What started out as a vision in the basement of Karole and Floyd Kettering’s home in 1979, soon transformed into what the Downers Grove community now knows today as the Humanitarian Service Project. With the help of the HSP, DGN’s Action Champions Community Service Group has brought the Annual Giving Tree to Downers Grove for over 30 years in order to help individuals and families in need during the holiday season.
When Action Champions first began participating in the Giving Tree, the HSP would give specified gift lists for every family. In doing so, Champions would go out and shop for these specific items to then curate a box for them. They would then drive these boxes over to the HSP, who would distribute them to each of the families in need.
“They would go and really interview all of the families, asking them what they need. We would get sizes, colors, and all of these other details of actual, physical items,” Action Champions sponsor Lisa Mangelsdorf said. “We would fill a giant yellow school bus with gifts wrapped, that would actually overflow into another activity bus. People could bring anything from skateboards, sleds, and bikes, to American Girl dolls. It was just big, and very material focused.”
Over time, however, that started to change. The HSP accepted material donations up until about five years ago. To make the process easier, they switched to asking for gift cards.
“I think part of it is that their numbers have grown, and with that, the need has grown. So it had become really hard for them to contact all the families and get each individual list,” Action Champions sponsor Karen Brown said. “Now, they accept gift cards to both Target and Walmart. They still get those more material gifts that people donate, like books for example, but for the most part, what the HSP is really looking for are those gift cards so that the families can purchase their own gifts.”
In addition to gift cards, for the first time this year people were able to make online donations of any increment they wanted.
“We’re always looking for new ways to get people to be involved,” Brown said. “This is something we believed anyone could do from their home. If you weren’t able to get them a physical gift card, then you could make an online donation and still be able to make a difference.”
The transition to gift cards and online donations gave Action Champions the sole job of relaying information from the HSP. While before they were a part of the process, that has seen change over the last few years. Although this is true, Brown and Mangelsdorf still make it possible for the Champions to go out and help load cars with the food and gifts the families will be receiving for the holidays. However, this gave more freedom to the families, as they are now able to purchase their own gifts each year for their loved ones.
“To be able to have the money to go and make your own choices for your family is a pretty big deal. The physical gifts are hugely impactful, but it does take away that agency of ‘I get to personally pick out something for my family,’” Mangelsdorf said. “That’s something that we couldn’t possibly know aside from a list saying ‘yellow, size four.’ So, to these families, it is extremely important to have that connection with their loved ones during the holidays.”
Not only does this make things easier for the HSP and Action Champions to help out, but also for the community. Where people might not know what to buy for these families solely based on a list, they can now just simply donate a portion of money online and still be able to contribute greatly to a good cause.
“No matter what, someone is being helped,” Brown said. “Whether you donate a $25 gift card or $5 online, it’s going to be making a huge difference in the long run.”
Due to the 30 years the Giving Tree has happened, DGN has become one of the top contributors annually for yearly giving in the county.
“If we did not participate, I believe they would be severely impacted by it,” Mangelsdorf said. “That is truly how much of a difference our school is making by choosing to donate to this cause.”
Even so, the Downers Grove community as a whole has come together each year to benefit the HSP in their mission. From boy and girl scouts to several different companies, each group has the same hope of giving back to those in need.
“This isn’t slowing down or going away anytime soon, so whatever the HSP and the community need, we’ll be there for them,” Brown said. “The DG community has been very generous with their donations. It has become a tradition over these 30 years and it is just something really special for the school and community to contribute to each year.”
After donations ended Dec. 3, the Giving Tree raised $7627 in total donations for the 2025 holiday season, with $2000 being in gift cards and $5627 being in online donations. With the new addition of online donations this year, Brown and Mangelsdorf hope for exponential growth in the Giving Tree and the Humanitarian Service Project for years to come.
