Needy Children Receive Birthday Surprises
St. Raphael Catholic Church of Naperville recently hosted a “Day of Service” to help provide for the needs of impoverished senior citizens and children in the area, served by the Humanitarian Service Project (HSP) of DuPage County. Among the activities at the Day of Service, parishioners assembled “Care Kits,” containing such items as lotions, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, and soap, for needy senior citizens, and wrapped birthday gifts for needy children. In addition to these service activities, St. Raphael members held a toy drive to collect new gifts for the needy children in HSP's Children's Birthday Project. The parish had a wonderful turn out for this drive, filling a mini van full of brand, new gifts to make birthdays special for these needy children.
The donated toys will become part of 20-25 lb Birthday Boxes that HSP provides for 900 needy children ages 3-11. Each box contains school supplies, 6 new books, and 6-10 new toys, stuffed animals, and numerous smaller “filler gifts” and a “Party-In-A-Box” which contains all the necessary supplies to throw a birthday party including cake mix, frosting, streamers, balloons, utensils, and party favors. 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. A number of the families served through the project also receive 3 weeks worth of nutritious groceries at Christmas time, and in the summer months to help combat hunger.
Contact the Humanitarian Service Project:
hsp@humanitarianservice.org.
HSP's website: www.humanitarianservice.org and the HSP's blog: humanitarianserviceproject.blogspot.com.
HSP 465 Randy Road, Carol Stream, IL 60188.
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, 1,600 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 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.