62 Birthday in a Box Kits Donated To Children's Birthday Project
DuPage Unitarian Universalist Church in Naperville recently donated 62 party in a box kits to the Humanitarian Service Project (HSP). The party in a box kits will be added to the child's birthday box for the children enrolled in HSP's Children's Birthday Project (CBP). CBP is a program that helps needy children celebrate and receive gifts in the month of their birthday that their families otherwise would not be able to provide for them due to financial hardships.
Unitarian Universalist Church focuses on the shared values of fellowship, and compassion. The core goal of the church is seen through their actions of caring for the environment and the promotion of justice for all. Most importantly, the church is about welcoming one and all to visit.
The Unitarian Universalist Church has an endowment fund where members can donate money. Once the collection reaches a pre-determined amount, various groups within the church can make a case for a cause they want to support. The middle school youth group decided that using the funds for CBP would be the perfect cause. After the money was collected, the group went to Party City to buy the birthday supplies. As the group was checking out, the manager wondered why they needed so many birthday boxes. After the group explained why, the manager took a huge discount off of their purchase and the group was able to purchase double the amount that they had originally intended to purchase.
The middle school youth then wrapped the boxes, and wrote birthday messages for the children who would receive the boxes. The middle school students really liked the project because they felt a connection to the children in CBP who would be receiving these boxes. The middle school youth participate in service projects yearly, and CBP was this year's choice for the group.
The gift of the party in a bag kits will go to 62 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 portion of the Birthday Box that each child receives.
The 20-25 lb Birthday Box contains: 6-10 new toys, 6 new books, and, stuffed animals, school supplies and 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. One hundred and fifty families served through the project also receive 3 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 Project, 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 a monthly food delivery 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 provides 100 low-income families with groceries and fresh produce during the summer months. HSP conducts an annual school supplies drive that benefited a total of 5,200 children by giving supplies to the DuPage Back to School Fair and directly to schools and individual children.
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.