Feeding the hungry

St. John's Food Pantry puts giving on a personal level

By Scott Deininger
SPECIAL TO THE HERALD NEWS

JOLIET — It was just another Monday at the office. Or more specifically, at the pantry for Joliet's George Block Sr.

He turned 70 Jan. 6 and didn't want any personal gifts. Instead, Block asked for food that he would give to feed needy families of Joliet.

For the better part of five years, St. John the Baptist's Food Pantry, located in what is formerly the parish convent at 260 Division St., has been helping feed their local community. The pantry is open from 9 a.m. to noon Mondays and provides food for 30 to 60 families. Block is just one of more than a dozen of volunteers who donate their time and efforts weekly.

This past holiday season saw Joliet's Hospice and Remco Medical donate food gathered from their company Christmas parties. Heritage Trail and St. Joe's schools had food drives for the pantry as well.

"The holidays are the busiest times for us," said Marianne Manley, the pantry coordinator for the last two years. "The week prior to Thanksgiving we helped 125 families and the weeks leading up to Christmas we averaged 75." In 2002, St. John's food pantry assisted 9,539 needy families.

Most of the food is government-issued from the Rockford-based Hunger Connection, which delivers to the pantry every third Thursday of the month. Other goods are bought by pantry volunteers with monetary donations while other items are dropped off or collected at the church.

The needy families must provide a household income statement to meet the government regulations to receive aide. The food is given based on family size and income.

On this day, 60 families were fed by 11:20 a.m. with others still awaiting their supply. Some families had two adults and two children while another had one adult and seven children.

"I'm very grateful to have St. John's here for us," said Greg, a father of three who has been coming to the pantry for a month. "I'm in between jobs, which makes it difficult around the holidays. This place is truly a blessing."

The eligible families must live in the 60435 zip code west of the Des Plaines River. Some others eligible may live along Jefferson Street in the 60436 zip code.

"We try to provide for anyone who's in need," said Maize Buss, a retired nurse who, along with her husband Don, has been with the pantry for four years. "If they come here, they are hungry and we'll provide for them. But if they are from a different area, we make them aware of a pantry closer to them."

Since Buss and Manley are both retired nurses, their organizational skills and medical knowledge make the pantry run more efficiently.

"Sometimes the families have special health needs like diabetes and heart conditions," said Buss. "Having worked in hospitals most of your lives, we're able to see to it that the people get the best we can offer for their situations."

Other local providers are Cub Foods on Illinois 59 in Shorewood, which brings bakery goods weekly. Grant's Appliance and Hardware in Joliet donated a brand new freezer to use in the pantry. And in addition to the freezer, Grant's also donated other household appliances like a microwave and television to be raffled off within St. John's Parish.

All the raffle proceeds go directly to the purchasing of food, especially in the summer months when stock gets low.

Helping the Busses, Block Sr. and Manley in the pantry were fellow senior citizens Larry Konz and Rosemary Gengler. Together they packed boxes and bags with items including frozen meats or poultry, pasta, potatoes, canned fruits and vegetables and some toiletries.

"It's not a lot to survive on for a week," said Manley. "Our providing them with a box of food is really only a Band-aid. I wish there was more we could do."

When the needy people came for the food, they signed in at the front desk in the designated waiting room. There, Mary Ann Sievert, Nancy Cleghorn, Lucy Lingo and Vera Corsetti filed their requests and welcomed any new families.

Corsetti also acted as a translator for some recipients.

If people in need aren't physically able to get to the pantry, a proxy is assigned to them, per the Hunger Connection's guidelines, to bring food to their house. When the needy seek assistance other than food, they are referred to Will County Healthor the Senior Service Center depending on their situation.

"There are about 15 pantry volunteers who rotate every week. Anywhere from 7-9 work at time," said Manley. "Without the help of these St. John's parishioners, the pantry couldn't exist. It's a true testament to the giving hearts of our parish community."

If you would like more information on making donations to the St. John's Food Pantry or volunteering, call (815) 727-4788.

Refer: FISH feeds a need in many communities. E4

 

01/12/03