Glenbard North High School Volunteers

            Happy Friday everyone! Today, a group from Glenbard North High School very generously volunteered in the warehouse. 7 students and their 3 chaperones made 50 non-perishable food boxes for impoverished families enrolled in our Christmas Offering. We would like to thank them for choosing to spend part of their Halloween with us today!

We would also like to remind everyone that we will be switching to holidays hours next week. We will be open from 9:00 A.M. - 5:30 P.M. From all of us here at HSP, we wish you a happy and safe Halloween!     

Naperville Junior Woman’s Club Ladies Night Out

On November 13^th, 2014 the Naperville Junior Woman’s Club (NJWC) will be holding their “Ladies Night Out” fundraiser. This event will take place from 6:30 P.M. - 10 P.M. at the Marriot in Naperville. This fundraiser will support HSP and Naperville’s Safety Town. Tickets are now available and can be purchased at https://tix4cause.com/donations/tickets/2821/. There will be live music from the Acoustiholics and a performance by the Steps Dance Center. Spa treatments, shopping, raffles and a silent auction are among the other activities that will be taking place that night. It is expected to be a fun night out, while supporting a great cause! 

HSP is the chosen charity for the NJWC’s “Community Improvement Project” for 2013 and 2014. Through this program, the juniors have devoted a lot of time and resources to help us serve those in need and we wish to thank them. We hope you will come out to this event to support the NJWC in their efforts to help us here at HSP.    

Food and Toy Drives Underway at HSP

Some spirited food drive donors from Kingsley Elementary last year.

Over the last month, HSP has been reaching out to various community members and organizations to help with food and toy drives for our Christmas Offering, one of HSP’s exciting seasonal programs. HSP will distribute tons upon tons of groceries and toys during the coming months. Holding a toy or food drive (or both!) is a great way to help those in need so HSP can continue to serve seniors and families. If you are interested in holding a toy or food drive, please feel free to contact us with any questions at (630) 221- 8340.    

St. Charles Head Start, Lake Park & Army Trail Birthday Boxes

Today, HSP delivered birthday boxes to needy children with November birthdays at Lake Park Elementary, Army Trail Elementary School in Addison, and Valley View Head Start in St. Charles. The gifts were delivered by our dedicated volunteers Bill Fehling and Dean Senne. It is thanks to the generosity of our donors that allows us to provide memorable birthdays to the needy children throughout DuPage and Kane.

Through this program, HSP provides a beautiful birthday box for 925 children living in poverty. Each child enrolled in the program receives 6-10 new gifts; 4-7 new, age-appropriate books; numerous filler gifts, such as stuffed animals; and a “Party-in-a-Bag” kit, which includes all of the things that make birthdays fun, such as a cake, candles, and party supplies, so a child can throw a great party on their special day. If you would like to learn more about our Children’s Birthday Project, please feel free to call us at (630) 221-8340.  Here’s to happy children on their birthdays!

Giant Steps and SEAL Volunteer at HSP

Boxes full of food sorted by volunteers from Giant Steps and SEAL

          Mondays are always exciting for all of us here at HSP, and this Monday has been full of fun.  Today, HSP had volunteer groups from Giant Steps and the School of Expressive Arts and Learning (SEAL), who helped sort non-perishable food items for our Christmas Offering, which is quickly approaching.  It was wonderful to have all of the volunteers from Giant Steps and SEAL here with us, providing support to help needy families in DuPage and Kane Counties.  We were very happy to have all of the volunteers from both of these schools today, and we would like to say thank you; without you, we couldn't possibly help as many people as we do, and your generosity is greatly appreciated.

          As Christmas quickly approaches, the need for volunteers increases.  If you are interested in volunteering for HSP in December, or if you would like to learn more about volunteer opportunities, please visit our website at www.humanitarianservice.org, or email us at hsp@humanitarianservice.org.  Once again, thank you to the volunteers from Giant Steps and SEAL:  you are all amazing! 

Lindop School District Gives Back

Lindop school district’s student council joined HSP today to volunteer in the warehouse. 15 students sorted food to be distributed to the needy seniors and families served by our Senior Citizen Project and Christmas Offering. It is great to see students giving back to the community. Volunteers do us a great service, for we cannot run our programs without them, and we are glad these students joined us today to play an active role in helping others. Volunteering can teach students about team building, making a difference and is an opportunity for them to learn more about themselves. We are excited to have Lindop’s students today and thank them for choosing to spend their Friday morning giving back at HSP.  

Allured Business Media Senior Endowment Campaign Update

            The Senior Endowment Campaign sponsored by Allured Business Media has concluded and HSP is happy to announce that we met our goal. The donations from all those who participated and the matching funds from Allured will be used towards an endowment to enroll a married senior couple into our Senior Citizen Project (SCP) bringing the enrollment up to 125 seniors. The endowment will permanently provide life-saving groceries delivered to their door every month. We would like to thank Allured and everyone who donated for helping reach impoverished seniors in need. 

Volunteers from Target

Today nine volunteers from the Target in Glendale Heights came to assist in sorting food for needy families in our Christmas Offering. The group spent 3 hours creating 100 boxes of non-perishable food in our warehouse. Many things take place here at HSP during the holiday season: nutritious food is distributed to 350 families and over 1,600 children receive gifts, along with the seniors enrolled in SCP. This means that Christmas is a busy time for us but it is also the time in which we make the most impact. We thank the Target volunteers for giving us a leg up in our preparation for this fast- paced time of year.       

Food drive from Evergreen Elementary School

Evergreen Elementary School in Carol Stream recently completed a very generous food drive to support HSP. The students and staff at Evergreen enthusiastically conducted this food drive by collecting 16 boxes, totaling over 350 pounds of food. We are very thankful that Evergreen has taken the time to collect and donate non-perishables for the sake of those in need. We are in the preparation for our Christmas season here at HSP and this is when we are in the most need of food donations to serve impoverished senior citizens, children and their families. If you too would be interested in helping HSP out with food donations, you can visit our website at www.humanitarianservice.org.

Thanks to our Friends at UPS

HSP received some amazing news last Friday from our friends at UPS Supply Chain Solutions. As a volunteer group from UPS arrived to sort fresh produce and bread for our Senior Citizen Project (SCP) they presented HSP with a check for $20,000. This gift was a grant from the UPS Foundation, which heavily factored in the volunteer hours from the UPS team members in Carol Stream and in Elk Grove Village in its decision process. HSP was recognized for our impact in the community thanks, in no small part, to UPS.  Nearly every month HSP hosts volunteers from UPS to sort the fresh produce and bread delivered to the 123 impoverished seniors enrolled in HSP’s Senior Citizen Project. Their continual support allows HSP to provide nutritious groceries to these seniors month after month. The donation from the UPS Foundation will be used to replace one of HSP’s aging cargo vans, which is critical for the operation of HSP’s programs to serve the needy. Every week HSP travels throughout DuPage County and beyond for donations and other tasks related to the SCP and the Children’s Birthday Project. We wish to thank our friends at UPS and the UPS Foundation for helping us make a difference in the lives of seniors, children, and their families suffering from poverty in our community.

Kensington School Holds Party Supply Drive

Over the past two days, HSP has received a very exciting and generous donation. As a part of the “Kensington Cares” initiative, Kensington School held a drive for party supplies. Kensington School has nine locations throughout the western suburbs for infants through full day kindergarten students. A teacher at the school, Jennifer Benton, helped organize the drive and added a fun twist to the drive by collecting donations to mark the birthday of the school’s mascot, Scooter the traveling bear. In honor of his birthday, people were encouraged to help Scooter celebrate by donating party supplies that will later be used as part of our Children’s Birthday Project. 1,486 packages of birthday party supplies were collected during the week of 9/29- 10/3. The supplies donated include: party favors, cake mix, frosting, napkins, candles, balloons, streams and more! The items were bagged up and delivered to us yesterday and today. We are very thankful to Kensington School for helping us get a head start on our Children’s Birthday Project for next year. 

Birthday Bags Delivered to 226 Kids!

HSP is excited to share that today we delivered bags full of birthday gifts for all of the 226 impoverished children enrolled at Two Rivers Head Start in East Aurora. These gifts will be distributed at Head Start throughout next year as the children’s birthdays roll around. The bags completely filled up our two cargo vans, and were delivered by our dedicated volunteers Bill Fehling, Jeff Marker, and Dean Senne who graciously donated their time to help with this delivery. Each child will receive a game or puzzle, educational flashcards, two books, an activity book, and 5 toys. While not officially a part of our Children’s Birthday Project, HSP was able to provide gifts for these kids thanks to the generosity of our donors. We want to thank Bill, Jeff, and Dean for delivering the gifts, and all of our supporters who helped make this possible.

With 925 needy children enrolled in our Children’s Birthday Project and 1600 to receive gifts through our Christmas Offering in just a couple of months, HSP is always looking for donations of new toys to brings smiles to the children in our communities.  If you are interested in helping HSP make a difference in their lives, check out our website: humanitarianservice.org.

STEPS Volunteers Step up to the Plate

HSP would like to recognize volunteers from School District 204’s STEPS program who graciously volunteered their time today. These 14 volunteers spent part of their morning helping us sort non-perishable food for the local families in need served by our Christmas Offering program. With our Christmas Offering just two months away, things are certainly starting to bustle around HSP, and we are thankful for these STEPs volunteers for generously giving their time to contribute to HSP’s efforts.

As we get closer and closer to Christmas, our volunteer needs really grow at HSP, particularly in the month of December. If you, or a group you’re involved in, would be interested in helping out, like this great group from District 204’s STEPS program, give HSP a call at 630-221-8340.

“Power Paws” and The Young Men’s Service League Volunteer at HSP

Volunteers from the Panther Chapter of the Young Men's Service League

          HSP has had the pleasure of having volunteer groups join us today and yesterday to help us prepare for our Christmas Offering.  Yesterday, the Wiesbrook Elementary fifth grade “Power Paws” volunteered in two shifts.  The first shift was in the morning with twelve children and three chaperones, and the second shift was in the afternoon, this time with five children and two chaperones.  “Power Paws” helped sort non-perishable food for needy families enrolled in our Christmas Offering, which provides 150 families with 250 pounds of groceries each.  These groups were very enthusiastic about working to help the people we serve.  The “Power Paws” first volunteered at HSP last year, and they are always a pleasure to have here.

          Not willing to let the younger kids have all the fun, our friends from the Panther Chapter of the Young Men’s Service League (YMSL), will be joining us to help us again in

sorting food for the families in our Christmas Offering.  The Young Men’s Service League is a mother and son service group.  The Carol Stream Panther Chapter of the Young Men’s Service League has always been very generous in giving their time to HSP; they are a huge help around Christmas and in Summer, and we are so thankful for all they do for the people we serve.

          HSP would like to thank all the volunteers from “Power Paws” and YMSL; without you, we couldn’t serve as many people as we do.  Your service is changing the lives of so many to make the holidays brighter for families in need.

          HSP needs volunteers for the month of December, so if you are interested in learning more about how you can volunteer at HSP, please visit our website at http://www.humanitarianservice.org, or email us at hsp@humanitarianservice.org.  And once again, thank you to our wonderful volunteers from “Power Paws” and YMSL of Carol Stream:  you rock!

DuKane A.B.A.T.E Toy and Food Run

ABATE's charity coordinator Jennifer Hantosh (left) with Kristin

HSP received a very generous donation of food and toys this past Sunday at the DuKane A.B.A.T.E’s 28^th annual Toy and Food Run.  Kristin Maxwell, HSP’s Executive Director, represented us at the event, where the HSP cargo van was loaded full of food and toys for the needy seniors, children, and families we serve.

            A.B.A.T.E, or A Brotherhood Aimed Towards Education,
is, as described on their website, “a motorcyclists rights organization dedicated to preserving motorcycle, off-road, & ATV riders’ rights through education, safety, awareness, and political activities.”

            A.B.A.T.E’s Toy and Food Run is suburban Chicagoland’s largest Toy Run Parade, and this year’s Toy and Food Run definitely lived up to its title of  the “Grandaddy of all Toy Runs;” 2,000 people participated in the Toy and Food Run, and 14 local charities benefitted from this event.  Attendees were asked to donate an unwrapped toy or a non-perishable food item as part of their admission to the event. 

The Toy and Food Run put on by the DuKane Chapter of A.B.A.T.E featured a parade led by Santa that started in Elburn, with riders going all the way to the Batavia VFW on Route 25.  The event included a bike show, vendor booths, musical performances, and lots of great food.  This year, A.B.A.T.E received the most donations of toys and food they’ve ever had in the 28 years they’ve been putting on this event, making it a huge success.

HSP is very grateful for the generosity that was shown by the attendees of the Toy and Food Run, and we can’t thank the DuKane Chapter of A.B.A.T.E enough for choosing us as one of the local charities that would benefit from this great event.  If you would like to learn more about the DuKane Chapter of A.B.A.T.E, please visit their website at http://www.abate-il.org/dukane/.  Once again, thank you to everyone who attended and participated in the event, and to A.B.A.T.E for putting on the Toy and Food Run; your support means the world to all of us here at HSP, along with all the people we serve.  

Glenbard South High School Volunteers at HSP

Today we happily welcomed back our regular volunteers from the Transitions class from Glenbard South High School. This group volunteers almost every month to build vocational skills and to give back to the community. We had nine volunteers from the group who graciously spent over an hour and a half sorting canned fruits and vegetables that will be given to needy families at Christmas time. The Transitions class always shows up in high spirits ready to serve whenever they join us here at HSP. We’d like to thank them for doing so much to help us reach out to seniors and families in need!

Update on the Senior Endowment Campaign with Allured Business Media

There is just a little over a week left in our Senior Endowment Campaign sponsored by Allured Business Media. As we quickly approach the deadline of October 17^th, we are coming very close to reaching our $15,000 goal! We just need $1,006 to help us establish an endowment to enroll an impoverished senior in our Senior Citizen Project (SCP) for life. This campaign has been made possible thanks to the partnership of HSP and Allured Business Media. Allured is matching donations dollar for dollar up to $7,500. This will allow us to reach the goal of establishing a $15,000 endowment (including Allured’s match) raising SCP’s enrollment to 124 seniors. SCP provides 100 lbs. of nutritious groceries to seniors each month, direct to their door. We greatly appreciate the continued support from Allured Business Media and are excited to have the opportunity to expand our service to a very deserving senior in need. 

Enjoy a “Ladies Night Out” in Support of HSP

On November 13^th, 2014 the Naperville Junior Woman’s Club (NJWC) is holding their “Ladies Night out” fundraiser. This event will take place from 6:30 P.M. - 10 P.M. at the Marriot in Naperville. Proceeds from this fundraiser will support HSP and Naperville’s Safety Town. Tickets are now available and can be purchased at http://napervillejuniors.org/. There will be live music from the Acoustiholics and a performance by the Steps Dance Center. Spa treatments, shopping, raffles and a silent auction are among the other activities that will be taking place that night. It is expected to be a fun night out, while supporting a great cause!  HSP is the chosen charity for the NJWC’s “Community Improvement Project” for 2013 and 2014. Through this program, the juniors have devoted a lot of time and resources to help us serve those in need and we wish to thank them. We hope you will come out this event to support the NJWC in their efforts to help us here at HSP.    

Congregation Etz Chaim Food Drive and Divine Savior Food Drive

          HSP is incredibly blessed to have so many wonderful community supporters to help us serve the needy seniors and children in DuPage and Kane Counties.  This week, HSP has seen a multitude of support from two of our community partners, Congregation Etz Chaim in Lombard and Divine Savior Parish in Downers Grove.  

HSP's van filled with the food donations received from Congregation Etz Chaim

          On Saturday, HSP received a very large food donation from Congregation Etz Chaim.  Congregation Etz Chaim donated bags of food they collected through their Senior Youth Group’s annual High Holiday Food Drive to HSP.  Congregation Etz Chaim asked every family to fill at least one bag full of non-perishable food items to be donated towards the food drive, and the families did not disappoint:  with over 300 bags of food, our van was completely filled to the roof!  Thank you to our volunteer, Tom Hogan, who graciously gave his time on Saturday morning to pick up the food at Etz Chaim; HSP would also like to thank the youth at Etz Chaim who helped to load the van full of the bags of food, and to the families who attend Etz Chaim that donated food.  Tom and Congregation Etz Chaim’s support and generosity are unparalleled, and all of us here at HSP are so grateful for all of the support they provided to the seniors we serve. 

          Yesterday, HSP received another donation via a food drive held by Divine Savior Parish.  Every two months, Divine Savior holds a food drive for the seniors in the Senior Citizenship Project (SCP), and we are always grateful for their continued support.  Divine Savior has been a huge supporter of HSP for over 20 years, regularly holding food drives for SCP and being involved in supporting our Christmas Offering.  Divine Savior donated 45 bags of non-perishable food items from their most recent food drive, which was picked up by our volunteer, Bill Fehling.  Thank you, Bill and everyone at Divine Savior:  your continued support is changing the lives of 123 impoverished seniors for the better.

          HSP couldn’t be nearly as successful or serve nearly as many people as we do without the support of our community partners and volunteers.  If you are interested in volunteering for HSP, or if you would like to learn more about how you can hold a food drive for HSP, please visit our website at https://www.humanitarianservice.org, or send us an email at hsp@humanitarianservice.org.  Thank you again to everyone at Congregation Etz Chaim and Divine Savior, your generosity means the world to all of us here at HSP and the people we serve.

One Dime at a Time

HSP is excited to announce that now through December HSP is the chosen charity of the “One Dime at a Time” campaign at Whole Foods in Wheaton. This program is designed to both cut down the use of disposable bags, and provide Whole Foods customers an opportunity to participate in assisting the needy.

How it works: When customers bring in their own bag instead of using a disposable one, they’ll get a dime off there receipt that they can choose to donate to HSP.

The donations that we receive will help fund the Senior Citizen Project. The Senior Citizen Project provides nutritious groceries to 123 needy seniors in the DuPage and Kane Counties. Each month, every senior in our project receives a 100 lbs delivery of fresh fruits and vegetables, frozen meats, non-perishables, bread, paper products and more.

HSP is excited to be the chosen charity of this program and is happy to be working with Whole Foods. The employees of Whole Foods in Wheaton have generously assisted HSP in the past; particularly during the Christmas season by donating Christmas gifts to the impoverished children we serve. We are happy to be working with Whole Foods in Wheaton for the sake of those in need in our communities. 

Volunteer spotlight: Van Drivers

Christmas preparations are underway! The HSP van is in heavy use around the area picking up non- perishable food and toys for the sake of the program. This is, of course, is in addition to delivering birthday boxes to our partner schools and regular tasks for our project. These tasks would not be done without the help from volunteers who drive our vans. The van drivers are essential to us because they help us keep the program running smoothly. We would like to thank them for their willingness to go the extra mile for the sake of the seniors, children and families enrolled in our projects. This time of year is especially busy for us; it is thanks to them that we will be prepared to make the holidays brighter for those in need.  

Toys 'R Us Donations Through K.I.D.S

          The past couple of days have been very exciting for all of us here at HSP.  On Tuesday and Wednesday, we received donations from two Toys ‘R Us Stores through our partnership with K.I.D.S/ Fashion Delivers.  K.I.D.S, or Kids In Distressed Situations, partners with retail stores to provide toys and other items to people impacted by poverty through local charities and non-profit organizations; Fashion Delivers is also a part of this program, focusing on donating clothing from retailers.

Jeff with a full van of toys donated by the Crystal Lake Toys 'R Us.

          HSP recently formed a relationship with K.I.D.S/ Fashion Delivers as a “community partner,” and we are very excited about the opportunities this partnership will bring to the children we serve through our Children’s Birthday Project and Christmas Offering.  Through the partnership with K.I.D.S, HSP received a donation of half a van full of toys on Tuesday from the Algonquin Toys ‘R Us store, and a full van of toys on Wednesday from the store in Crystal Lake.  These donations were picked up for us by our great volunteers, Bill Fehling on Tuesday, and Jeff Marker on Wednesday.

Some of the toys donated by the Algonquin and Crystal Lake Toys 'R Us stores.

          We are very excited about these donations, as they are sure to bring immeasurable joy to the children enrolled in our Children’s Birthday Project.  Through this program, HSP provides 925 children with a 20-25 pound box of new toys, games, puzzles, and age-appropriate books, party supplies, and more on their birthdays.  These donations will also be extremely helpful in providing for children through our Christmas Offering, which provides 1,600 families with Christmas gifts during the holiday season. 

Thank you to K.I.D.S, the Crystal Lake and Algonquin Toys ‘R Us stores, and our wonderful volunteers Bill and Jeff; we couldn’t possibly make any of this happen without all of you, and your generosity means the world to all of us here at HSP and the children we serve.

            As Christmas quickly approaches, the need for toy donations grows ever larger.  If you’d like to learn more about HSP’s Christmas Offering or how you can donate, please visit our website at http://www.humanitarianservice.org.      

Giving Tree Donors Needed to Brighten Holidays for Children

Happy First of October! We are very excited here at HSP as we approach the busy holiday season. Around this time is when impoverished families start calling to ask to be added to the waiting list for our Christmas Offering. Every Christmas we serve 1,600+ children in need with at least 3 new Christmas gifts. This includes the 925 children in our Children’s Birthday Project, their siblings between the ages of 12-15, and as many needy children on our waiting list that we receive donations for. One of the ways you can help is by signing up to be a Giving Tree donor. To get involved, give us a call at (630) 221-8340 and we will assign you a child, or more if desired. We will provide you with a list of suggested gift ideas and then you shop, wrap and return the gifts to HSP. Through our Christmas Offering, we at HSP strive to make Christmas fun and exciting for needy children whose families cannot afford Christmas gifts. During this time, we greatly need your help in order to serve these children and greatly appreciate your support!