Thanks, Birthday Cakes 4 Free and FVAWL!

Many senior citizens experience the pain of loneliness and isolation every day. Without friends and family nearby and often with limited mobility, seniors served by HSP’s Senior Citizen Project can go days without seeing another person. We believe that a senior’s emotional well-being is just as important as his or her physical well-being, which is why we partner with two local charities to provide more than just a monthly grocery delivery. The DuPage and Kane chapter of Birthday Cakes 4 Free and the Fox Valley Animal Welfare League help to alleviate the pain of loneliness felt by our senior citizens.

The Birthday Cakes 4 Free Dupage and Kane chapter is run by Rose Garcia. They receive donations of money, supplies, and store-bought cakes, which in turn provides a cake for underprivileged and needy children and senior citizens. Each of HSP’s 123 seniors served by the Senior Citizen Project receives a yummy treat during their birthday month. This year, Birthday Cakes 4 Free will be providing scrumptious and generously sized cupcakes from Whole Foods for the seniors. Without Birthday Cakes 4 Free, many seniors could see their birthday pass by without any celebration or acknowledgement. Thanks to Birthday Cakes 4 Free, our senior citizens will, at the very least, receive a delicious cupcake and a friendly visit from their driver to help celebrate their special day. If you are interested in helping Birthday Cakes 4 Free ensure that no one has an unacknowledged birthday, please visit the Dupage and Kane Chapter Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Birthdaycakes4freeforDupageandKanecounties.

Bob of FVAWL delivering pet food for
our needy seniors' pets. 

While a special birthday delivery ensures that none of our seniors have a lonely birthday, some seniors seek more regular companionship in a furrier form. Pets offer love and devotion that the seniors lack, but on a limited income pet care can be expensive. For our senior citizens with pets, the Fox Valley Animal Welfare League keeps both the seniors and their furry or feathered friends happy by providing pet food in the monthly grocery delivery. Pet ownership can be very beneficial for lonely seniors, and when the only obstacle to owning a pet is the cost of its care, the FVAWL and HSP want to do everything we can to ensure that seniors can have the companionship that pets can provide. We are very grateful to the FVAWL for their help to our seniors. To learn more about the FVAWL, please visit their website: www.fvawl.org.

None of what we do could happen without the generous and sacrificial help of our volunteers. If you would like more information on how you can get involved with the Senior Citizen Project at HSP, please visit our website, www.humanitarianservice.org, or call us at 630-221-8340.