In cooperation with the local grade schools the Backpack Ministry provides a bag of food weekly for neighborhood children identified by school social workers to be in need of weekend meals. A wish list of items needed is posted on the bulletin board in church and a donation bin is located in church. Contact Terri Dahm 847-824-2721 or TerriDahm@aol.com with questions.

Every second Sunday of the month St. Stephen’s Table provides a dinner to those less fortunate and in need. All food is cooked, baked and donated by parishioners and those who heard about these dinners and want to help. Contact Terri Dahm 847-824-2721 or email sst@ststephendp.org to be added to the monthly email request for cooks and bakers.

Each Christmas, in support of the women's center, a Christmas tree is put in the vestibule of church and hanging on the tree are tags with the gender and size of a child. A parishioner takes one or more of the tags and purchases either clothing or a toy for the child.

Our food pantry is open on Wednesday mornings from 10:00AM until 12:00PM. Donations will be accepted on Wednesday mornings between 9:00 and 10:00AM. Wednesday morning donation drop off will take place in the alley, between the school building and the rectory, at door number 15A. If you know of anyone, who may need a little help, please refer them to our pantry.

Over the past several years the parishioners of St Stephen Protomartyr have participated in the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) "Operation Rice Bowl" during Lent. Our parishioners are encouraged to learn about the area that CRS is focusing on by visiting the rice bowl website and saving their loose change in provided containers as away to financially aid CRS in their charitable work. The Operation Rice Bowl website can be found at https://www.crsricebowl.org/

Pre-pandemic, St. Stephen’s collected food and monetary donations to provide 25 Thanksgiving meals for our friends at Catholic Charities. These meals included a frozen turkey, vegetables, potatoes, gravy, stuffing, dinner rolls, a cake mix and frosting. In 2021, a general Thanksgiving drive for food and personal care items was held for Catholic Charities.

During the weekend of each Super Bowl football game, the St. Stephen parish community conducts its own “Souper Bowl.” Collection boxes are set up at the doors of the church and parishioners donate cans and packages of soups and other food items. The donations are counted and then delivered to the Des Plaines Food Pantry and the Catholic Charities Food Pantry.

Our Parish Respect Life Ministry (PRLM) was created as the Parish arm which promotes the Catholic Social Teachings on life and engages to build a culture that cherishes every human life from conception to natural death. To this end, we sponsor events throughout the year that encourage parishioners to participate in supporting the culture of life