Hot Dog Socials Let Seniors Help Charities

The Niles Senior Center likes to give an assist to charities, so once a month it picks a charity and provides a hot dog lunch.  Diners pay $2 for a hot dog, chips, a cookie, lemonade and coffee, and 100 percent of the proceeds go to the designated nonprofit.

"We try to raise awareness of these groups and what they do in the community," said Jaymi Blickhahn, a program coordinator at the Senior Center. 

This month's beneficiary is the Northwest Italian-American Society, a charitable organization.

"We hold fundraisers, and all the money we make we give to other charities," said Tom Parala, the organization's president. "We have a long list of organizations we contribute to, and we also look at special cases.

"One year we sponsored a kid with a hearing problem. We bought a machine to help him," he said about the types of aid provided.

The organization also gives scholarships to needy high school students who earn good grades. It raises funds through an annual barbecue, a golf outing and a smoker, which is a dinner and raffle.

"We give Christmas gifts to the Niles Senior Center and St. John Brebeuf parish, and they distribute them to the needy," Parala said.

The organization also donates to the Niles Police Department, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Niles Fourth of July parade, the Lopondi Foundation Cancer Camp and many other causes.

It meets the first Tuesday of every month. For information on attending or to apply for a scholarship, Parala advises writing a letter to the society at P.O. Box 480611, Niles, IL, 60714.