St. Raphael Children Raise $4,495 to Fund Needy Families
St. Raphael Catholic Church in Naperville opened up the floodgates of generosity and let the waters pour onto the Humanitarian Service Project and its needy families. St. Raphael recently donated $4,495 to HSP to be put towards the Feed the Kids program. Geri Ferreri, coordinator for St. Raphael Catholic Church's Youth Faith Foundation said that the church's children have been doing fundraising for social justice and similar organizations for years. Before starting their fundraiser for HSP, the children were taught about social justice and the work that HSP does to help those impoverished. The Youth Faith Foundation did this in order to have the kids realize that the money donated was going to a good cause, and to get them involved in philanthropy. Then, the Youth Faith Foundation asked the students to donate their money. This meant giving up a fast food outing or a movie night to donate.
The Youth Faith Foundation gives the children a few weeks to donate money. At the end of the donation collection, a check was written to HSP for the amount donated. This is far from the first time St. Raphael has made a donation to the Humanitarian Service Project. Co-founder and Executive Director of HSP Karole Kettering said of the children, "These children are fully willing to sacrifice their entertainment dollars for the benefit of those less fortunate. Such an act really shows the size of their young hearts."
The children do the fundraising in April, because that's when the Humanitarian Service Project is participating in the Feinstein Challenge. The Feinstein Challenge is an annual event that is funded by the Feinstein Foundation of Rhode Island, in which they give away a total of $1 million each year to organizations across the United States committed to ending hunger. The Feinstein Foundation will give a part of that $1 million to HSP based on how much is collected during the months of March and April.
The Feed the Kids program HSP supplies 100 families (approximately 400 children) with 175 lbs of nutritious groceries during the summer months of June, July, and August. During the school year many of these families rely on the subsidized lunch programs, leaving them in great need of nutritious food during the summer. Each family receives 15 varieties of fresh fruits and vegetables, 3-6 boxes of non-perishables weighing 25 pounds each, 7 frozen meats, 4-6 loaves of Pepperidge Farm bread, and nutritious snacks.
About The Humanitarian Service Project:
HSP's mission is to alleviate the pain and suffering that poverty creates in seniors and children living in DuPage and Kane Counties, Illinois. Last year during the Christmas Offering, 1,636 children received gifts and 150 impoverished families received three weeks of groceries, frozen meats, and fresh produce. With the Senior Citizen Project, HSP provides monthly food deliveries of 100 pounds including fresh produce, frozen meats, non-perishables, paper products and secret pal gifts to 121 low-income seniors. The Children's Birthday Project reaches the youngest underprivileged, making birthdays and Christmas truly memorable occasions for 900 children. Feed the Kids program provides 100 low-income families with groceries and fresh produce. HSP conducts an annual school supplies drive, which sends supplies to the DuPage Back to School Fair in addition to furnishing schools and individual children with necessary supplies.
Contact the Humanitarian Service Project:
hsp@humanitarianservice.org
HSP's website: www.humanitarianservice.org
and HSP's blog: humanitarianserviceproject.blogspot.com.
HSP 465 Randy Road, Carol Stream, IL 60188.