The Season of Giving at H.O.M.E.
Each year H.O.M.E. receives special gifts from groups from around Chicago during this season of giving. One such group is St. Vincent de Paul.
Leo Weiss, who helps run the gift giving program at St. Vincent de Paul said that the program has been active for 45 years. A gentleman named Peter Zonsius, who passed in 2012 decided it was a good idea to give to different Chicago organizations and went about making the contacts. Mr. Weiss said that St. Vincent de Paul gives out about 700 gifts per year. For several years, H.O.M.E.'s residents have been the happy and grateful recipients of some of those gifts.
A few weeks ago, Ginghamsburg Church traveled from Ohio to put on a festive party for our seniors and the families who live in our intergenerational houses. (Read more about the holiday party here.)
Other groups such as Chicago Cares, St. Clement, Home Instead Senior Care also organize gift and donation drives, as well as spend time with seniors doing crafts and holiday activities.
Andrea volunteers regularly at Pat Crowley House throughout the year. Every holiday season she brings a group of friends to share dinner, holiday crafts, and gifts with residents. She shared her thoughts on her experience volunteering at H.O.M.E.:
I enjoy volunteering because I think it's super important to give back to your community, it's always been ingrained in me to help others. Working with the elderly has always held a special place in my heart because I had much older grandparents growing up as a kid. I love volunteering now because it makes me happy when they share their wisdom, laughing with them at funny memories and interacting with them during games or activities. It's so much fun and is a very humbling experience when I'm told how much they enjoy it, but the funny part is I cherish it just as much as they do!
Thank you, Andrea, and all the groups and individuals who volunteer with H.O.M.E!
If you are interested in sharing your gifts with H.O.M.E., click the link below to read more about voluntee opportunities.
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