‘We should help others’: Palatine church hosts day of service
The gym at St. Thomas of Villanova Parish in Palatine was packed with families making crafts Sunday to brighten the lives of veterans, homeless people and hospitalized children.
The Community-Wide Day of Service benefited nonprofits including Ronald McDonald House Charities, Caring Kiddos, Second City Canine Rescue, Barb's Precious Rescue and the Salvation Army.
The event, now in its second year, involves volunteers of all ages, but especially aims to give children a hands-on experience in helping.
“We want our kids to be aware of the needs that are out there and how they can help — how they can be heroes,” said Mary Herman, the director of religious education at St. Thomas of Villanova.
Alice Nowak, 13, and her mom, Joanna Nowak, of Arlington Heights made toys containing cat treats for Barb’s Precious Rescue, putting the food in little pouches for the felines to discover.
“There’s just so many animals out there that don’t have homes, so any little thing we can do to help them out that’s great,” Joanna said.
Lisa Malenchik of Buffalo Grove was with her son, Evan, 15, coloring cards inscribed with messages for homebound parishioners.
Jason Gebhardt of Palatine sat at a table with sons Charles, 11, and 7-year-old Felix.
They folded the cardboard toilet paper tubes into the shape of a bone and filled it with scoops of dog food for Second City Canine Rescue.
“We have a passion for dogs,” Charles said, adding that their family dog recently passed away.
Giving wasn't limited to the young.
Women from The Linked Cots crocheted sleeping mats for homeless people using plarn, a yarn fashioned out of recycled plastic grocery bags. The mats will be dropped off at local shelters, including JOURNEYS The Road Home and Northwest Compass.
“I like that I’m giving back to the community and, in this case, the homeless community which is getting bigger by the day,” said Karen Gordon of Palatine.
Jessica Effertz of Palatine came with her family to foster a philanthropic spirit.
“We often talk about how lucky we are and how grateful we should be for what we have, and there are a lot of others out there who may not have as much as we do, and we should help others,” she said.
szalusky@dailyherald.com