Thank you, Giant Steps

Food sorted for the seniors in our Senior Citizen Project

HSP welcomed back a group from Giant Steps located in Lisle. Giant Steps volunteers at HSP on a monthly basis and we are delighted every time they come.

Today Giant Steps sorted food for our needy seniors. We are very grateful for their assistance, since we will be delivering over 6 tons of groceries to the seniors enrolled in our Seniors Citizen Project on Saturday.

We will also like to thank Giant Steps for the food they graciously donated last week at HSP. HSP is thankful for volunteers like Giant Steps who enable us to serve those in need in the community. We wouldn’t be able to do it without them and we look forward to seeing them next month!

Goodbye Stephanie!

This week, HSP is saying goodbye to Stephanie Harding one of the superstar members of our intern team. She has been part of our HSP team since mid-November and in her time here she has assisted with many things around the office. Stephanie helped us serve hundreds of needy families by assisting with our busy Christmas offering in December, she made flyers advertising different projects and service opportunities, created and set up displays at local libraries, wrote newsletters, and assisted with finding new funding sources for programs. This is just some of the many ways she left her mark here. Steph brought many laughs and a positive attitude to HSP and we all know she has great things in store for her as she moves on to her next adventure. She will be greatly missed here at HSP and we wish her the best of luck for whatever the future has in store for her.

A New Intern Joins HSP!

            HSP welcomed a brand new face to the team this week. Meet Melody Jensen, a student at Benedictine and our new accounting intern. Melody took a great interest in joining HSP and getting a chance to help out in the community, a task to which she is no stranger. Over the years, Melody has been very involved in her church, helping out in any way that she can—whether it’s teaching Religious Ed classes, working at a local homeless shelter, or volunteering at her children’s school. Here at HSP, she will be assisting our CFO Floyd Kettering with HSP’s accounting needs.

            When she isn’t helping out with her church, Melody enjoys relaxing tasks such as crocheting and gardening. Additionally, as her name might suggest, she is a big lover of music. She enjoys singing and has been teaching piano for 18 years! Melody also loves to travel and would love to go back and visit Europe again someday. Please help all of us here in welcoming Melody to HSP.

Girls Scout Troop 1947 Donation

Last week, HSP received a generous donation from Girl Scout Troop 1947 who put together 120 Easter themed goodie bags for the seniors that are enrolled in our program. Each of these bags contained health care items, which included toothpastes, brushes, floss and soap; the girls also included a fun candy treat.  The troop decorated the bags with a spring theme to represent the wonderful weather we have been having and the upcoming holiday. The bags will be delivered to the seniors as part of their monthly grocery delivery this Saturday, in which every senior receives 100 lbs. of nutritious groceries. This amazing donation will greatly help our seniors and HSP wishes to thank Girl Scout Troop 1947 for making the bags fun and cheery to put a smile on the senior’s faces. 

Welcome Back, Ms. Heggen's Class!

            HSP welcomed back some familiar faces today as the students from Ms. Heggen’s class at Glenbard South High School came by once again to help us out. We enjoy having them come by every month to lend us a helping hand. Today, the students assisted us by sorting bread that will go out to our seniors in their monthly grocery delivery next week. This makes it easier for us to put the delivery packages together as most of the seniors request specific types of bread with their groceries.

               Part of the curriculum of Ms. Heggen's class is helping students gain real world vocational skills by means of community service. As always, we are so happy that we get to see them every month, and we are so grateful for all the good work they to help us out. We look forward to seeing them again soon!

Ribfest’s Volunteering is Now Open!

The Exchange Club of Naperville’s Ribfest is now accepting volunteers for the July 2 – 5^th event. The Exchange Club of Naperville raises money for many organizations throughout DuPage Country that impacts the needs of children including HSP. We at HSP have a blast volunteering year after year at Ribfest and encourage you to join us this year in the fun.

Although July is months away, today is the perfect time for you to sign up to represent HSP at the event before slots fill up. You can work at the admission gates, child identification, clean up, or work as a general “as needed” volunteer. Also, volunteers who are 21 and older can work at the beverage tent.  An added bonus for volunteers is free admission to the event on the day they volunteer. Available shifts are 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. or 4 p.m. – 10 p.m. on July 2^nd-5^th. The more volunteers we have representing us at the event, the more money we receive for the sake of the children we serve.

If you or a friend is interested in volunteering on behalf of HSP, you can contact us at 630-221-8340 or email us at hsp@humanitarianservice.org. You can also sign up on the Ribfest’s website and choose HSP as your charity to support. We hope to see you there!

SEAL Volunteers

Yesterday, we hosted a volunteer group from the School of Expressive Arts and Learning (or SEAL). 9 volunteers spent their time in our warehouse sorting frozen meat and other food items for the seniors we serve. The meat is part of the 100 lb. grocery package we deliver to the 125 seniors enrolled in our Senior Citizen Project. Volunteers from SEAL come by to lend their support to HSP once a month and always do such great work. HSP is so grateful for all the help the SEAL volunteers have given for the sake of the seniors we serve. Awesome job, everyone!