Kiwanis helps feed nearly 300 families

Morris, Illinois, Daily Herald
http://www.morrisdailyherald.com/articles/2009/05/27/25458453/index.xml

In the largest attendance yet for a mobile pantry visit, just over 280 area families received a total of 8,839 pounds of food.

The Northern Illinois Food Bank mobile food pantry visited First Christian

Church in Morris on Wednesday, May 13, in a stop the Morris Kiwanis Club sponsored.

The club provided the funds and volunteers to operate the distribution. First Christian Church provided additional volunteers and allowed the distribution to take place indoors due to predictions of inclement weather.

Each household received approximately 31 pounds of food, including five pounds of frozen meat and a wide variety of other items, including cheese, produce, bread, salad dressing, granola bars, skillet dinners and potatoes.

“The Kiwanis Club was proud to sponsor this event and appreciates the tremendous service We Care of Grundy County provides to those that are less fortunate,” Pat Halloran, Morris Kiwanis Club president, said. “The Morris Kiwanis Club’s mission is to serve children and families in need – this event provides an opportunity for our members to give back to the community.”

“While the huge attendance could just be a sign of the times, I think another factor may also have played a role,” Denise Gaska, We Care’s executive director, said.

Recently, We Care received a donation of an Amerilert Voice Messaging system from Omnilert and Grundy Development Corp. This system gives We Care the ability to send out messages to clients reminding them of the upcoming mobile pantry.

“With a month between each mobile pantry, it can be easy to forget about the next one,” Gaska said. “Or, if you miss one, you may not be aware of the date and location of the next one. This system has really helped spread the word to those who may have fallen out of the loop. We Care is grateful to Omnilert and Grundy Development Corp. for their generous gift.”

Geo’s Pizza is sponsoring the next mobile food pantry, which will take place Wednesday, June 10, at the Assumption Catholic Church Berst Center, 180 S. Kankakee St., Coal City. Registration will begin at approximately 3:45 p.m. and at least the first 100 numbers for a place in line will be drawn by lottery.

Mobile pantries for 2009 are scheduled to take place on the second Wednesday of each month.

Any family that resides in Grundy County and is in need of assistance with food is welcome to come to these food distributions. Recipients are asked to provide proof of their residency either with a valid drivers’ license, state I.D. or utility bill with their current Grundy County address. Every person in line will be asked to show this proof, even if they have been to a mobile food pantry in the past.

Those interested in attending are encouraged to bring a container to carry the items they will receive; plastic laundry baskets and wheeled carts work well for this purpose.

It is not necessary to let We Care know if you plan to attend the distributions, but if you have any questions, please feel free to call the We Care office at (815) 942-6389.

While all the mobile food pantries are sponsored for 2009, any organization in Grundy County that would like to sponsor a food pantry visit and is able to provide a minimum of 20 volunteers to staff it is welcome to call We Care to sign up for 2010. Currently, the cost is $650 per visit.

Upcoming mobile food pantry sponsors include Standard Bank; Mazon State Bank and ITW Filtration Products; and Gardner Lions.