Bearing glad tidings and gifts, residents of Friendship Village Schaumburg made their annual December visit to Children’s Home and Aid in Schaumburg. They brought a vast collection of donated household items for the Parent Pantry at Marletta Darnall Schaumburg Child and Family Center. The not-for-profit organization provides subsidized services to low-income, high-risk families living in Schaumburg and the surrounding area. The center is an early intervention program providing early childhood care and education, enabling families to work and receive assistance to care for their children. The center is filled nearly to capacity with 118 children. “The items that we collected, including shampoo, detergent, soap and more, are for the Parents Pantry. Parents who use the daycare services, can ‘earn points’ by reading to their children at night and doing other activities that help their children. When they earn enough points, they redeem them at the pantry for the items they need,” said Jeannette Magdaleno, manager of lifelong learning and volunteer services at Friendship Village. This year, the Friendship Village choir came along and performed interactive songs in both English and Spanish for the children during the visit. “Our residents are very aware of how much good fortune they have, particularly during the holiday season. They are so giving and generous, and are happy to share in any way they can,” said Jeannette.