FISH Food Pantry hopes for turkey donations

This Thanksgiving, don't expect to receive a frozen turkey from volunteers at the Carpentersville-based FISH Food Pantry.

For the second year, the holiday's centerpiece will not be given to needy families, said Mary Graziano, FISH president.

"We don't have the freezer to store them, and we don't have the money to buy them," she said. "We give out everything else, the potatoes, vegetables and boxes of dressing, but not the turkeys. Not only do we have to provide food for people on that day, but other days of the year."

That does not mean FISH will not have turkeys to give to its hundreds of families who depend on its volunteers monthly to put food on their tables. If volunteers receive some from the raffles that are planned for the East and West Dundee firefighters associations, they will be given as soon as they are received.

A raffle is planned at Bandito Barney's Beach Club for East Dundee firefighters at 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15. A week later, on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 21 and 22, the West Dundee firefighters association will have its annual meat raffle at the Tri-City Evergreen VFW Post along First Street in West Dundee. It will also begin at 8 p.m.

Winners usually walk away with not just one turkey, but a case of turkeys. In the past, dozens of turkeys have been donated to FISH.

What volunteers really need is money to purchase food from the Northern Illinois Food Bank, Graziano said.

"We make the money we receive go very far," she said. "We need from $6,000 to $8,000 a month just to pay for the food we need to purchase for people. So besides food, we need monetary donations."

This month some of it will come from proceeds of Trivia Night, the New Friends and Neighbors organization has planned for 7 p.m. at the Randall Oaks Golf Club on Saturday. Registration for trivia teams and dinner is already closed, but Dundee Township residents are invited to cheer on the teams.

Money collected for registration will be donated to FISH.

"Last year, we raised $2,000 for the pantry," said Nikki Kuhlman, one of the organizers. "This year we hope to raise $3,000."

It doesn't have to be Thanksgiving to say the money is sorely needed, Graziano said. The number of people knocking on FISH's door has steadily increased this year.

"I don't know why it's up, but in October we served 579 families. That's an 8 percent increase (from) October of last year," she said.

FISH serves families in Carpentersville, East and West Dundee, Sleepy Hollow and portions of Algonquin.

The pantry is in the Meadowdale Shopping Center along Route 25. It is open from 9:30-11:30 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. It is also open from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday.

For more information, call Graziano at (847) 428-4357.