"Money Madness"

Edison Middle School in Wheaton held a fundraiser for HSP’s Children’s Birthday Project. They held a coin drive and called it “Money Madness.” The students involved ranged from sixth to eighth graders. They raised $1,223.43 for HSP! Edison has done fundraisers for us before but this is the highest amount of money they have ever raised for us! This is an incredible donation for us and we wish to thank Edison Middle School for their strong dedication to our project and support throughout the years.

Heather Gordon, a teacher at the middle school was our contact and she was very excited to work with HSP. We love to hear about younger people who are involved in helping out the community. These middle-schoolers have certainly made a difference in the lives of so many needy children in our community.

Spring Into Service!

With Easter behind us, Mother’s Day is quickly approaching. HSP is in need of volunteers to donate and deliver meals to seniors requesting a meal for this holiday. Interested volunteers would cook or pick up a meal and then deliver it to the senior’s home. The seniors always look forward to these meals and your help would be much appreciated.

We have seniors requesting meals in the following towns:
· Aurora
· Bensenville
· Carol Stream
· Downers Grove
· Glen Ellyn
· Glendale Heights
· Lombard
· Naperville
· Villa Park
· Warrenville
· Westmont
· Wheaton
· Willowbrook
· Woodridge
There are a few more opportunities for anyone interested in volunteering at HSP. We have Stamp Out Hunger coming up on May 14th and we need people to help out at post offices and will hopefully have tons of food items to sort & box after the event. We have Feed the Kids occurring in the summer and we need volunteers for Ribfest as well. Let us know if you have some time to donate!

If you would like to volunteer please contact HSP at (630) 221-8340 or email us at hsp@humanitarianservice.org.

Interning at HSP: Aliza's Story

Aliza, one of HSP’s college interns is soon ending her internship. She said her internship was a good learning experience and she was very productive throughout her stay here. She received exposure to working in an office setting and this was a new experience for her. Her writing improved a great deal and she was able to showcase her strong skills.

Her biggest improvement would have been with her communication skills. She spent a long time interviewing seniors for the senior updates and she also spoke with different case workers of the seniors in our Senior Citizen Project. Aliza is grateful that she was able to take part in many assignments at HSP.

She helped change the layout of our blog and she learned a lot about social media. She wrote blogs and was able to post the entries on Facebook as well. She really liked being able to talk and work with the staff and other interns. They made this an enjoyable and worthwhile experience for her.

What I Gained from My Internship at HSP

I truly enjoyed my time at the Humanitarian Service Project. I learned a lot about what goes on in the workplace. I was able to interact with many people and this helped me strengthen my communication skills. I interviewed seniors for the senior updates and this was a fun task. I was able to work on my phone interviewing skills and I liked talking to the seniors. They were always very friendly and easy to talk to.

I found that working in an office setting is a good work setting for me. It allows you to work as a team. But, everyone has their own assignments so you are able to maintain your independence as well. I got to know the staff pretty well and they taught me a lot about life and work.

I appreciated the opportunity to help out those in need. I was amazed at how much space HSP had. The warehouse is huge and always full of donations. I was impressed by how dedicated the volunteers were. They were always ready to help. I was also impressed by how easy companies and people throughout the community were willing to donate items to HSP.

I liked how HSP helps children and seniors and their programs do make a significant difference in the lives of those they work with. Many seniors that I spoke with were very grateful that HSP was a part of their lives. The children were always so excited to get their new gifts, as told by the parents who came in to pick up the Birthday Boxes.

I will never forget my time spent at HSP and want to thank everyone for being so welcoming and willing to teach me about the work that is done at HSP!

Toy Donation from Nequa Valley High School

On Friday, HSP received a generous toy donation from the Nequa Valley High School. Johanna and Michelle, two students from the Nequa Valley Student Council brought in the donation. The student council held a toy drive at the school and the result was a success. They brought in five bags filled with new board games and toys for the children in our Children’s Birthday Project. They were all brand new toys and there was a good variety of games. HSP was very appreciative of the donation and wants to thank Nequa Valley High School for their support in honor of our program.

Computer Monitors Needed

HSP is in need of 3 computer monitors, one flat screen and two normal size monitors. These will be donated to seniors in our Senior Citizen Project. So far this year we have delivered and set up 9 computers. We have loyal volunteers who will update the computers at HSP and then deliver them to the senior’s home where the computer is then set up. The seniors are always so overjoyed when they hear they will be receiving a computer. It really makes a difference in their lives.

Each senior that asks for a computer receives a tower, monitor, keyboard and mouse. If needed, they can also receive a power strip. Sometimes they only need the monitor and tower.

One senior, Ruth, received a computer and she says:

“I am enjoying it very much. I will be taking a computer class in a few
weeks, then I can learn how to enjoy it even more. I have brothers and
sisters all over the country. Now I can stay in contact with them.”

Another senior, Addie says:

“Having a computer makes me happy. I use it a lot. I go on Facebook
and play games. I also send my family a holiday greeting.”

Lawn Care for HSP

Yesterday, HSP had its lawn mowed by Chuck Strayve Landscaping. This marks the first grass cutting of the season! They always do a great job to make our lawn look its best. They come every week and provide exceptional lawn care services including mowing, trimming, & even blow the grass off the sidewalk. Now HSP always looks very presentable and inviting. We have a lot of land and the job takes awhile to complete. The workers use large lawnmowers and usually two to three people come to get the job done. The workers are always professional and are very efficient.

We appreciate the steadfast support of Chuck Strayve since 2002. We want to thank them for renewing their partnership for yet another year, saving the project funds & time to serve more impoverished families & children. Thanks again to Chuck Strayve Landscaping!

5 More Volunteers Needed for Easter Holiday Meals

HSP is still in need of a few more volunteers to deliver the Easter Holiday Meal to seniors. The delivery does not have to be on Easter, it can be anytime that works for you and the senior. Volunteers would give the senior three meal options and then prepare or pick up the chosen meal for the senior. The meal is then delivered to the senior’s home.

This is a great opportunity to involve your whole family in volunteering. The seniors really appreciate the food and look forward to the delivery. We appreciate all the volunteers who have been involved with the Holiday Meals program and we are always on the lookout for new volunteers. Join us!

The following seniors still need a volunteer to bring them a meal:
· Dorothy in Bensenville
· Marie in Downers Grove
· Mary Ellen in Downers Grove
· Shirley in Villa Park
· Ethel in Woodridge

If you would be interested in helping out and have never volunteered with us before please give us the name and phone numbers of two professional references. Otherwise, you can email us at scp@humanitarianservice.org or give us a call at (630) 221-8340.

Children Helping Children

Today HSP received a special toy donation from a young boy, Joey Paras. For his fifth birthday he received a bunch of new toys and games and decided to donate them to HSP. He was very excited to come in and drop of the gifts.

“It feels good to help out,” Joey told HSP.

His brothers had made similar donations in the past and he wanted to do the same. We appreciate such generosity from a young child and feel honored that he would be so willing to give away his new gifts.

Now these toys will find a new home and make other boys and girls very happy. We thank Joey and his family for their kindness and support for HSP!

April Delivery Day

This past Saturday, April 16th, HSP had a successful senior delivery day. The parking lot was full of cars being loaded to the ceiling with fresh groceries and paper products thanks to the help of volunteer loaders. There were numerous volunteer drivers who were happy to help out HSP and were delighted to drop off the seniors’ deliveries throughout Dupage and Kane County. Seniors were very excited and grateful that HSP is able to donate groceries every month. This donation makes a tremendous difference in their lives. HSP is always grateful to help out in any way that we can. We want to thank all of our gracious volunteers who helped out with the senior delivery day, we could not have succeeded without your help!

Rotary Club of Addison

On Wednesday, Paul Yambrovich, our staff member in charge of speaking engagements, spoke with the Rotary Club of Addison. He explained to the group all of the different programs that make up the Humanitarian Service Project. He had a big display board that described what each program offers. He also brought in a Child’s Birthday Box as a visual for the presentation. Diane Junokas opened up the box and pulled out everything that was inside. Everyone was shocked as to how much a $54 CPB sponsorship buys for a needy child.

The Rotary Club of Addison usually sponsors the seniors in our project. However, after viewing the Birthday Box they decided they would like to help out with the Children’s Birthday Project as well. One Rotary member, Don Hendricks, pulled cash from his pocket to put towards sponsoring a child. This started a chain effect and soon other members were putting forth their money as well. Altogether they donated $180 dollars right on the spot. These funds will sponsor and provide three children in our project with a “Special Day.”

We greatly appreciated such a generous donation from the Rotary Club of Addison. HSP could not be so successful without the help of loyal donors and volunteers.

Charitable Food Donation

Yesterday, HSP received a special donation from a generous donor, Kay Hedeen. Her store in Naperville closed due to economic reasons and she had a lot of non-perishable food and beverages left over. She was looking for somewhere to donate the rest of her stock and decided HSP would be the perfect place. We would like to thank our loyal volunteers Larry Erven and Dick Adamo, who went and picked up the donation and then unloaded it back at the HSP warehouse.

We then received:

* 9 boxes of snacks: ramen noodles, cups of macaroni & cheese, chips & cookies

* Over 20 cases of beverages: lemonade, iced tea, soda and energy drinks

HSP offers Kay Hedeen our sincere thanks for such a gracious donation. We thank her for supporting our program. HSP always appreciates the kindness and generosity of donors and volunteers throughout the community.

Head Start Visit

Today Karole and Floyd visited Head Start in Carol Stream. They arrived and spoke with their Head Start contact Joy Aaronson. Joy wanted to say thank your for the donation of plastic bags filled with new toys and books topped with a bow for the children in the program. Each child received:

-3 new books:

• 1 paperback
• 1 small hardcover book
• The boys received a Bob the Builder book while girls received a Dora the Explorer book

-Hand-made wooden toys

Over 500 children at the 100% poverty line were given new toys and books. The Ketterings also spoke with the children who in turn expressed their happiness and joy for all the new toys they received. The children created handmade posters for HSP to show their gratitude for the new items. These posters will then hang upstairs in our toy workshop. Head Start is a unique and very successful program run all over the country. Its goal is to provide low income children with proper nutrition and education. Also, if focuses on fulfilling the child’s social and emotional needs. The children involved in the program are ages three to kindergarten.

Outdoor Toys Donation

HSP received an outdoor toys donation today from one generous volunteer, Laura Bresingham. Her young son, Drew recently had his 9^th birthday party with all of his hockey friends. The presents he received from his friends are now being donated to HSP. He kept one present for himself and then willingly donated the rest. His mother told us he “was very excited to do this for these [needy] kids.” Now there are brand new outdoor toys waiting to be distributed.

The donation included:

• 3 scooters
• 3 basketballs
• 3 soccer balls
• 3 bats
• 3 hockey sticks

These items can be used for our Children’s Birthday Project and many children will be excited to receive these fun gifts. HSP would like to thank Mrs. Bresingham and Drew for their creative and charitable donation. We know these gifts will help brighten up the day of children that are less fortunate. We appreciate all the support and dedication from our many donors and volunteers.

"I want in!"

Through the years at HSP, we’ve met a lot of people enthusiastic about getting involved and becoming a part of the great things we are able to do, here. Helping change someone’s life for the better is a rewarding experience, to be sure.

However, this is the first time we have had animals wanting to get involved.

Last night, Sarah, our Senior Citizen Project coordinator, was in the office afterhours, getting some work done, when she heard a tapping at the front door. Usually, this is how scary movies start, but what Sarah found was far from frightening.

A Mallard duck was tapping on the front door, wanting to get into HSP! He just patiently tapped on the door until he got someone’s attention. Who could blame him? It’s a great place to be.

Unfortunately, we cannot have ducks wandering around HSP, but we were happy to let him and his girlfriend take up residence in our front lawn!

Galinda the Generous

One of our long-time, faithful, volunteer gift wrappers came in, today. As always, Galinda was ready to pick up more gifts to wrap for the impoverished children of DuPage and Kane Counties that are enrolled in our Children’s Birthday Project program.

Galinda has been volunteering with the Children’s Birthday Project for a long time, now. We know we can always count on her to bring back beautifully wrapped gifts that will bring joy and excitement to these children on their birthdays. “Every gift she brings back is absolutely gorgeous. She does a great job,” said Sharon, our Administrative Assistant.

Galinda has chosen wrapping presents for HSP as her way of giving back and we could not be more grateful! It is volunteers like Galinda that keep HSP running. Without our faithful volunteers, we could not accomplish half of what we do. So thank you Galinda, and all HSP volunteers!

Delivery Drivers Needed for Saturday!

This Saturday (April 16) is Delivery Day for our seniors. Unfortunately, we do not yet have enough drivers to deliver the much needed groceries to all of our seniors. The impoverished seniors we serve depend on us to deliver the groceries they rely on for the month. We have the groceries; we just need your help to deliver them!

Most routes deliver to 2 seniors and we still need drivers to deliver to seniors in the following towns:

· 1 senior in Aurora, 1 senior in Naperville

· 1 senior in Lisle, 1 senior in Westmont

· 1 senior in Lombard, 1 senior in Wheaton

· 2 seniors in Naperville

· 2 seniors in Westmont

Drivers can pick up the groceries here at our center any time between 8:45am through 11:45am. We’ll load your vehicle and provide maps to the seniors’ homes; you just deliver!

If you’re a first timer, we just need the names and phone numbers of two professional references. If you or anyone you know is interested, please contact us at hsp@humanitarianservice.org or 630-221-8340.

High School Volunteers

HSP has been lucky in the past few weeks because we have been receiving numerous phone calls from high school students who are interested in doing community service with our project. Many have to complete service hours before they can graduate high school as mandated by a new law enacted by President Obama. This means that HSP can show students how easy it is to make a difference. This will provide the students with great learning opportunities. The more HSP can spread the word about our project, the more successful we can be for our communities. Whenever HSP receives a new volunteer, we have the ability to spread awareness about the needs of those who are less fortunate. HSP hopes to continue working with new volunteers as we are always looking for more support for our programs and for our communities. HSP is in need of high school volunteers the afternoon of Friday, April 15th to sort produce for our senior delivery day. We are also in need of volunteers to come in during the summer to help out inventorying and boxing non-perishable food. They also would be sorting fresh produce into boxes for the seniors and families living at the poverty level. If you are interested in volunteering, feel free to email us at hsp@humanitarianservice.org or give us a call at (630) 221-8340.

Allured Business Media: Humanitarian Heroes

Allured Business Media has heard and answered HSP’s calls for help. As we have mentioned in previous blog spots, our paper product supplies have been running very low. The need for toilet paper has reached the point where our seniors are covered through August. It is with deep gratitude that we announce Allured Business Media’s generous donation to our project. In the next few hours, 6 MONTHS WORTH of toilet paper will be delivered to our doorstep. The seniors that are enrolled in our Senior Citizen Project will are now guaranteed the continuation of this very basic and vitally required product. Toilet paper is a daily necessity that can become quite costly. Because of the financial burden that our seniors have had to endure, the price of toilet paper can become quite a concern!

Since Allured Business Media has taken the time to become familiar with our mission, we feel excited to pass our good news to you and the rest of HSP’s family. Allure Business Media publishes and sells business magazines, reference materials and directories. Their company is not only functioning within the borders of our country, it has established business internationally. Their publications provide consumers with information regarding cosmetics, perfumes and salon and spa products.

Those at Allured Business Media have become one of our Humanitarian Heroes. We truly appreciate Allured Business Media’s support! THANK YOU!

Head Start Toy Pick Up

Today Head Start is picking up toys, games, and books that will benefit nearly 600 children in poverty, ages 3-6, in DuPage County!

Head Start is an organization that works on providing children with early education and care. Children enrolled in the Head Start program either attend one of the 6 DuPage County schools or some receive home services. The families of these children are in great need and cannot afford things like games, toys, and books for their children.

“The gifts HSP provided will go to the homes of these children and give them things to do with their parents,” said Joy Anderson, Lead Family & Community Partnership Specialist for CDI Head Start. Joy will be here most of the day supervising distribution and arranging pick-ups for each school.

The gifts are items donated to HSP for the Children’s Birthday Project and The Christmas Offering. We’ve been blessed with so many toys for the 3-6 age range that we wanted to share the wealth!

Joy and the Head Start Program have been involved with HSP before, partnering for our Feed the Kids program. “I love working with HSP!” she said.

We look forward to many more partnerships to benefit the children of DuPage County who need our help the most!

We look forward to many more partnerships to benefit the children of DuPage County who need our help the most!

Post a Review and Help HSP!

We would like to encourage all blog followers to write a review about HSP. Check out our new profile on the GreatNonprofits.org website: http://greatnonprofits.org/organizations/reviews/the-humanitarian-service-project and click on the write a review tab.

This website allows you to review, find, and talk about nonprofit organizations. It is also associated with the charity watchdog site, Charity Navigator, which is the agency that has given the HSP its highest Four Star rating for 6 consecutive years. This puts us in the top 3% of U.S. Charities.

Your story counts. If you have experience with HSP, please share your great experiences and help other people discover how we are making a difference.

Large Item Delivery

Two seniors will be receiving large items from HSP this morning. One senior is receiving two red chairs for her living room. She was very excited to hear the good news about the donation. She had been looking for chairs for awhile.

The other senior is receiving a 22’’ TV. This senior feels “blessed” and wants to “thank HSP for making her life better.” A loyal volunteer, Mike Baumgartner is handling the deliveries today. He will deliver the items to each of the seniors’ homes and will set up the TV as well.

HSP would like the thank all the generous donors and dedicated volunteers who have helped out with delivering items to the homes of seniors involved in our Senior Citizen Project. Their hard-work has made it possible for our project to be a huge success. We truly appreciate the support of our dependable volunteers.

Behind the Scenes Magic Makers

When a child receives their beautifully wrapped, thoughtfully chosen birthday presents from HSP, they feel the joy of being cared about and getting gifts they love, despite their circumstances.

It takes a small army to do all the things that lead up to that magic moment, and one of the biggest jobs is beautifully wrapping all those presents. It takes a commitment of time, care, and detail to make the presents look beautiful and ready to bring a smile to a child’s face.

We’d like to give a huge, sincere thank you to all the amazing, thoughtful volunteer wrappers that have helped HSP. Groups like Batavia Mothers, First Presbyterian Church of Wheaton, Utilitarian Church of Geneva, Batavia United Methodist Church Youth Group, and so many individual volunteers have donated their time and love to picking up, wrapping, and returning gifts to HSP. Each and every one of you has contributed to the happiness of a child in need.

It is a joy to touch the heart of a child on his or her birthday. If you or anyone you know is interested in wrapping gifts, feel free to contact us at:

hsp@humanitarianservice.org or 630-221-8340

Save the Date

The National Stamp Out Hunger will take place on Saturday, May 14^th. During the day people all around the community will be placing canned goods and non-perishable items on their porches and by their mailboxes. The mailmen will then go around and collect these items. The items are brought back to the various post offices and HSP will have volunteers stationed there to load them into vehicles to be delivered to HSP.

Do you have a nice sized vehicle? If so, we could use your help! We are looking for volunteers to be at the local post offices. Once the items are brought to the different post offices by the mail carriers, volunteers will load them into their cars and deliver them to HSP.

We also are in need of volunteers to be at HSP to unload all the donations when they come in. Additionally, volunteers will start to sort out the collected food at our warehouse. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Because some of the mail bins are heavy, volunteers should be high school aged or older.

If you are unable to help out by volunteering, you could still show your support by placing canned goods outside your door to be picked up Saturday, May 14th.

If you are available to help, please give us a call at (630) 221-8340, or you can email us at hsp@humanitarianservice.org. Thanks!

Big Thank You This Week

We would like to thank Jeanne Mraz and Georgia Pacific Corporation in Elwood IL for the generous donation of paper products. It took four volunteers to unload two vans full of paper towels, toilet paper, and other paper products that we received from Georgia Pacific. We are grateful to have the support of Georgia Pacific. They have been contributing to HSP’s efforts since 2006!

A thank you goes to our volunteers - Bob, Larry, Mike and Zach for unloading this generous donation of paper products. Your help goes a long way to support HSP’s effort in serving low-income seniors and needy children.