Scores of homeless animals received a little love from the St. Vincent DePaul Youth Group this spring through their donation drive of pet supplies and comforts.
The fifth through eighth graders from Our Lady of the Ridge St. Linus Conference chose the Animal Welfare League for the donation drive because they wanted to do something for the animals. Lisa Bartz, youth coordinator, originally suggested it but the volunteers made it their own after seeing the list of donations needed on the animal shelter’s website.
“I’m the biggest of big animal lovers” said Bartz. “I saw that AWL list and knew I had to do something, so when I suggested this place to the students, they loved the idea.
“Plus knowing we’d be successful with collection, picking a place close by that was local made sense, and they need our help,” said Bartz.
The Society of St. Vincent DePaul is a nonprofit Catholic lay organization and all their funds or donations are from the community, said Bartz. “Their motto is helping the poor,” she said.
The youth group spent part of a Friday and Saturday in May in the parking lot at St. Linus Catholic Church in Oak Lawn collecting donations, including dog and cat food, animal crates, cleaning supplies, blankets and leashes and collars.
They also put together a basket for employees with potato chips, chocolate, hard candy, blankets and handmade decorations.
Then Bartz drove a van filled with the presents to the Chicago Ridge shelter.
“It was very heartwarming — you could just tell so much effort was put into it,” said Chris Higens, the shelter’s president. “It was a huge asset to our shelter because at the time there was a dog food shortage.
“They even made a few crafts for us to use as decorations. It was very sweet.”
The volunteers, who also created posters to advertise the collection event and distributed them to their churches and area businesses, were delighted with all the donations.
“Wow, I can’t believe how generous people are dropping off four bags full of stuff,” Bartz recalled one group member saying.
The youth group has a long tradition of giving back, also volunteering monthly at Our Lady of the Ridge Catholic Church food pantry and decorating and filling gift bags with toiletries, socks, puzzles, books and decks of cards and for residents of an area retirement home.
They’ve also made gift bags for veterans at the nursing home at Edward Hines Jr., Veterans Hospital and sent roughly 100 greeting cards to troops on Veterans Day.
“The students love volunteering for all the events we do throughout the school year,” said Bartz. “They joined the Young Vincentians to help those in need, but this one (for the shelter) was special because it was their fundraiser.”
Bartz said she enjoys working with the youth.
“They are so much fun,” said Bartz. “But most important, they are such caring and loving individuals. They truly care and we don’t have to beg for students to sign up for any kind of event.”
Bartz said she was also moved by AWL’s reaction to their donations and plans to expand the event next year.
“Chris and her team prepared for my arrival to unload everything and they did,” said Bartz. “They couldn’t believe it. They thanked me so many times.”
Janice Neumann is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
