YHOP

Youth Hunger Opposition in Palatine

YHOP

"People should never go hungry in Palatine Township"

YHOP's Mission & "Workers"

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.

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.

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.

  

 
How Can I Help?

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

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

 

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Youth Hunger Opposition in Palatine

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Youth Hunger Opposition in Palatine

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YHOP's History

(items listed below in reverse chronological order)

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Youth Hunger Opposition in Palatine

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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).

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Youth Hunger Opposition in Palatine

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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."

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Youth Hunger Opposition in Palatine

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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."

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Youth Hunger Opposition in Palatine

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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.

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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.

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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!

 YHOP

Youth Hunger Opposition in Palatine

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