YHOP: Youth Hunger Opposition in Palatine

Youth Hunger Opposition in Palatine's Mission

Mission:  Ongoing fundraising for the YHOP Fund -- a dedicated, restricted fund of the Palatine Township Food Pantry.  YHOP collects CASH, not cans.... the Food Pantry uses money from the YHOP Fund to reduce cash shortages, explore expansion opportunities, and provide food without interruption for the 250+ families it serves every month.  Area youth -- Fremd HS, Palatine HS, Church Youth -- provide leadership / labor by hosting fundraisers, approaching local businesses, and appealing to private donors.  To donate, click here.

Cash beats cans.... every $1.00 donated translates into $5.00(!) in food buying power as the Pantry is affiliated with the Greater Chicago Food Depository.  To donate, click here.

  

 
How Can I Help?

While youth-driven, YHOP also relies on adult and corporate gifts.  100% of proceeds go to the YHOP Fund.  Donations may be tax deductible, as the Palatine Food Township Pantry is a 501(c)3 organization.  Please consider giving $100+.  To donate, click here. 

To discuss donations, or just to get involved, please contact YHOP's Director, Elaine Stearney, using this email:  yhop.fund@gmail.com

Kids -- have a YHOP Birthday Party!!  Click here.

Or, host a YHOP Sleepover!!  Click here.

Become a "YHOP Fan" on Facebook by following this link..... Click here.

 
What is the Palatine Township Food Pantry?

The Palatine Township Food Pantry, established in 1970, is located at 721 S. Quentin Rd. in Palatine (across from Fremd HS).

Palatine Township's boundaries are:  Lake-Cook Rd. (north), Wilke Rd. (east), Central Rd. (south) and Freeman Rd./Huntington Blvd. (west).

Approximately 250 needy families are served monthly.  To donate, click here.

Other YHOP questions? 

Contact YHOP's Director using this email:  yhop.fund@gmail.com

"People should never go hungry in Palatine Township"

YHOP's History

(items listed below in reverse chronological order)

 

 YHOP

Youth Hunger Opposition in Palatine

YHOP

Whole Foods pitches in to help!

Throughout December 2012, Whole Foods Grocery Store in Palatine collected money for YHOP and the Palatine Township Food Pantry.  Their generosity yielded over $10,000(!) for YHOP. 

YHOPpers shown here supporting the Whole Foods efforts (from left to right) are Becki Bolinger, Anna Holowicki, Katie Bolinger, and Nick Palcheck.

 

1/2 Dozen Years of Success:

 

2013 is as good as the first five!

Becki Bolinger, 2013 YHOP Director

Becki's leadership helped continue the fantastic YHOP roll.  She worked tirelessly -- not just in 2013 as Director, but also as Assistant Director in 2012.

Over her four years of great contributions, Becki attended, organized, and helped run well over 20 different YHOP fundraising events.  A tremendous job!!

 

 YHOP

Youth Hunger Opposition in Palatine

YHOP

Elaine Stearney, 2012 YHOP Director

Elaine became active in YHOP as an 8th Grader, served as Assistant Director in 2011, and finished off her incredible 5-year YHOP run as an outstanding Director!

YHOP's fundraising total surpassed $200,000(!) during her tenure as Director.  Elaine pushed hard to help YHOP receive funds from many youth-based sources.

 

YHOP Year 5:

The

awesome

 momentum

continues

in 2012...

YHOP Fever... catch it!

In November 2011, Plum Grove Junior High School's Student Council raised an incredible $1,400 for YHOP!

During YHOP's five-year history, this was a record amount for any junior high group... an incredible effort by an extremely energetic bunch (with great leadership and advisers).

 YHOP

Youth Hunger Opposition in Palatine

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Rock Against Hunger

This unique fundraiser, held at Durty Nellie's in September 2010, kicked off another highly-successful YHOP year!

Emma Goodwin, Palatine HS Sophomore, deftly organized the event, which included five different bands contributing their time and talents....to help feed the hungry.  Attendees' admittance fees turned into YHOP funds through this creatively-constructed benefit concert.

 

Unparalleled

success

sustains in

YHOP's 4th

Year (2011)

Ellie Gray, 2011 YHOP Director

Over $24,000(!) was raised under Ellie's leadership during the 2011 Season.  Well beyond the funds generated, Ellie widened YHOP's base of contributing youth organizations significantly, thereby helping to insure YHOP's longevity.

Ellie was an involved YHOP participant as a freshman (YHOP's first year, 2008).  Each year, her YHOP commitment deepened, serving as Assistant Director as a Junior (2010), and then using her cumulative experience to take YHOP to new heights during her Senior Year (2011). 

 YHOP

Youth Hunger Opposition in Palatine

YHOP

Christine Spasoff, 2010 YHOP Director

Under Christine's leadership and astute strategic planning, YHOP's success kept on rolling.... in addition to 2010, Christine had been very active since YHOP's beginning, participating at all levels as a sophomore (2008) and serving as Assistant Director (2009).

 

YHOP's

3rd Season (2010)

raises over

$28,000!

   

Senior Leaders:  Monica Cason & Mark Long

Monica and Mark devoted much of their junior and senior years at Palatine High School to YHOP's many fundraising projects.  With their dedication, they not only raised money, but also awareness and volunteerism throughout Palatine High School.... and the community.

 YHOP

Youth Hunger Opposition in Palatine

YHOP

YHOP's fundraising allowed Palatine Township to acquire its first Food Pantry Truck.  The truck design was created by Monica Cason, Palatine High School's 2009-10 YHOP Senior Leader. 

The YHOP truck gives Palatine Township the ability to drive to Chicago southwest's side, and purchase food from the Greater Chicago Food Depository.  This affiliation allows the Food Pantry to buy $1.00 worth of food for only $0.20! 

 

 

The

YHOP Truck

arrives!

Pictured here are youth at the YHOP Truck Ceremony (on 8/24/09).... including YHOP's 2009-10 Director, Christine Spasoff (red dress).

 YHOP

Youth Hunger Opposition in Palatine

YHOP

Using YHOP funds, the Palatine Township Food Pantry expands to 3X the size of its prior space.  The Food Pantry is currently serving over 250 families each month -- up sharply from the 180 families less than two years earlier (when YHOP was launched).

 

Successful

2nd (2009)

Fundraising

Season

YHOP surpasses its $25,000 2nd year goal, having now raised over $140,000 for the Palatine Township Food Pantry.  Focused efforts must continue to achieve YHOP's mission of "People should never go hungry in Palatine Township."

 YHOP

Youth Hunger Opposition in Palatine

YHOP

2008-09 YHOP Director Kathy Wischhusen

"Nominated by their high schools (from nearly 100 high schools in the Daily Herald readership area) -- not just for volunteering their time, but also for developing into leaders in their communities."

YHOP Leaders

named to

Daily Herald's 2008-09

Leadership Team

2008-09 YHOP Sr. Leader Jamieson Gray

"While any kind of volunteerism has great value, young people who learn how to organize, and persuade others of the justness of their cause, are the ones capable of making real change."

 YHOP

Youth Hunger Opposition in Palatine

YHOP

Fremd High School Principal Lisa Small, YHOP Founder and 2007-08 Director Kellie Kinsella, and Palatine High School Principal Gary Steiger with YHOP's Those Who Excel Award, presented to YHOP on October 18, 2008 in Peoria.

YHOP

Wins

Two

 Statewide

Awards

Palatine Township Supervisor Linda Fleming shown here with YHOP Adult Advisor Kevin Kinsella, as they proudly pose with their newly-received Governor's Hometown Award, presented to YHOP on October 20, 2008 in Springfield.

 YHOP

Youth Hunger Opposition in Palatine

YHOP

Launched in the summer of 2007, YHOP set its fundraising goal as $100,000.  The premise was if the YHOP Fund started out with a "giant snowball at the top of the mountain," then successive fundraising seasons could strive to create "smaller fundraising snowballs" to make certain there was always "snow on the mountain" (i.e., cash in the YHOP Fund).

 

YHOP's

Inaugural

2008

Fundraising

Season

On February 22, 2008, the Fremd High School marquis announced the wonderful news!  YHOP's first fundraising season -- due to the combined efforts of 1,000+ people -- had obtained the "giant snowball" of $100,000.  Final accounting showed the inaugural season having raised $112,000.

 YHOP

Youth Hunger Opposition in Palatine

YHOP

 

Kellie Kinsella -- a Fremd High School Senior in 2007-08 -- first learned about the Palatine Township Food Pantry's perennial (every summer) food shortage from an announcement at church.  With her father's help, Kellie designed a strategy to build an ongoing fund that the Pantry could use in times of shortages.

 

 

The

"birth"

of

YHOP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

YHOP's first fundraiser was a "giant" bake sale at Fremd High School's Homecoming Game (vs. Palatine High School) on September 28, 2007.  When this first effort netted almost $10,000, YHOP was on its way to what initially seemed like an improbable goal.... getting to $100,000!