

In addition to the groceries, paper products, and personal hygiene products seniors need, we also like to give them something they want. After all, these seniors are in serious poverty and we know if they can’t even cover their needs, they definitely don’t get to treat themselves.

Secret Pals buy a senior something they want each month for $5 - $25. The cost is little, but the result is big. Our seniors are so grateful and blessed by the gifts they receive.

“My Secret Pal is just unbelievable!” one senior said. “She gives me so much! I always get a gift card for Walmart, which helps so much with vitamins and over-the-counter medicines. She gives me stamps, magazines, stationary – it’s amazing!”

“I love my secret pal gifts!” another senior told us. “I’m 77 years old and I’ve never had a secret pal in my life. It’s so nice.”

A little goes a long way to improve the life of a senior. If you or anyone you know might be interested in becoming a Secret Pal, contact us at:

hsp@humanitarianservice.org or 630-221-8340.

Delivery Day!

On Saturday, our grateful seniors welcomed the delivery of 8 fresh vegetables, 7 juicy fruits, 7 frozen meats, bread, 9 bags of non-perishable foods, paper goods, personal hygiene products, and Secret Pal gifts.

Thanks to the hard work of many volunteers and the generous donations of sponsors, Delivery

Day went smoothly. Volunteers donated their time sorting produce into boxes, loading vehicles, and delivering the 90 pound boxes to the 120 DuPage & Kane County seniors in our program. Our volunteer sorters came from the Outreach Club and Key Club of Wheaton Warrenville South, and the National Honor Society of Glenbard South and were a huge help.

Our seniors were overjoyed to receive the groceries and products they rely on us to provide, and the Secret Pal gifts they receive are always an extra blessing that brings even bigger smiles to their faces.

A HUGE thank you goes out to everyone involved!

Ding Ding!

Arianna couldn’t believe her eyes – a brand new bike! The 6-year-old was overjoyed, shy, and cute as can be when we rolled her two-wheeled gift out to her. The sparkly pink bike – adorned with streamers on the handle bars, a pouch, and pictures of Disney princesses – made for a lovely birthday gift (and a nice matching accessory to Arianna’s pink sweater, too!) Thanks to the generosity of those who donated the bike, Arianna’s birthday is going to be an unforgettable one!

 

Produce, Produce, Produce!

It’s the day before D-Day here at Humanitarian Service Project, and we are busy as can be! Boxes of fresh produce are stacked in the warehouse (just freshly delivered), and ready to be packed away and distributed. (In case the name “D-Day” had you wondering, it stands for “delivery day”.)

HSP supports and donates to 120 seniors throughout DuPage County. Each month, a needy senior will receive 15 selections of fresh fruits and vegetables (such as peaches, green beans, avocados, lettuce, honeydew, etc.), 7 frozen meats, 6 bags of non-perishable goods, paper products, and personal care items. The grocery delivery for one senior weighs about 90 pounds, and as you can imagine, each senior is extremely grateful when they receive their monthly delivery. Supplying our seniors with these goods improves their lives on many levels, especially on those of nourishment, health, and comfort.

These monthly deliveries would not be possible without the help of our generous sponsors and volunteers, who so selflessly give their time to making each delivery a success. Helping out is fun, satisfying, and kind – the time put into this process by our sponsors and volunteers makes for 120 very happy, thankful seniors. Interested? HSP is looking for sponsors year round! Contact us at (630)-221-8340 or hsp@humanitarianservice.org and see how you can help!

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Welcome Back Volunteers!

Elgin Community College students, Becca Sturwold and Kara Collins have been volunteering for HSP since 2006. “We came every Thursday for 3 years while we were in high school,” Kara tells us. Recently, the girls have been heavily involved with their academic lives in college. Kara, who is currently majoring in Social Work, plans on transferring to Western Illinois University next year and Becca, who is majoring in Communication Studies, will transfer to Loyola.

Due to their busy schedules, they took a break from volunteering, but have recently returned this past month. “We volunteer here because we like the cause and we want to help!” The girls explain. Their passion for volunteering is undeniable and has brought them back to HSP.

With the help of their church Youth Director, Bob Esmail, the team of three volunteers from Living Lord Lutheran Church in Bartlett sorted paper towels, tissues, toilet paper, and other paper goods for delivery. When they are not volunteering in the warehouse, they especially enjoy wrapping presents for the Children’s Birthday Project.

HSP is endlessly grateful for the support from our lovely volunteers!

Birthday Box Delivery

HSP delivered a load of birthday boxes to three elementary schools today. These Birthday Boxes go out to needy children in the community. The boxes went to Brady Elementary, Gates Elementary and Beaupre Elementary school in Aurora. One generous volunteer, Pete delivered the boxes. Inside the boxes the children are given:

1. 4 new toys
2. 4 new books
3. 1 game
4. Filler gifts
5. stuffed animals
6. school supplies
7. party supplies
8. gifts from their Christmas wish list

HSP sends out these boxes every month to numerous children. The children are always very excited to receive their gifts. These boxes make it possible for children to celebrate their birthday in a fun way. Thanks to the generous donations HSP receives from people in the community, the Children’s Birthday Project is a huge success.

Macaroni & Cheese Delivery

Over the weekend, HSP picked up a large delivery of 435 boxes of macaroni and cheese from the Etz Chaim Synagogue. The boxes were used as music shakers for a program at the temple. Once the macaroni boxes were no longer needed, they were donated to HSP to help the needy. Etz Chaim has donated macaroni many times to us before. We are very grateful for their generosity. This donation will benefit our needy seniors and our Feed the Children participants in our program.

Two of our loyal volunteers, Mike Reich and Bob Reininga drove over to Etz Chaim and picked up the macaroni. Then they dropped off the truckload of food at HSP's warehouse where it will be stored and which soon will be distributed. This donation is another example of how generous people can be and for this HSP is truly blessed.

Children's Birthday Bags

Over the weekend HSP received 85 children's birthday bags. They were donated by the Southwest Naperville Girl Scout Service Unit. The bags are all well stocked and colorful. They are filled with all the ingredients for a delightful birthday party. The bags are then placed into the larger Birthday Boxes and delivered to the children on their birthday. The Birthday Boxes will weigh close to 25 or 30 pounds. Each bag consists of:

1. Plates
2. Cups
3. Candles
4. Napkins
5. Balloons
6. Party favors
7. Cake mix and more
   

The donations are deeply appreciated by the HSP staff. The 85 bags will make it possible for numerous children to have the birthday party of their dreams. The bags range in color, shape and size but each one will make a difference in the life of a child. The bags are then stored upstairs with the other items used for the Birthday Boxes.

HSP Speaker will be at Our Savior Lutheran Church this Sunday.

This Sunday (March, 20^th) at 7:00 pm, an HSP Speaker, Lesley Ronson Brown, will be at Our Savior Lutheran Church. The church’s Girlfriends’ Group is throwing a Birthday Bash, and Lesley will be giving a speech during the party. She will present information on the Humanitarian Service Project, and update everyone there on the latest news.

Lesley has been with HSP since 2009, and her support is invaluable to us. Besides being a speaker, she is also a Secret Pal to one of the seniors enrolled in our program.

We are pleased that all Girlfriends’ Group members at Our Savior Lutheran Church to attend the Birthday Bash will learn more about what’s been happening at the Humanitarian Service Project. Once again, the event takes place March 20^th, 2011 (Sunday) at 7:00 pm at Our Savior Lutheran Church, located at:

1244 West Army Trail Road
Carol Stream, IL 60188

(630) 830-4833

A Call for Secret Pals!

The Humanitarian Service Project is currently seeking out individuals that would be willing to become a Secret Pal for one of our seniors. The senior citizens that have been enrolled in our Senior Citizen Project have had to endure many trying times that are difficult to fathom. Prior to their relationship with HSP, many of our seniors would go to bed hungry each night.

While the Senior Citizen Project has been able to alleviate the stress that can stem from worrying about where your next meal may come from, there are still many items that are necessary to get by each day. Some of these necessities may include soaps, clothes, cleaning supplies and stamps. Many of these items are taken for granted each day by the general population; our seniors, however, are more than aware of the financial strain these items can create.

These Secret Pal items are sent out each month along with their grocery delivery and they are greatly appreciated. One of our seniors said, “The people that help me at HSP feel like my guardian angels! I wouldn’t be able to afford clothes or shoes each year. I just wouldn’t make it without them!”

If you too would like to become a guardian angel for one our grateful seniors, PLEASE contact HSP. You may call our staff at 630-221-8340, or contact Email us at: HSP@humanitarianservice.org . We hope to hear from you soon!!

The miracle is not that we do this work, but that we are happy to do it. –Mother Teresa

HSP Highlighted in the Daily Herald!

Everyone here at HSP is excited to announce that the Daily Herald has written an article discussing HSP’s mission and various accomplishments. HSP’s Community Outreach Coordinator, Paul, was able to describe HSP’s humble beginning and the journey that has allowed HSP to touch so many lives. While Paul was eager to share the hard work that has led to HSP’s success, he wanted to emphasize the impact that volunteer work has had on HSP. With only 5 amazing individuals creating our staff team, volunteers have been a tremendous asset to our service. One of the volunteer groups mentioned in the article was the Wheaton Junior Women’s Club. WJWC has actively participated in our service work from the beginning. With the generous donations and volunteer work, WJWC has allowed HSP to soar to the heights that the founders of this project could have only dreamed of. We are so grateful for all of the generous work that our volunteers have provided throughout the years, those of us at HSP can only hope for your continued help through the years to come!

 

If you would like to read the article you can visit this link:

http://dailyhearald.com/article/20110315/news/703159959

Volunteers from Lexis Nexis

(From front to back, left side: Toni, Rachana, Jason, Paul
right side: Papa, Dave, Jun, Paula, Joel)

The warehouse was full of hardworking volunteers from LexisNexis. They were helping us sort gifts for needy children in the Head Start program. These bags of gifts will bring joy to 700 needy children in the area!

The nine volunteers are sorting the gifts into bags for girls and boys. Each bag has three gifts, and in addition to toys, the children will also receive new books and games! The wonderful people of LexisNexis have volunteered and helped us many times before with our other programs and we're so grateful for their giving hearts and amazing generosity! With their help, we'll be bringing smiles to many children in poverty.

Computer Delivery

Today two of our friendly volunteers Mike and Dick have agreed to deliver five computers to seniors in our Senior Citizen Project. The deliveries are in towns throughout Dupage County including Naperville, Elmhurst, & Willowbrook. Yesterday the dedicated volunteers worked on updating the computers to ensure that they worked efficiently. Today they will be delivering the computers to the seniors' homes. They will also set them up and answer any questions the seniors may have about using their new computers.
The computers allow the seniors to keep in contact with family members. They can be used for recreation and way to stay up to date with current events. Many seniors know how to use the computers because their children or other family members taught them.

Each senior gets a monitor, a tower, a keyboard and a mouse. These items have all been donated by generous people and are in very good condition.


We want to thank our generous volunteers, Mike and Dick for taking the time to help out our seniors. We appreciate all their hard work.

We hope these computers bring a lot of joy and happiness to all the seniors who will be receiving them today. Last week Mike delivered a few computers to some seniors. We spoke with one senior who said “I had a great experience with my delivery driver. He set up everything for me. I am very grateful for the computer, I like it a lot and want to thank HSP. The best part about having a computer is the company.” She now has a way to stay in contact with friends and family.

Another Volunteer Speaker Team success!

The First United Methodist Women’s Group in West Chicago hosted our volunteer speaker Jan Yong at their Saturday meeting. Even though she had a hectic Saturday morning planned with her daughter’s track meet, Jan made time to update our long time supporters at the women’s group on HSP’s recent successes and current needs. Judi Horsely of the Methodist Women’s Group said, “Jan is such an engaging speaker and really communicated how passionate she is about the all the good works the Humanitarian Service Project does to serve the needy. She is a great ambassador for the HSP!”

Jan mentioned that about 30 women from the church attended the meeting and were very interested to hear about “hands on” volunteering opportunities like the Party-in-a-Box and gift wrapping ideas for the Children’s Birthday Project. She said the Methodist Women’s Group will also continue its financial support of the HSP’s mission.

Jan also represented the HSP recently at Glenbard West High School’s “Live Life Well” to encourage students to volunteer at our Center. We are so grateful to Jan for taking being such a vital friend and volunteer to the HSP for many years!

If you would like to learn more about the Volunteer Speakers Team or other opportunities to help the Humanitarian Service Project, call 630-221-8340.

Willow Creek Arrives to Help!

This week, our BIG Thank You goes to Jeff and to Willow Creek of DuPage. Jeff brought in a whole van-full of paper products, donated to us from Willow Creek of DuPage.

We needed two full lugs to move the paper from the van to our warehouse. We greatly value Willow Creek’s support. Thank You once again for making a difference in lives of seniors and children.

Our Senior Holiday Meals Bring Smiles!

Humanitarian Service Project volunteers provide dozens of monthly holiday

meals to our needy Senior Citizens. Valentine’s Day volunteers provided everything from flowers to heart shaped cookies and cupcakes (along with delicious meals) to 40 of our needy seniors.

We received a lot of positive feedback from both seniors and meal donors after the holiday. Some volunteers really enjoy building relationships and delivering to the same senior each month. Listed below are some quotes from volunteers after delivering a Valentine’s Day meal:

“This project brings so much joy in seeing the smiles brought out.”

“Providing this meal made Valentine’s Day a special day for my senior, and also very rewarding for me.”

“I had goosebumps all the way home after delivering a meal to a very sweet senior. I would love the opportunity to continue volunteering for this worthy project.”

Our next Senior Holiday Meal is St. Patrick’s Day. So far, we have had 15 volunteers respond who will be bringing meals to 26 seniors!

We are still in need of volunteers to prepare or purchase meals for 15 more needy seniors. Not all seniors request corned beef and cabbage, so skill at making that dish is not required!

If you are interested in volunteering to donate a meal to one of the seniors below, please contact us. If you have not worked with us before, we would need the names and phone numbers of two professional references.

We will provide you the senior’s information, and it is suggested that you offer 3 meal options for the senior to choose from. You then set a time to deliver the meal that is convenient for both you and the senior (it does not have to be delivered on the holiday itself.)

Here is a list of the towns and seniors we are still in need of St. Patrick’s Day meal volunteers for:

Bensenville: Jacqueline, Mirella, Dorothy B., Rose D

Downers Grove: Janet F., Homer & Antoinette, Janice, Mary Ellen

Naperville: Georgia R.

Villa Park: Mary Jo

Warrenville: Lucille B.

Westmont: Rose M., Mohammed

Woodridge: Alice

If you are able to provide a St. Patrick’s Day meal to one of these seniors, please contact Sarah Grindstaff, Senior Citizen Project Coordinator, at scp@humanitarianservice.org or call at 630-221-8340.

We appreciate all of our past, present (and future!) volunteers tremendously!

An Irish Blessing: May love and laughter light your days, and warm your heart and home. May good and faithful friends be yours, wherever you may roam.

WRAPPERS NEEDED!!

 

 

WRAPPERS NEEDED!!!

I mean WRAPPERS, not RAPPERS. However, if you want to pick-up birthday gifts to wrap and you want to sing while you wrap them, that is OK too! We really are in need of your help. We have about 60 bags of toys from the Children’s Birthday Project that need to be wrapped for all of the upcoming Birthdays. If anyone out there has some free time on their hands, this is a wonderful way to help with HSP. If you think this may fit into your schedule, please call Sharon at (630) 221-8340. Thank you in advance to all of our volunteers that rise to these occasions which are so important to the work we do at HSP!

Examples of beautiful wrapping with ribbons

HSP ON THE AIR, ON THE TUBE AND ONLINE!

The Humanitarian Service Project got its message about serving the needy children, seniors and families out to a world wide audience Tuesday morning.

Floyd Kettering, Co-Founder and CFO, and Paul Yambrovich, Community Outreach Coordinator, were guests on Joy Curry’s morning show on WETN Radio. The interview was also carried live on Comcast Cable TV and the world wide web.

Floyd and Paul described the history and mission of HSP and highlighted our current need for sponsors for both the Senior Citizen Project and the Children’s Birthday Project. They also talked about the HSP’s plans to double the volume of food and gifts they distribute by expanding the warehouse at the Center.

Joy was such a gracious host and generously devoted 25 minutes of her show to share with her listeners why the HSP is such a worthwhile charity to be involved with. She seemed truly touched by Floyd and Paul’s heartfelt stories of how the HSP helps seniors and children in need. We are so grateful to Joy Curry and the entire WETN staff for opportunity to reach so many around the world with our message.

Books, Books and more Books!!!

 

Books, Books and more Books!!!

Tom Keefer of Willow Creek DuPage knows kids need more than toys. Toys are good, but books are better!!  Tom brought to HSP 10 boxes of wonderful brand new books. He brought dictionaries, books of poetry and thesaurus’s. Tom wants our kids going out into the world well equipped with knowledge, proper grammar and correct spelling. We thank Tom and Willow Creek of DuPage for this wonderful gift.

                                        

Jerilyn Novak

HSP Welcomes Jerilyn Novak!! Jerilyn will be getting her field experience at HSP. Jerilyn currently attends Elmhurst College. She has also attended Illinois Wesley University in Bloomington, IL. Through her college experiences, she is accomplishing the completion of a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and a Bachelor’s degree in English. Jerilyn also assists us at the HSP offices with her fluent ability to speak Spanish and with her detailed writing skills.  HSP reaches out to many colleges offering the internship experience.  Internships usually have a duration of about 3 months.  Again, we welcome Jerilyn!

A New Bike Just in Time for Spring!!

 

 

Happy Birthday!!  This little boy was so happy when we rolled out his brand new bike.  He received his Birthday Box, but we were also able to match him up with a bike that was donated.  The timing could not have been more perfect, with the weather warming up, he could not resist taking his brand new bike for a spin around our parking lot before his Dad loaded it into the van.  I think HSP made one more little little boys Birthday a hit!!

Monday Morning Food Sorter do great Work!

Our MMFS, were here with bells on eager to help make a difference. Today this dedicated group  created non perishable food bags with:

Bag 1. cookies or candy, 2 main dishes (2 different),2 fruit cans, 1 cracker, 1 ketchup, 1 salty snack.

Bag 2. 1 Rice (boxed or bagged), 1 bag unseasoed Bean, 1 tuna/hamburger Helper, 1 boxed potatoe, 1 pancake mix, 1syrup, 1 onion Dip Jar.

Bag 3.  2 Vegetables, other, 2 Mac & Cheese, 1 pasta Plain, 1 can Green Beans, 2 cans of corn.

Our volunteers for today 

(From Left to Right: Rita Bezdicek, Our brand new volunteer, Mary Persinger, Bob Mancini,, Roland Imes, Dan Bagger, & Marilyn Sweeny)

May peace and love follow you in your footsteps.