A Great Group of "Tobys"

After our produce order came in this morning, a wonderful group of volunteers helped us sort the fruits and vegetables and prepare for our June 8th Feed the Kids pick-up day.

A regular volunteer, Toby Braun, is always incredibly helpful when he comes in to help us. We were in need of volunteers for today so we contacted Toby’s father, John Cozzani, and told him we needed “10 Tobys”. He was great in contacting members of Toby’s lacrosse team and was able to put together a productive group. In addition to the 10 lacrosse players, 9 other volunteers donated their time and energy helping us in the warehouse. They were instrumental in preparing for our big day tomorrow.

Paul Yambrovich, our Community Outreach Coordinator, worked with the group and reported that they had a lot of energy and were eager to get started. He noted, “They finished in 2 hours and 15 minutes – which is amazing”. The produce order we received contained 19 varieties of fruits and vegetables and each family is able to request which items they would prefer. Our volunteers today allocated the produce according to these preferences.

Karole Kettering, our Founder and Executive Director, noted that we are the only organization anywhere, we think, that gives 19 gorgeous fresh fruits and vegetables, 7 frozen meats, 100 pounds of non-perishables, and 6 loaves of Pepperidge Farm Bread to 100 families each month. This adds up to 750 pounds of food total per family for the summer months of June, July, and August. She hopes we will inspire other communities with our unique approach to helping those in need.

Preparing for Feed the Kids

This week, June 8th, we have been busy preparing for our first pick-up day for Feed the Kids. Despite the heat, Floyd and Alex spent yesterday afternoon organizing the warehouse so that when 100 families come to pick of their food for the month of June, everything runs smoothly.

Tomorrow, each family will receive 100 pounds of non-perishables, 19 varieties of fruits and vegetables, seven different kinds of frozen meat, and six loaves of Pepperidge Farm Bread.

Much preparation has been carried out over the past few months, though the work is not yet finished! This morning, we received an order of fresh produce. Our volunteers will help us get ready for the big day by sorting the fruits and vegetables.

Coordinating this event requires an incredible amount of logistical savvy, which our new interns have noted. Lauren observed, “Everything is extremely organized” and Michelle commented, “It is amazing to see how everything I have seen in my first couple of weeks here comes together in this project.”

Tomorrow, organization will continue to be essential as our 100 families come to pick up their food for the first month of Feed the Kids.

URGENT: Volunteers Needed

We are still in need of volunteers for our upcoming Feed the Kids program. This Wednesday 100 families are coming to pick up 100 lbs of non-perishable food, 7 selections of frozen meat, 19 varieties of fresh fruits and vegetables, and 6 varieties of Pepperidge Farm Bread.

Tomorrow we will be sorting the fresh produce for the families in our program from 12 pm to 5:30 pm (Tuesday June 7th) and Wednesday we need 3 or 4 more volunteers to help greet families, load groceries, and move items forward in our warehouse.


** Note that all volunteers should be high school aged or older because of the lifting requirement.

Please consider donating a few hours to help a lot of families in need!

If you or anyone you know can help, PLEASE CONTACT US as soon as possible!
Our number is: 630-221-8340 or you can reach us at hsp@humanitarianservice.org

Aliza's Last Day

Today, HSP sadly said goodbye to an employee.

Aliza, a former intern turned employee, is leaving us after four months at HSP. Aliza has accepted a full time job at Groupon in Chicago where she will be working in the customer service department. She is excited to work in a location that is in biking distance from her apartment! Before she starts her new job, she is going on a trip to visit her brother in Thailand. Safe travels Aliza!

Aliza’s skilled writing in addition to her passion for creativity has helped elevate HSP’s blog website and Facebook page. In addition to her contributions on HSP’s social networking sites, Aliza spent a lot of time focusing on interviewing and writing about seniors for Senior Updates, and various thank you correspondence for the Senior Citizen Project. Her finalized work is outstanding, and we were lucky to have her on board.

When asked what Aliza most valued from her experience at HSP, she said, "It was great. I had a lot of opportunities to grow and sharpen my skills. HSP changes people’s lives for the better, and makes a profound impact on people's lives."

Aliza has contributed so much to HSP, and we will greatly miss her.

Feed the Kids Volunteers NEEDED

HSP still needs volunteers for Feed the Kids. This program is extremely important for the families enrolled.

We just had an entire group of volunteers cancel, so we really need your help! If you or anyone you know could help on Tuesday, June 7^th or Wednesday, June 8^th, do not hesitate to contact us!

We still need 5 volunteers on Tuesday, June 7^th, anytime from 12 – 5:30. These volunteers will be sorting produce in our warehouse and must be high school aged or older.

We need 12 total volunteers on Wednesday, June 8^th. These volunteers will be greeting families, loading food into their cars, and moving/organizing food in the warehouse. We need 2 volunteers from 12-2, 5 volunteers from 2-3, and 5 volunteers from 2-4.

Please consider donating a few hours to help a lot of families in great need!

You can contact us at:

hsp@humanitarianservice.org or 630-221-8340.

Welcome Lauren

Today, HSP welcomed another intern to our team!

Lauren Gregorcy, a senior at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina joined us today for a summer internship here at HSP. Lauren is studying English and Women & Gender studies and plans on possibly going into social work. She sees herself staying in the Chicago area and working at the Children’s Memorial Hospital.

Her first day here has been spent training with Sharon, our administrative assistant, on what happens here on a daily basis. They have gone through many important aspects of our project and Lauren can’t wait to get started!

When asked what Lauren expects out of this internship she said, “I plan on leaving here with a broader understanding of how HSP works and having the opportunity to experience and help with all the good things this project does.”

Lauren will be with us for four days a week until late August, we are excited to have her on board!

Meeting Needs

Yesterday, a member of DuPage Unitarian Church of Naperville arrived with a donation of food for Feed the Kids.

The church has worked with HSP in the past, so when a group in the church heard about our need, they were eager to help. The group organized a food drive and delivered the result: 16 bags of food! Additionally, three birthday gifts were donated for the Children’s Birthday Project.

We are so grateful for the generosity of groups and individuals. It’s truly what keeps the project running.

There are still some items we need for Feed the Kids.

· Cereal

· Cookies

· Crackers

· Salad dressing

· Juice/beverages

· Peanut butter

· Jelly

· Pasta sauce

· Pancake mix

· Syrup

· Canned fruit

If you or anyone you know is interested in donating some of these items, please contact us at hsp@humanitarianservice.org or 630-221-8340, or just drop by!