Demand growing at food pantries

Fernando Ocampo of Mama Cimino's in Dixon delivers a box Monday afternoon to Dixon Community Food Pantry. The restaurant has been collecting food from customers since mid-November by offering pizza discounts to those who donate. (Alex T. Paschal/SVN)

E-mail this story

Print this story

Share

A troubled economy and rising unemployment has increased demand at local food pantries, with no sign of relief any time soon. The Illinois Department of Employment Security reports that in Lee, Whiteside and Ogle counties, the unemployment rate rose by more than 2 percentage points this year. County unemployment rates that hovered around 5 percent last year are now between 7 percent and 8 percent. Northern Illinois households needing assistance from food programs, however, increased 42 percent since December 2007, according to a news release from the Northern Illinois Food Bank. "We're seeing a lot of middle-class families who have never needed food pantries before coming in," said Jarrod Daab, NIFB's associate director of development. "People have a lot of pride, and they're not going to go to a food pantry unless they absolutely need to. They're going there to survive." The nonprofit NIFB provides food for those in need in a 13-county service area, which includes Ogle, McHenry and DeKalb counties. The agency distributes food to more than 40,600 people a week through local food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and activity centers, Daab said. Food banks in northwestern Illinois reported similar findings. River Bend Foodbank serves 17 counties, including Lee and Whiteside. Households seeking assistance in those counties increased by about 25 percent since last December, said Tom Laughlin, executive director. Dixon Community Food Pantry likely will feed about 2,000 more people this year than last, President Delores Kness said. Nearly 400 of those clients have never used the pantry before, she said. "We're seeing people that have been laid off, a lot of new clients, people that are on a set income," Kness said. Aid is based on the number of family members and the household's monthly income, Kness said. Carrie Frillman, Elena Grimm and Sarah Owen contributed to this report. To help Lee County • Dixon Community Food Pantry, 2001 W. Fourth St., accepts food donations 8:30-10:30 a.m. Monday and Thursday. Make checks payable to Community Food Pantry, First United Methodist Church, 202 S. Peoria Ave., Dixon, IL 61021. • St. Patrick Church. Make checks payable to St. Patrick Church, 32 N. Jones Ave., Amboy, IL 61310, or drop off donations at the church office. Ogle County • Polo Food Pantry. Open Tuesday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to noon. Food can be dropped off then, or call Avis Ehmen, 815-946-2057. Make checks payable to Polo Lifeline, 107 W. Mason St., Polo, IL 61064. • Loaves and Fish Food Pantry, Mount Morris Church of the Brethren. Open first and third Monday, 2-4:30 p.m., and second and fourth Thursday, 4:30-7 p.m. Donations can be dropped off during those hours, or any weekday, 8:30 a.m. to noon, at the church. Make checks payable to Loaves and Fish, 409 W. Brayton Road, Mount Morris, IL 61054. • Lifeline Food and Self Help Project, Conover Square, 210 N. Third St., Suite 6, Oregon, IL 61061. Open 9:30 a.m. to noon Tuesday, 1:30-4:30 p.m. Friday and 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday. Donations can be dropped off during those hours, or call Sharon Wallace, 815-734-6978, to make arrangements. Make checks payable to Lifeline Food and Self Help Project and mail to the above address, attention Kathy Drozd. To help in Whiteside County • FISH Emergency Pantry, 902 E. Fifth St., Sterling. Open 9-11 a.m. Monday-Friday. Drop off donations at First United Methodist Church annex. Make checks payable to FISH, 610 Seventh Ave., Sterling, IL 61081, or drop them off at the pantry. • Helping Hands, 1208 E. Fourth St., Sterling. Open 9-11 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday. Make checks payable to Helping Hands or First Church of the Nazarene, 411 13th Ave., Sterling, IL 61081. • St. Vincent de Paul Society, 7 W. Sixth St., Sterling. Open 1-3 p.m. Monday-Friday. Make checks payable to St. Vincent de Paul Society, c/o St. Mary Parish, 600 Ave. B, Sterling, IL 61081. • Trinity United Methodist Church, Sterling. Open 8:30-11:30 a.m. Tuesday-Thursday. Make checks payable to Trinity Food Pantry, 205 E. 10th St., Sterling, IL 61081. • Sterling Township, 108 Fourth Ave. Donations can be dropped off 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday-Friday. Make checks payable to Sterling Township, with food pantry in the memo line. • Rock River Christian Center, 1800 Prophet Road, Rock Falls. Nonperishable and frozen food is accepted 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, and 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. Friday. Make checks payable to Rock River Christian Center, with food pantry in the memo line. • American Legion Food Pantry, 215 Washington St., Prophetstown. Open 9-11 a.m. Tuesday. Make checks payable to Prophetstown-Lyndon Food Pantry, c/o First Lutheran Church, 300 W. Third St., Prophetstown, IL 61277. Items can be donated when the pantry is open. • Tampico Area Food Pantry, 106 W. Main St. Open 5-5:30 p.m. the first Tuesday of the month. Donations can be dropped off when the pantry is open, or call 815-438-4304 anytime for a pickup. Make checks payable to Tampico Area Food Pantry, P.O. Box 626, Tampico, IL 61283, or drop them off at Central Bank.