Palatine students fundraising for local food pantry

Energetic student food vendors worked the home and visiting crowds at Fremd High School's home football game Friday against Elk Grove High School.

They hawked everything from homemade brownies and cookies to candy and energy bars at the Palatine high school. Each item came individually wrapped, promoting their organization - Youth Hunger Opposition in Palatine (YHOP) - and their upcoming fundraiser, a rock concert.

Fremd junior Mike McGinn, of Palatine, was one of many volunteers to work the stands. He said it wasn't a hard sell.

"People who come to the football games pretty much know about us," McGinn said. "They're usually happy to support us."

Their bake sale on Friday launched their fourth year fundraising for the Palatine Township Food Pantry. Since forming, students from both Fremd and Palatine high schools have raised more than $170,000 to provide township officials with a reserve amount from which to draw when pantry shelves run low.

"Our goal this year is to raise $12,000, which is a little less than last year," says Fremd senior Ellie Gray, of Palatine, who leads the group this year. "Mainly, we want to depend more on youth-run fundraisers and less on adult donors."

YHOP developed from members of a youth group at All Saints Lutheran Church in Palatine who wanted to do more for their area food pantry than hold collection drives. They ambitiously dreamed of raising $100,000, and did that in less than a year.

Now, youth groups from 14 Northwest suburban churches support their efforts, as well as area high schools. They hope to draw on that widespread support from 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 26, when they host their first "Rock Against Hunger" concert at Durty Nellie's, 180 N. Smith St. in Palatine.

The battle of the bands includes five teen groups, including "Patmos," "Rough Draft" and "The Sidekicks," all from Palatine High School, "Midnight Premiere" from Fremd and "Stormfront" from St. Viator High School.

For a $5 admission charge, teen supporters can hear each band play up to an hour, as well as hear a short presentation about YHOP and their efforts to stop hunger.

"This is our first year, but we're hoping to get kids from all three high schools to come out," Gray said. "We're hoping to raise $3,000 from the event."

Glenn Gienko, of Inverness, purchased one of the group's homemade candies at the Fremd football game, where his son, Brian, plays center.

"You have to support them," Gienko said, "and yet it's hard to believe there is so much hunger in Palatine and in the Northwest suburbs."

Paul Pioch, Palatine Township Administrator, says the funds YHOP have provided the food pantry over the last four years have helped in more ways than purchasing nonperishable items to stock their shelves.

"They helped us purchase a truck for the food pantry by providing the matching funds for a grant we used to purchase it," Pioch says. "One of their senior leaders from Palatine, Monica Cason, even created the graphics."

He adds that YHOP funds also helped township officials move their food pantry into a first floor space that is three times larger than their original basement room, in order to accommodate the growing need.

"The YHOP group is great," Pioch adds. "We always appreciate their enthusiasm and willingness to give back to the Palatine Township community."