Packaging Senior Care Kits

            Through the Senior Citizen Project, HSP distributes a lot of nutritious food every month to the seniors enrolled in the program. Every three months, HSP provides all of the seniors with a “Personal Care Kit” alongside this delivery. These packages contain all the products to meet the personal hygiene needs of the seniors, and including one bottle of shampoo, one bottle of conditioner, one tube of lip balm, one toothbrush, two tubes of toothpaste, one roll of dental floss, three bottles of lotion, four bars of soap or two body wash containers, and one bottle of hand sanitizer.

            For the rest of 2014, we still need to assemble 246 more care kits for the seniors. HSP gratefully accepts either donations of whole kits or donations of items that will be included in the kits. Items that we need the most are shampoo, conditioner, and lotion (medium size is preferred). With these Personal Care Kits, we are able to meet many of the basic needs of the impoverished seniors enrolled in our program.

            If you, or anyone you know, would like to donate items for our Personal Care Kits, please drop them off at our center at 465 Randy Rd. in Carol Stream or call us at (630) 221-8340.

School Supply Drive

With summer in full swing HSP is kicking off its annual School Supply Drive. During this time HSP collects new school supplies for kids in need. Last year at HSP we served an estimated 3200 needy kids in the area. HSP distributes these supplies by donating them to the DuPage Regional Office of Education’s back to school fair for needy kids. On top of that, this year HSP will also be supporting Kane County’s Project Backpack and local schools with a high percentage of impoverished children.

All of these programs are important in making sure children have the supplies they need to succeed in school. Nearly 660,000 children in Illinois live in poverty, so it is key that we here at HSP do everything we can to make sure these kids have the proper school supplies in order to receive a proper education. It is heartbreaking when a teacher asks the children to take out their crayons and one student does not have them.

Any and all help is welcome in making a child’s educational experience successful. HSP collects school supplies year round. Moreover, this year we set a goal of reaching over 4,000 children in need; which mean we need all the help we can get. We collect supplies such as; backpacks, binders, note cards, pens and pencils, notebooks, art supplies, and the like. The children need our help, please join us in making a difference.

If you or anyone you know is interested in donating or looking for more information about our school supply drive, feel free to contact the Humanitarian Service Project by phone at 630-221-8340, or by email at hsp@humanitarianservice.org.

Outreach Community Center: Stretches out multiple hands

The Humanitarian Service Project always warmly welcomes volunteers; but when those volunteers also happen to be middle schoolers trying to better their community, we feel an extra sense of pride.

    This week, we had the pleasure of working with two different volunteer groups from the Outreach Community Center. On Monday, ten kids and two adult leaders from the Outreach Community Center spent almost three hours in the HSP’s warehouse sorting non-perishable foods for the needy families in our Feed the Kids program. Today a second group came in that also consisted of ten kids and two adults, who sorted meat and paper for the seniors in our Senior Citizen Project.

    The help that volunteers like the Outreach Community Center gives us is amazing. Their support and dedication these volunteer groups have, we is what enables HSP to make such an impact in our community. We appreciate the time they give, especially from these specific middle schoolers who have all summer to lay back and have fun. A special thanks for the support from the Outreach Community Center.

     Humanitarian Service Project depends significantly on volunteers such as, Outreach Community Center to help us better serve the needs of seniors and families in DuPage and Kane counties. If you or your group is interested in learning more about Humanitarian Service Project or getting involved, please contact us at (630) 221-8340, or by email at hsp@humanitarianservice.org

SEAL is Back to Help the Seniors!

            After only three months, volunteers from the School of Expressive Arts and Learning (SEAL) in Lisle were back again today! They started helping HSP in 2012 and have become familiar faces since then. Every time they visit, they are a huge helping hand. We are extremely grateful to have SEAL as a group of regular volunteers to help us make a difference.

            Today, the volunteers from SEAL spent about two hours sorting paper products for the needy seniors served by HSP. These products include toilet paper, facial tissue and paper towels.

            The students at SEAL are dedicated volunteers. Along with observing and experiencing work, they assist local communities every single Wednesday! We’re thankful that they spent this Wednesday with HSP. Assisting the neediest members of our communities would not be possible without the help of our wonderful volunteers, so thank you, SEAL, and we’re sure we will see you again soon!

            If you or anyone you know is interested in volunteering their time to help make a difference in the lives of needy children and seniors, feel free to contact the Humanitarian Service Project by phone at 630-221-8340, or by email at hsp@humanitarianservice.org.

Roll Call for Ribfest!

There is no better way to go out with a bang this Fourth of July than by eating some of your favorite foods. Now, imagine doing that while simultaneously helping to raise money for local organizations dedicated to combating child abuse and domestic violence. Sounds pretty rewarding, huh?

Shot of Ribfest's typical turnout.

Well, from July 3-6, you can do just that at the Naperville Exchange Club’s annual Ribfest. With the event only a short week and a half away, we here at HSP are looking for a final group of volunteers who can help fill the remaining timeslots of July 4, 5 and 6 from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

During these hours, you can personally choose to represent us either through distributing programs and checking people in at the entrance gates or by working the beverage tent. Please keep in mind that the latter can only be done by those over 21 years of age.

If you, or anyone you know, is interested in going all hands this holiday weekend, please contact us as soon as you can at (630) 221-8340.

With music, fireworks, food, an appearance by the Chicago White Sox and the knowledge that you will be helping out a very worthy cause in your community, Ribfest is surely the place to be. So, come on down and enjoy the barbeque! 

Farewell to Abe and Lydia

Last week, HSP had to bid a sad but fond goodbye to two of the members of our intern team. Friday was the final day for our interns Abe and Lydia. They have contributed a great deal to HSP and they will be greatly missed!

            Abe began at HSP in early March and participated in a variety of projects. He created videos about HSP events, reached out to the community and asked for donations of food for needy seniors, and contributed to our blog as well as other on-going projects. Abe brought a can-do spirit to the many tasks he helped with at HSP, and we will definitely miss his personality around the office.  

            Lydia began her internship in January to complete her community service practicum for the Adler School for Professional Psychology. She aided HSP’s Senior Citizen Project by writing Senior Updates. She interviewed the seniors in our program and wrote updates on their current situation including their needs, how the program helps them, and a little bit about their background, allowing us to better serve them. Lydia is currently pursuing her master’s degree to be an art therapist and the bright, caring nature she brought to reaching out to our seniors makes us certain that she will do great!     

            Through their hard work, ambition and positive attitudes, Abe and Lydia have made a tremendous difference in the lives of many. We are grateful to have had them at HSP and we know they will be very successful in the future. We wish them the best of luck with their future endeavors!   

Helping Hands at HSP

            Today was a very exciting day at HSP. The back of the warehouse was filled with a group of outstanding volunteers sorting fresh produce and bread for tomorrow’s delivery day. All of the produce and bread along with paper goods, and nonperishables will be delivered to the seniors enrolled in our Senior Citizen Project. Due to the amazing volunteers giving up part of their day to help HSP, we are able to reach the 123 needy seniors tomorrow with their monthly delivery. We’d like to thank the 10 friends of HSP for responding to our call and sorting the produce and bread for our seniors today. They did an outstanding job!

           

        Also today at HSP two of our interns, Matthew and Nicole, ventured to Oakbrook to the McDonald's campus to help a group of spirited children help pack “Party in a Bag” for the Children’s Birthday Project.  A group of 24 children of McDonald’s employees through the help and support of McDonalds were able to pack 24 Parties in a Bag. These bags go towards giving a child of an impoverished home a birthday party they deserve. The bags along with gifts are given to needy children to alleviate the stress of their parents having to spend what little they have on making their children’s birthdays fantastic. The children were dedicated and worked at a quick pace to complete the bags to be taken back to HSP and be given to a deserving child. We here at HSP would like to thank McDonalds and the volunteers for doing an amazing thing today and producing phenomenal results! Every helping hand can make a difference to those in need.

If you or a group you are a part of would like to volunteer with Humanitarian Service Project, we welcome you to call us at 630-221-8340 or email us at hsp@humanitarianservice.org

Liberty Mutual Helps Celebrate 33 Birthdays

            Remember being a kid and looking forward to going to work with your mom or dad on Take Your Child to Work Day? You didn’t have to go to school, and hey, maybe you’d find out your parents actually did something interesting. Last week, Liberty Mutual saw an opportunity in their Take Your Child to Work Day and spent it collecting party supplies and putting together Party-in-a-Bag kits for needy kids. They bought enough supplies to put together an amazing 33 kits, and for that, we are very thankful.

            We were pleasantly surprised to see some of our friends from Liberty Mutual when they dropped off the kits earlier this week. All of them were packaged wonderfully in fun gift bags, and you could tell that a lot of time and care went into each of them. The Party-in-a-Bag kits are part of the 20-25 lb. Birthday Boxes we distribute through the Children’s Birthday Project. Each kit includes various supplies you would need to throw a birthday party – cake mix, frosting, candles, plates, balloons, party hats and party decorations.

Local Liberty Mutual Associates volunteer annually for their “Serve with Liberty” event, which they volunteered at last month on May 2 and 6. We are very honored that they took extra time to help out HSP as well.

            Thank you again to our friends at Liberty Mutual. Because of you, 33 needy kids are about to have a very fun birthday!

First Presbyterian Church Lends a Hand

            With summer in full swing, HSP has a lot of excitement going on with our Feed the Kids program. Yesterday, we had a wonderful group of volunteers from the First Presbyterian Church in Wheaton lend their eager hands to help us with this project. A group of 22 kids and their chaperones came as part of their church’s Vacation Bible School “Service Squad.” They graciously helped HSP for over an hour sorting non-perishables that help provide nutrition for 100 families enrolled in Feed the Kids. HSP would like to thank these youth from First Presbyterian Church for their fantastic help yesterday, but also for their generous and continued support throughout the years. They church has been volunteering with us since 1992! HSP would also like to recognize a longtime volunteer, Kristin Dixon, and her children, Andrew and Emma, for leading the group in packing the boxes. Thank you all so much for your aid in sorting these non-perishables. Your help enables HSP to provide underserved children and their families with the food and nutrition they need!

            If you know a group or are part of a group that would like to volunteer, HSP would love to have you! Please visit our website at www.humanitarianservice.org or call 630-221-8340.

We're Growing!

It is 9am and you walk into HSP for your very first day as an intern. However, it is not quite yet official. For this to happen, you must get your picture taken in front of the infamous “forest wall”.

Last Thursday, we had the joyous opportunity of adding three more names to that list. In true HSP fashion, please help us in welcoming these bright, young individuals to our team.

            First up we have Matthew Kole, a 21-year-old upcoming senior at Augustana College in Rock Island. A business/marketing and sociology major, he is currently living in his hometown of Carol Stream for the summer and will be interning at HSP until the beginning of August. When asked what drew him to our program, Matthew said that volunteering is “my passion.” He even started a charitable organization at his college entitled “Wings”, which raises money for various physical education programs by hosting a number of sports-related fundraisers. In the first year, Matthew helped raise a life-changing $680.

          
         Outside of his humanitarian efforts, Matthew likes to bowl, having played this sport for the past 10 years.

          Next up is Alexandria “Alex” Graff, a soon-to-be senior journalism student at Loyola University Chicago. At the young age of 20, she has recently returned from a trip to Prague and is now back home in Carol Stream.

            Having volunteered with the Northern Illinois Food Bank back in high school, Alex will be working closely with our Administrative Assistant Bridget Dooley on a variety of different projects, including preparation for the Children’s Birthday Project and July’s distribution of Feed the Kids.

            Aside from her charitable giving, Alex’s interests include playing tennis and traveling the world. Additionally, she just recently finished watching season two of Orange is the New Black. With many TV lovers on the staff here at HSP, Alex is bound to find herself involved in some very exciting lunch conversations.

Last, but certainly not least, is 21-year-old Nicole Krage from Lombard. The second public relations major to join us this summer, she currently attends Lewis University in Romeoville.

A previous intern for the Service Learning program at the Technology Center of DuPage in Addison, Nicole came to HSP in hopes of applying her budding knowledge and skills to a vastly larger organization.

Like Alex, Nicole likes to travel. Having recently returned from a cruise to the Caribbean, she said that it was one of her all-time favorite trips, along with Niagara Falls and Boston. As a lover of the outdoors, Nicole also likes nothing more than biking or jogging around town.

We are looking so forward to getting to work with Matthew, Alexandria and Nicole this summer. Once again, please help us in welcoming the three newest additions to our internship program.

One Year Wiser

At HSP we are excited to celebrate the birthdays of Kristin Maxwell and Bailey Hicks today! Kristin is a cherished member of the HSP team; Kristin started out as a regular volunteer but her passion and love for the organization have led her to become HSP’s Executive Director. Everyday Kristin devotes herself to making life brighter to not just the needy seniors, children, and families we serve, but for everyone she comes across. For this reason, it is important to us to recognize her on her special day.

            Today Bailey is celebrating her 21^st birthday. She is working with us for the summer as HSP’s grant writing intern. In the few weeks that she has been here, Bailey has been a tremendous help to the organization by researching grants and writing proposals. We are very grateful to have her!

            We would like to wish Kristin and Bailey a very happy birthday and thank them for all the hard work that they have done!   

Adios Mandy

            Yesterday, we said farewell to one of the fantastic members of our intern team, Mandy Larsen. Mandy contributed an immense amount of hard work and dedication to HSP. Since January, Mandy has been a key part of the HSP family, and upon her departure Mandy will be dearly missed.

           

            Mandy completed her internship at HSP for her Community Service Practicum through the Adler School of Professional Psychology. During her time at HSP she had contributed a lot to helping with the Senior Citizen Project. Mandy’s primary role was interviewing and writing “Senior Updates” on the impoverished seniors we serve. The Senior Updates are done once a year with the purpose of keeping HSP up to date on all the seniors sponsored in the Senior Citizen Project. Senior Updates are necessary in both keeping up to date with the specific needs of each senior, while also keeping a personal relationship with the seniors. A good relationship with each senior, along with the knowledge of their lives helped Mandy do an outstanding job creating both informative and personal Senior Updates.

            Here at HSP, we would like to issue a final thanks to Mandy who spent her time helping HSP make a difference in the community through her positive attitude, caring nature, hard work, and her ability to create accurate and interesting Senior Updates. Without her help, it would have been immensely more difficult to do the things that we do. Thank you again and we wish you the best in everything you do!

Living Out Loud Leads the Way

The A.M. shift of the Living Out Loud volunteers

Today, nestled behind a large wall of boxes of non-perishable foods, intended for needy families, lies an extraordinary group of Middle Schoolers. Generously volunteering 2 days out of their very precious summer vacation, the young members of Living Out Loud spend the joint time, which make up a Christian Service Summer Retreat, helping many non-for profit organizations like Humanitarian Service Project.

Living Out Loud, an annual event for young students, consists of St. Petronille Parish in Glen Ellyn, Visitation Parish in Elmhurst and Resurrection Parish in Wayne. On the second day of the service oriented retreat the incoming 7^th and 8^th graders separate into small groups and are sent to very different service opportunities in the Chicago area. Two shifts of these students came in today at Humanitarian Service Project, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

 As Valerie Della Penna, a Middle School Youth Minister and organizer of Living out Loud explains, “We separate the kids into different groups and send them to different service opportunities in hopes that the kids can have very different experiences on this retreat…at the end of the day we organize a food scavenger hunt in downtown Glen Ellyn and once we collect the food we will be donating it to charitable organizations like Humanitarian Service Project.”

As the children excitedly packed food into boxes, the look of pure joy crosses their faces. Della Pena had mentioned that this year the popular and limited youth group, which normally consists of 60 Middle Schoolers has been pushed to a new level with 79 children volunteering, including a number of kids who have come back from last year to either volunteer again or have decided to return as Student Leaders.

We have had the lucky experience of having a group like Living Out Loud volunteer with Humanitarian Service Project for about 10 years. Without the support and help from groups like Living Out Loud our program would be so much less than it is. If you or a group you are a part of would like to volunteer with Humanitarian Service Project, we welcome you to call us at 630-221-8340 or email us at hsp@humanitarianservice.org

Feeding the Kids

It’s that time of year again! Today was HSP’s first distribution day of our summertime Feed the Kids program and we started out strong with cars lined up around the block. The warehouse was bustling with activity all day with needy families picking up grocery packages and volunteers loading their cars. Through Feed the Kids, 100 Families receive 175-200 pounds of non-perishable food, fresh fruit and vegetables, Pepperidge Farm bread, and a variety of meat. HSP’s Feed the Kids program takes place during the summer months of June, July, and August. The goal of this program is to combat the absence of school lunches that children receive who are enrolled in their school’s subsidized lunch program.  This year we also had a generous donation of children’s clothing. After picking up their food packages, families were welcome to choose from a variety of shirts, pants, dresses, and shoes.

            We are very grateful to all of the volunteers who came out and braved the rainy weather to help out on this busy day. We had a great number of individual volunteers as well as volunteers from the Unity of Fox Valley church, the Young Men’s Service League, Subaru, and LaForce Inc. They spent the day loading boxes, gathering food packages, as well as managing the clothing tables. We wouldn’t have been able to serve these families in need without them!

            Our upcoming distribution days are Wednesday July 9^th and Wednesday August 6^th. If  you would like to volunteer to work one of these days please give us a call at 630-221-8340. Available shift times are 9am-2pm or 1pm-6:30pm.

Busy Days at HSP

Members of UPS and the National Charity League pose 
with their finished products: 100 boxes of food for local 
families.

Let the countdown begin!

With the first distribution cycle of our annual Feed the Kids program just one day away, we here at HSP are beyond grateful for all the last-minute help we have received.

           

Tomorrow, 100 needy families from DuPage and parts of Kane County will be visiting our facility to pick up 175 pounds of groceries each. Due to this, it has been quite busy here these last few days as we have worked to put the finishing touches together.

            Today was no different. Earlier, we had the honor of hosting not one, but two hard-working groups who dedicated an hour and a half of their time to filling the remaining 100 boxes with fresh produce.

            Regular volunteers with HSP, the Carol Stream branch of UPS Supply Chain Solutions sent over eleven of their employees to lend a helping hand. Affiliated with us since 2009, the group comes over quite frequently to aid in sorting produce, usually for senior delivery days.

            Today, they were also joined by two mothers and two daughters from the National Charity League of Naperville. An organization dedicated to volunteerism, the league has plenty to show for that here at HSP, having helped out during last year’s Christmas Offering and last month’s Stamp Out Hunger. 

Kohl's Associates hold up one of their wrapped gifts.

Upstairs, things were just as busy. Six volunteers from the Kohl’s in Wheaton spent most of their morning wrapping gifts for needy children in the area. Also a frequent supporter of HSP, the company encourages its employees through the Kohl’s Cares program to set aside time in which to volunteer at local charities. We are beyond grateful to have been chosen as a worthy non-profit for these associates.

Everyone here at HSP would like thank the many wonderful volunteers who gave their time and money to make this whole program possible. It has been a long road of preparation, but due to your help and kindheartedness, we are able to go home tonight knowing that hundreds of the neediest families in our area will soon have food on their shelves and on their tables, as well as gifts and toys to give their young children. Without you, none of this would be happening.

If you, or anyone you know, is interested in volunteering with us or contributing to any of our programs, please give us a call at (630) 221-8340.

Thank You to All of the Amazing Donors

            We’re starting this week with supreme gratitude to everyone who donated to HSP, helping us to fulfill our mission of aiding the neediest children and seniors in our community. We would like to recognize Lincoln Jr. High in Naperville for their awesome support. On May 29^th, they donated 300 packs of loose leaf paper for impoverished kids. They then returned on Friday, June 6^th, with a whole van load of school supplies, including paper, binders, notebooks, and locker shelves! Lincoln Jr. High helped HSP get a great early start for the School Supply Drive. This program accepts donations of unused school supplies, and we are looking for items like backpacks, crayons/markers, notebooks, colored folders, pens, etc.

            HSP also received a generous donation from Divine Savior Parish in Downers Grove. They are one of our most dedicated supporters, helping HSP for more than two decades! Every few months, they host a food drive for the needy seniors enrolled in HSP’s Senior Citizen Project. Over the weekend, the parishioners from Divine Savior collected a full carload of food. Today, our wonderful volunteer, Mark Pierce, picked up the donation boxes. These food donations will help benefit many needy seniors in our community!

Without the help of our donors, HSP wouldn’t be the organization that it is today. We wholeheartedly thank everyone who has donated supplies and food, helping to support the children and seniors who need it the most. If you are interested in learning more about how to help us serve needy children and seniors, visit www.humanitarianservice.org or call HSP at 630-221-8340.

Wanted: Secret Pals!

            There is a story at HSP about the importance of Secret Pals. When Senior Helen C. was having trouble with reading, a favorite pastime, due to a worsening eyesight and poor lighting, she knew that she would have to get new glasses and lighting. However, her problem was that she simply could not afford to buy these items with her limited budget. Enter her secret pal. When Helen received her gift bag, she opened up the bag to find a flat magnifier with an attached light. Helen was stunned. “I was amazed! How did she know, without me telling her, that this was exactly what I needed?” Helen exclaimed.

            For all 123 seniors enrolled in HSP’s Senior Citizen Project, the groceries that they receive are an essential source of importance to help with their daily needs. Our Secret Pal program allows them an opportunity to receive other items to make their lives easier and more enjoyable. This program is for gift-giving oriented people who want to help those not as fortunate. The seniors in the Senior Citizen Project can choose to be paired with a Secret Pal, who each month purchases small gifts and items from a senior’s “wish list” to be delivered as part of the monthly grocery delivery through SCP. These gifts range from $5-25 and include wishlist items such as dish soap, detergent, clothing, or gas cards, as well as gift items like books, stationery, or games.

            HSP is in need of 10 more secret pals for seniors enrolled in SCP. If you would like to touch the life of a person in need, please consider joining the Secret Pal program or call HSP at (630)221-8340. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of others.

Making A Child Smile – One Box At A Time

            For many children, summer doesn’t only mean no school for two months – it means birthdays! Unfortunately, however, not everyone has the means necessary to celebrate it. That is where we come in.

Jeff Marker, one of HSP's loyal volunteers, loads up
the HSP van with Birthday Boxes for students
at Lake Park Elementary.

           Today, with the gracious help of long-time volunteer Jeff Marker and HSP intern Abe Park, we were able to transport 39 Birthday Boxes to local, impoverished children at Lake Park Elementary School (LPE) in Addison who have summer birthdays.

We have had the pleasure of working with LPE since Christmas of 2011. The following year, due to the high level of need at the school (80% of attendees are below the poverty line), we also enrolled many of the underprivileged students into our Children’s Birthday Project. This program was started in hopes of giving children aged three to eleven a reason to smile on their most special day.

HSP would like to thank all of our wonderful donors who helped make this partnership possible, as well as the many volunteers who selflessly dedicated their time to assisting us in preparing the boxes. None of what we do, from transport to the very project itself, would be possible without the love and support of our donors and volunteers.

The Children’s Birthday Project (CBP) provides 925 children with gifts each year. Each Birthday Box weighs 20-25 pounds and contains 6-10 new toys, a game or activity kit, plush animals, several smaller presents such as bubbles, yo-yos and playing cards, school supplies and a “Party-In-A-Box” with cake mix, frosting, candles, party favors, cups, plates, napkins, etc. It is our goal to provide a young child with everything he or she needs to celebrate his or her birthday in style.

If you, or anyone you know, is interested in adopting a needy child in the CBP, please call us at (630) 221-8340.

From all of us at HSP, have a fun and safe summer!

Corporate Community

             We wouldn’t be able to alleviate the pain and suffering that poverty brings without the help of all of our volunteers. Today we had the pleasure of working with U.S. Cellular’s Strategic Partnerships Marketing Department. They sorted and packaged 100 boxes of canned vegetables, cereal, granola bars, and other non-perishable foods for our Feed the Kids program. Each year the department spends the morning volunteering for a chosen organization, followed by a fun corporate bonding day out.

            U.S. Cellular wasn’t our only volunteer group of the day. Two groups from Farmer’s Insurance donated their time as well as wrapping paper to wrap gifts such as dolls, action figures, paint sets and more for our Children’s Birthday Project.  Children in the program receive wrapped birthday gifts as well as the supplies needed to throw a birthday party to be able to enjoy their special day. Each birthday box includes toys, books, stuffed animals and party supplies such as paper plates, cake mix, frosting, candles, etc.

            If you would like to schedule a volunteer group, please call HSP at

630-221- 8340. 

All Hands in for Ribfest!

            Usually when eating ribs, there’s a rule to only use your thumb and pointer finger to hold the meat so you don’t get the rest of yourself dirty. However, it’s all hands in for the Naperville Exchange Club’s Ribfest! HSP is looking for volunteers to represent us at the festival, which is July 3^rd – 6^th. Every summer, Ribfest is a family fun event, and the proceeds go to various organizations in DuPage County and to the elimination of child abuse and domestic violence. There is a lot to do at the festival, including music, fireworks, and food. The Chicago White Sox are stopping by, and among the music headliners is Blue Oyster Cult. And, of course, there will be ribs.
            Ribfest coordinators are looking for volunteers to help out in the festival. Volunteers are needed to serve beverages, to support the merchandising tent, and to distribute information at the entrance gates, among other things. There are two 6-hour volunteer time slots: 11 am – 5 pm and 4 pm – 10 pm. With more volunteers to represent HSP, our Feed the Kids program receives more money to support it.
            You can find out more about the exciting event at www.ribfest.net. If you or anyone you know is interested in volunteering at Ribfest, please contact HSP directly at (630)-221-8340. Ribfest is a good way for HSP and its volunteers to get involved in the community, and we would love to see you there!

School Supply Drive

  Scissors, pencils, and glue sticks, oh my! The  2013-14 school year is just wrapping up for most students, which means that HSP’s School Supply Drive is about to come into full swing. HSP collects new school supplies throughout the summer in order to equip needy children in the fall with the tools they require to succeed in school. 

            HSP supports the DuPage Regional Office of Education’s Back to School Fair, as well as distributes to local schools with a high percentage of students in need. This year HSP will also be supporting Kane County’s Project Backpack for needy families. Last week, HSP received a generous donation of 300 packs of loose-leaf paper thanks to Lincoln Jr. High School!

            School supplies of all sorts are greatly appreciated. This year some of the items that we are collecting include: backpacks, notebooks, scissors, glue sticks, folders, rulers, tape, pens, and pencils. If you would like to donate, please don’t hesitate to call HSP at 630-221-8340.