H.O.P.E. Community Service Projects

H.O.P.E. Community Service Projects (Helping Others and Providing Encouragement) offer our young people a monthly opportunity to discover the importance of giving to others less fortunate than themselves. The projects include action, service and education.  Participants make a creative project as a service for an agency or group that helps those who are in need.  When the project is complete, a representative from the recipient agency or group shares an informational presentation about their work and the people they help.  

Our young people made fleece blankets for layettes that are given to single Moms of newborns by the Courage  Program.  Molly O’Grady, Director, shared the many needs of the young women she helps. (http://www.courageprogram.org)

           

 We created Valentine’s Day cards for senior citizens at Vincennes Senior Center operated by Margaret’s Village.   Executive Director Angela Hicks spoke about the programs at Margaret’s Village.(www.margaretsvillage.org)

              

 Decorating Christmas gift bags was this month’s project.  The bags were filled with pencils, notebooks, candy, games, and gloves for 3rd grade students at John T. Pirie Elementary School.  Teacher Allyson VerSchave shared stories of her students.  After the holiday break, we received thank you notes from each of her students.

                  

 In conjunction with our Annual Coat Drive for the Homeless, students created Thanksgiving Notes of Encouragement  to be given to those who will receive the coats.  The coats are distributed by Galilee Baptist Church in Roseland.

        

 As Halloween is approaching, we made Halloween Gift Bags for children with special needs at an elementary school in a low income Chicago suburb.  Rebecca Schwarzentraub, speech therapist, spoke about the need for respect and acceptance for all.

                               

We painted rocks to make our Peace Garden even more beautiful.