After a Friday night practice, members of both the Kindergruppe and Jugendgruppe once again celebrated the holiday season together, enjoying a joint Christmas pizza party. Hundreds of canned and other non-perishable food items, personal care items, plus dozens of gift cards and children’s books filled the tables in our festively decorated hall. Kindergruppeleiterin Eva-Maria Rill introduced a special guest. Debra Walusiak, Executive Director of the Self Help Closet & Pantry of Des Plaines, joined the Kindergruppe, Jugendgruppe, and their families at our club house for the Christmas party on December 7. President Eckhard Blaumueller presented a $5,000 check to Ms. Walusiak as a donation from the Society. This is the ninth year that the Society has generously donated to the Self Help Closet & Pantry of Des Plaines. In addition to the monetary donation given to the Food Pantry, each Kindergruppe and Jugendgruppe member brought non-perishable food items, personal care items, gift cards, and children’s books for families who are experiencing a time of need this holiday season.
Close to 1,400 items of non-perishable food and personal care items were collected at the Christmas party, along with $865 worth of gift cards, and 49 children’s books. Most of the gift cards and books were selected by the children themselves to give to boys and girls their own age who may not otherwise receive a gift this holiday season.
The Board of Directors of the Society are very proud of the Kindergruppe and Jugendgruppe for working together again this year to undertake this fundraising effort, because they understand that many families are still struggling to make ends meet due to the economic climate.
The Society has large red barrels set out in its vestibule year round to collect canned and non-perishable food items for the Food Pantry. Personal care items such as tissues, toilet paper, toothbrushes/toothpaste, deodorant, body washes, and lotions are also in great demand, according to Ms. Walusiak.
Since “hunger knows no season,” the Society encourages its members to bring along an item or two of non-perishable food or a personal care item each time they come to the club house and drop it in the red barrels. Our volunteers transport the donations to the Food Pantry on a regular basis. Together, we can do our part to help members of the Des Plaines community, who are less fortunate than we are, as they struggle to put food on the table for their families.
