Most Needed Food Items for Families in Need

The first distribution day for our summertime Feed The Kids program is fast approaching, with less than two weeks left to prepare. HSP has three distribution days for our Feed The Kids program, and during each one we will distribute about 10 tons of groceries to 100 low-income families. We rely on the help of community members to provide this life altering service to these deserving families. Some of our most needed food items are peanut butter, jelly, cereal, boxed potatoes, stuffing, pancake mix, oatmeal, tuna, as well as other canned meat or fish, and pasta or rice meals, such as Ricearoni, Hamburger Helper, etc. If you have any questions about donations, please contact us at 630-221-8340, or email us at hsp@humanitarianservice.org.

Thank you, Ray Graham Center and Giant Steps

Sorted paper products from our volunteers

HSP has had the pleasure of hosting two amazing volunteer groups over the past two days. HSP is so thankful for the helping hands of our volunteers from the Ray Graham Center and Giant Steps. Yesterday, we welcomed nine volunteers from the Ray Graham Center, who sorted paper products for the seniors our organization serves. This fun and lively group, who have been volunteering regularly, spent about an hour helping to sort these products.

Today, volunteers from Giant Steps continued to help sort paper products for our Senior Citizen Project. We are so grateful for the time that Giant Steps put in today, as well as the help and support they have given HSP on a regular basis, either through donations or volunteering. These volunteer groups have been incredible, with their willingness to give their time and energy to help others, and we want to thank them for all of their kindness and hard work.

Excited to Welcome our New Intern!

HSP is excited to welcome our second intern for the summer! Olivia Riemer is studying sociology and communication at Harper College, but intends to transfer to UIC. After graduation she is interested in working in the non-profit industry and was attracted to HSP in order to learn more about working for a close-knit organization and the opportunity to help others. Olivia is taking on the role of the Community Outreach internship where she will be connecting with families from the Children’s Birthday Project and Feed the Kids in order to help our programs run smoothly. Other interests she has are cooking, writing, reading, and she is also a vocalist. We are so excited to have Olivia be part of our team and see everything she does throughout the summer. Please help us give Olivia a warm welcome!

Thank You Lombard Service League!

Last Friday, HSP was delighted to have a visit from the Lombard Service League as they dropped off a check to help support our programs. Lombard Service League is a group of local women who raise money for scholarships and other organizations including HSP. They donated enough money to sponsor two children in our Children’s Birthday Project and part of a senior sponsorship for our Senior Citizen Project. Carol Sink and Jean Nelson, who are the co-chairs of the funding and philanthropies committee, dropped off the check to HSP. In order to raise funds, they do various fundraising events, such as, a fundraising night at Zanies comedy club, garage sales, and more. Thank you for your support of HSP's mission to serve children and seniors living in poverty!

Volunteer Spotlight: Wrappers

Today, HSP would like to take a moment to acknowledge our volunteer wrappers, a fantastic group of volunteers who help us to make children in need feel special on their birthdays. At HSP, the Children’s Birthday Project is constantly keeping us busy as we provide around 925 children with birthday boxes for their special days. These boxes contain 6-10 new gifts, 4-7 new books, a few small “filler” gifts, and a “party in a bag kit,” filled with party and school supplies, which allows the children to keep pace with their classmates and celebrate their birthday in style. But creating these birthday boxes that allow these children to feel celebrated would not be possible without our wrappers. These wonderful volunteers, who come to us both as groups and individuals, take time out of their schedules to pick up the gifts and wrap them, making the gifts festive and fun for the children receiving them. They put so much care into their work, and play a huge role in creating a special day for these children in need. For this, we here at HSP want to say thank you to our volunteer wrappers, for graciously giving their time and efforts to our cause. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer wrapper, please contact us at hsp@humanitarianservice.org.

Join HSP for Volunteer Fun at Ribfest

Ribfest is fast approaching, and HSP is looking for more volunteers to represent our organization at this fun family event. This event, run by the Naperville Exchange Club, is being held from July 2^nd-July 5^th at Naperville’s Knoch Park. Ribfest has raised millions of dollars to serve needy children since it first began, and HSP’s Feed the Kids program is one of many that benefit from the proceeds. But we also depend on volunteers to represent HSP, because the more volunteers we have at Ribfest, the more money we receive to purchase the groceries needed for our Feed the Kids program. Volunteer spots are still open for the 11-5 and 4-10 time slots from July 2^nd-July 5^th, and there is a severe need for volunteers on July 4th for positions such as clean-up crew and beverage service. Ribfest may be over a month away, but volunteer spots will fill up quickly, and we can use all the help we can get! If you have any questions about volunteering, we are happy to help. Please contact us at 630-221-8340 or by email athsp@humanitarianservice.org.

Thank You, Philips Healthcare and District 204 STEPs

The volunteers from Philips Healthcare

Over the past two days, HSP has had the pleasure of hosting two volunteer groups, and we could not be more grateful for their time and efforts. Yesterday, we welcomed nine volunteers from Philips Healthcare, who spent their time sorting meat for the families in our Feed the Kids program. Today, we were happy to have seven students and three teachers from district 204’s STEPs program. These wonderful volunteers sorted and organized non-perishable food items for the Feed the Kids program. We would like to say thank you to these two groups, for graciously taking the time to help out our organization and those whom we serve. Our programs would be impossible without our awesome volunteers, who selflessly dedicate time to helping us create better lives for those in need.

Summer Birthday Boxes

Today HSP delivered 14 Birthday Boxes to the children with summer birthdays at two of our partner Head Start locations, Carol Stream and St. Charles. HSP provides a birthday box to every underprivileged child at these locations through our Children’s Birthday Project. Our volunteer, Bill Fehling, picked up the boxes from HSP and dropped them off in both places. Our partnership with local Head Starts and Elementary Schools enable us to reach more children in need with our Children’s Birthday Project program.  The programs busiest months are April and May since we prepare birthdays for not only May, but June, July, and August as well. In the following weeks, we will have the opportunity to deliver gifts to dozens more children with summer birthdays at the other schools and Head Starts we work with. We wish to thank all of the volunteers and donors who have made this possible.

Another Successful Delivery Day

Saturday was our monthly "Delivery Day" for the needy seniors in our Senior Citizen Project. Every month HSP delivers 100 pounds of groceries to the doorsteps of 131 seniors helping to alleviate the stress of poverty.

Dozens of volunteers helped us deliver over 6 tons of fresh fruits and vegetables, bread, meat, non-perishables, paper, and personal care items to the seniors. These deliveries provide vital nutrition to the seniors.

HSP wishes to thank the volunteer drivers who picked up the food for the seniors then delivered it to the senior's homes. We also wish to thank the volunteers who helped load up the car of each driver. The support of these volunteers and the many others who contribute to the success of our Senior Citizen Project continue to make a huge difference in the lives of the very deserving seniors we serve.

Thank You to UPS and Aurora Christian School

HSP’s Center was a very happening place today, as we had two volunteer groups graciously give their time and energy. The first volunteer group who joined us was a group of 18 students and chaperons from Aurora Christian School as part of their annual “CityServe” project. Through this service project, more than 400 students from Aurora Christian volunteered throughout the area today, and HSP was delighted to be one of the agencies hosting them. This spirited group of volunteers sorted non-perishable food for the seniors and families in our programs, as well as bread that will be delivered to seniors as part of our monthly “Delivery Day” tomorrow.

The second volunteer group HSP hosted today was from UPS Supply Chain Solutions in Carol Stream. Every month, HSP distributes over six tons of nutritious groceries to the 131 seniors enrolled in our Senior Citizen Project. Our friends at UPS volunteer every month the day before our delivery to sort fresh produce to be part of these deliveries.

We wish to thank both of these wonderful groups for giving their time to assist HSP in reaching out to the deserving seniors, children and families we serve.

A Fond “Farewell” and an Excited “Welcome”

           This week HSP experienced a changing of the guard, so to speak. We bid farewell to a wonderful member of our intern team, but also had the opportunity to welcome a new member aboard.

 

             Yesterday, the HSP staff got together to recognize the contributions of Rachel Grotto. Rachel has been a part of HSP since the beginning of February in the role of our Project Management Intern. In her time at HSP Rachel contributed to the success of HSP’s programs in a number of ways including; reaching out to supporters to establish food, paper, and personal care donations for the seniors and families we serve, contributing to our social media sites and monthly newsletter, and a number of other tasks. Rachel brought not only her passion for service to HSP but also her cheerful, bubbly personality. Rachel will be sincerely missed at HSP, and we wish her the best of luck as she graduates this month and moves on to a new, exciting chapter in her life.

                While everyone at HSP was sad to say goodbye to Rachel, we did have the pleasure of welcoming the first member of our summer intern team, Jamie Baumgartner, who began this week. Jamie attends Eastern Illinois University where she studies Communications with a focus in Public Relations. At HSP she will be applying her classroom learning, as well as developing new skills helping HSP get the word out about our programs. Jamie says she is very excited to be joining HSP for the summer and all the new experiences it will bring. She says HSP caught her eye because of her love for volunteering, something she does regularly with her sorority. Please join us in welcoming Jamie to HSP!

A Special Thank You to our Volunteer Groups

Dharma Group of the Theosophical Society

HSP has had a number of volunteer groups this week who graciously gave their time to help us sort out food for needy families and seniors that we received through Stamp out Hunger this weekend. On Monday, 7 people from the Hilton of Chicago/ Indian Lakes Resort spent 2 hours volunteering in our warehouse, yesterday we had 9 of our friends from the School of Expressive Arts and Learning helping to sort out food, and today we had 7 volunteers from the Dharma Group of the Theosophical Society spend 3 hours sorting food.

HSP would like to thank everyone who has helped us this week; we could not do it with out you. We hope to see you back soon! 

Volunteer for Exchange Club of Naperville’s Ribfest

Ribfest is only two months away and we need you to volunteer!  This is a great opportunity to volunteer with families, church groups, school groups, and other organizations. Since the start of Ribfest, the Exchange Club of Naperville has raised millions of dollars for children in need. HSP is one of the local agencies that benefits from this event.  The more people we have volunteer for HSP, the more money we receive to feed children and their families through our Feed the Kids program. Ribfest will be July 2^nd through July 5^th in Naperville’s Knoch Park. Available times to sign up are 11:00 AM- 5:00 PM or 4:00 PM- 11:00 PM on July 2^nd – July 5th. There is a great need for volunteers on July 4^th and 5^th.  If you are interested in volunteering or have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us at 630-221-8340 or by emailing us at hsp@humanitarianservice.org. Thanks for the support and we hope to see you there! 

Stamp out Hunger

Volunteers unloading food for Stamp out Hunger

On Saturday, we participated in the 23^rd annual food drive, Stamp out Hunger, sponsored by the National Association of Letter Carriers. We want to thank everyone who assisted by volunteering their time or donating non-perishable food items. HSP was busy this past Saturday with volunteers graciously giving their time at both the post office and our center to sort, transport, and organize the donated food. These non-perishables will allow HSP to provide much needed nutritional support for the seniors and families enrolled in our programs. Thank you to everyone who volunteered and made this food drive possible!

Farewell to Adrienne

Yesterday, HSP said goodbye to Adrienne Bell, one of the wonderful members of our intern team. Adrienne has been a part of the HSP team since late January and in her time here she has done a number of important tasks. Adrienne wrote blog posts, she kept in contact with the families served through our Children’s Birthday Project to ensure their kids receive their birthday boxes, and a number of other things to make sure our programs run successfully. Adrienne brought a bright, sunny presence at HSP and we will miss her as she continues with her education. We wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors. 

Served with Liberty

HSP was delighted to host volunteers from Liberty Mutual for their annual “Serve with Liberty” event Tuesday and today.  “Serve with Liberty” is a company wide event that encourages Liberty Mutual’s associates to help serve in their local communities. Liberty Mutual team members volunteer at hundreds of events across the country.

Liberty Mutual’s associates have served with us many times in the past making their “Serve with Liberty” event an annual tradition at HSP. This year, the 20 associates sorted food and created 400 boxes of non-perishables to help us prepare for our summer Feed the Kids program.

HSP will like to thank Liberty Mutual’s associates for volunteering time to help serve their local community. We look forward to seeing them again next year!

Help "Stamp out Hunger" this Saturday

HSP volunteers unloading food during Stamp out Hunger last year.

This week HSP is preparing for Stamp out Hunger, the annual food drive sponsored by the National Association of Letter Carriers. This Saturday, May 9^th, we encourage all of our supporters to leave a non-perishable food donation for your mail carrier to pick up. The food collected from this food drive benefits the hungry in our communities served by agencies like HSP. The Stamp out Hunger food drive is in its 23^rd year, and has collected over 1 billion pounds of food to feed the hungry throughout America. HSP is one of the many worthwhile agencies throughout the area that receive food collected locally by the National Association of Letter Carriers. These donations enable HSP to make a big impact in the lives of the very deserving senior citizens and families we serve. Remember to leave you donations by your mailbox this Saturday! For more info, check out the official Stamp out Hunger website: http://www.nalc.org/community-service/food-drive

Volunteer Spotlight: Monthly Meal Volunteers

Today HSP would like to take the opportunity to recognize some very thoughtful volunteers, the participants in our Monthly Meal program. These volunteers make and/or deliver a meal to one of the seniors enrolled in our Senior Citizen Project every month. Many of the seniors enrolled in this program have health problems that make cooking difficult. A number of them cannot leave the home with regularity, so it is a joyous to have a monthly visitor who brings a meal. We wish to thank all of the wonderful volunteers who generously make a difference in the lives of the seniors we serve through their support of the Monthly Meal program.

There are a number of seniors enrolled in our Senior Citizen Project who would love to receive a meal through this program. Volunteers need not commit to providing a meal each month. Please contact HSP if you are interested in spreading love and support to a senior citizen in this way. Email:hsp@humanitarianservice.org Phone: 630-221-8340.

Feed the Kids is Almost Here!

With HSP’s Feed the Kids program a little over a month away, we want to be able to create wonderful summer memories for the families and kids who are living in poverty.

During the months of June, July, and August we distribute nutritious groceries to families whose children are usually fed through free subsidized meals provided by their school. With our program, we help to take the burden off these families in the months where the kids are not in school and healthy food is not accessible.

HSP is looking for a little extra help on our distribution days when families come and we load their cars with the nourishing groceries we will provide for them.

Our distribution days are June 10^th, July 8^th, and August 5^th. During these days, volunteers choose to sign up for a shift between the hours of: 9 am – 2 pm or 1:30 pm – 6:30 pm.

Just a little bit of your time can make a lifetime of a difference for a family. If you would like to volunteer for either shift, please call 630-221-8340. 

Volunteer Spotlight: Van Drivers

Rich, one of HSP's volunteer van drivers

As HSP begins preparations for our summertime Feed the Kids program, our cargo vans have become a common sight on local streets. In order to meet the nutrition needs of 100 families in summer HSP is busy making a number of critical pick-ups every week. This would not be possible if it were not for an amazing group of volunteers, our volunteer van drivers. These van drivers graciously give their time throughout the week to drive our cargo vans for a number of important tasks. These van drivers not only assist our Feed the Kids program but also pick up food for the seniors enrolled in our Senior Citizen Project, assist our annual Christmas Offering, and even deliver Birthday Boxes to the underprivileged children enrolled our partner schools and Head Start locations for the Children’s Birthday Project. HSP wishes to thank everyone who has volunteered to drive our vans for helping to keep our programs running smoothly. The lives of the seniors, children, and families enrolled in our programs are touched by your service!