Where To Get Your Girl Scout Cookie Fix

Forget that New Year's resolution and indulge in a sweet treat every now and then! It's that time of year again that Girl Scout cookies are available, and here's where you can find them locally.

It's that deLite-ful time of year again: Girl Scout cookies are available to order! Not sure where to buy them near you? You can plug your zip code into the cookie finder on the Scouts' website to find out.  Can't remember which variety you like best? When in doubt, buy a bunch—or check out the Cookie Guide. And just in case you were wondering just where all that cookie money goes, we did our homework. According to the Girl Scouts of the United States of America, all of the revenue earned from cookie activities stays with the local Girl Scout council that sponsors the sale. This includes the portion that goes directly to the group selling cookies. Councils use their cookie revenue to supply essential services to troops, groups and …

• Photos (1)

Woodridge Man Helps Raise $29,000 for the Homeless

Patrick Van De Walle served as co-chair Catholic Charities' West Regional Services' 9th annual St. Patrick's Day Party.

Giving Back: American Red Cross, Scarecrow 5K, Teaching Opportunities

There are plenty of ways around the area to volunteer and contribute to society. Below, some upcoming opportunities.

WHAT: ESL Teaching Opportunity WHERE: St. Joseph Services, Bolingbrook WHEN: 12:45 to 3:15 p.m. Thursdays through Nov. 3 WHY HELP: Volunteers are needed to help teach basic English skills to adult students. Assigned classroom workbooks will be provided, and volunteers will have orientation and observe a class before teaching. REQUIRED SKILLS: Volunteers must be older than 18 and make a minimum six-month commitment, with at least two hours of in-class class and a half-hour of preparation per week. A 10-hour online training will be required. Volunteers also should be prepared to shadow two classes prior to teaching, and must provide a copy of their resume and two professional references. Volunteers also need to pass a background check and be…

• Photos (1)

Oodles of Noodles: Boy Scouts Host Annual Spaghetti Dinner

Proceeds from the event help pay for camping trips, equipment and registration fees.

The plates of pasta, baskets of bread and dishes of desserts were overflowing at Boy Scout Troop 512's 27th annual Spaghetti Dinner at St. Scholastica Church on Sunday, Feb. 27. Over the course of five hours, about 400 people enjoyed the all-you-can-eat spaghetti dinner.  The Scouts had the option to sell tickets to the event, with a portion of the proceeds going to pay for camping trips, equipment and registration fees. The remainder of the proceeds went to the troop's general fund. "Our spaghetti dinner is one of our main fundraisers and really brings the troop and the community together," said Joe Hodges, scoutmaster for Troop 512. "The troop is very service-oriented, and depending on their ranks within Boy Scouts, troop members are …

• Photos (10)

Enjoy a Winter Wonderland - and Watch the Bears Game - at Sunday's Winter Carnival

The carnival, held at Seven Bridges, benefits Metropolitan Family Services DuPage.

What do you get when you combine ice skating, arts and crafts, raffles and the Bears game? An afternoon of fun at the fourth annual Winter Carnival hosted by Metropolitan Family Services DuPage at Seven Bridges Ice Arena. On Sunday, Jan. 23, from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., families can enjoy ice skating, face painting, raffles and of course, the Bears game. All the funds raised will benefit the Metropolitan Family Services DuPage MetroMentors. The program recruits, screens and trains adult mentors and matches those mentors with kids who could use some extra support in their lives. The children in the program, who are 7 to 14 years old, receive one-on-one attention from their mentors. Last year, the event raised $15,000. This year the organization …

• Photos (3)

Good Deeds

Hats Off To Willow Creek's Hats On Day

Willow Creek students break the rules for charity.

Wearing a hat during school hours is off-limits at Willow Creek Elementary School. However, on Friday, Dec. 3, students could pay $1 to break the rule and showcase their favorite headgear, all in the name of charity. It was all part of Hats On Day, a national fundraising program from the Foundation for Children with Cancer, an organization that provides financial assistance for the families of children with cancer. Hats On Day was founded in 1995 by four sixth-graders in St. Louis, Mo., who wanted to raise money for a classmate diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of childhood cancer. In the past 10 years, the event has raised more then $1 million. "We brought this charity to the first Student Council meeting and asked the kids if…

• Photos (4)