VBS Helps Give Needy Children a Birthday Celebration

Last week, St. Petronille Vacation Bible School created and donated 30 “Party-in-a Bag” kits full of party supplies to Humanitarian Service Project of DuPage County. The kits will provide impoverished children with everything they need for a special birthday party. They will be added to the birthday boxes of the children enrolled in the Children’s Birthday Project (CBP). CBP is a program that helps needy children celebrate and receive gifts when they ordinarily wouldn’t be able to receive anything due to financial hardships. This is the 14th year that St. Petronille has donated to HSP. The youth of St. Petronille have also been involved in volunteering and battery, toy and food drives.

Valerie Della Penna, the director of Middle School Ministry, led the children in creating the kits. The gift of the party in a bag kits will go to 30 of the 900 total children in the CBP. Each kit includes items such as cake mix, frosting, candles, balloons, streamers, cups, napkins, and plates. The party-in-a-box is only a small part of the 20-25 lb Birthday Box that each child receives.

This Birthday Box contains: 6-10 new toys, 6 new books, stuffed animals, school supplies, numerous smaller “filler gifts” and a “Party-In-A-Box” which contains all the necessary supplies to throw a birthday party. The children enrolled in the program, along with their siblings up to age 15, also receive a minimum of three gifts at Christmas through HSP’s annual Christmas Offering. 150 families served through the project also receive three weeks worth of nutritious groceries at Christmas time and in the summer months, 100 of these families receive groceries to help combat hunger.

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. Through 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 each summer. 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.