A food pantry that could

It was a passion for Millie Ruth.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s as Grafton Township secretary and treasurer, she saw more and more people coming into the township offices looking for help.

The township was able to offer them some monetary assistance, but Ruth, who was township supervisor from 1993 to 2005 and died at the end of that year, saw a more pressing need -- that is, the people's immediate need to feed their hungry families that night.

At the time, there were no food pantries in the area, so Ruth decided she would start one right in town -- in the Grafton Township offices.

With the support of the township trustees, she opened the pantry right there, inside the tiny building.

Though they were already cramped for space, they made room for more, and started housing the donations that came in from the community.

Soon word spread, and residents knew that if they were in trouble, they could turn to the Grafton Township Food Pantry for help, said Betty Zirk, a township trustee.

"There really was nothing else at the time. The food was a quick concern that had to be remedied very quickly, and this did it. People started to come and word got out. They knew they could come here for food," Zirk said.

Today, residents still know they can turn to the pantry for help. When a church or local organization has people in need of food, they know to send them to the pantry.

As the area grows, the pantry, now under the supervision of President John Rossi, is working hard to keep up with the population growth.

When Ruth started the pantry, it served about 25 people a month, Zirk said.

Now more than 200 families participate in the food pantry program each month.

"Moving forward, we hope to be able to provide nutritious food to all those in need through our own efforts and those of our partners in the community," Rossi said.

"We have strived to make everyone who comes through the food pantry door know that they are welcome, and that we are there to help them."

On Wednesday, in conjunction with the Northern Illinois Food Bank, the pantry will hand out 10,000 pounds of food to needy residents.

From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. that day, anyone can show up for assistance, no questions asked, said Harriet Ford, the township's director of communications.

"We don't do this very often. We felt we have special things going on over Thanksgiving and Christmas and Easter -- sometimes in the summer when things get tight -- we have this truck come in from the Northern Illinois Food Bank. We'll have everything you can imagine that day -- meats, fruits, salad dressings. We'll have it all."

Although the huge shipment will be coming in, there still is a great need at this time of year for donations, pantry officials said.

The pantry purchases food, but also relies heavily upon donations. Local churches and groups usually help out, but the pantry also looks for donations from individual residents.

"The response from the community has been amazing. Individuals, as well as a number of church groups, Scouts, clubs and other non-profit groups have been extremely generous with donations and time," Rossi said.

The pantry also relies upon community members to help organize and distribute the food. About a dozen volunteers help out each Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoon when the pantry is open to the public.

When Rossi became supervisor, he wanted to continue with the tradition of serving the community, but move forward as an independent, non-profit corporation. The pantry now has 501(c)(3) status, which has made donating easier for some people.

Even though the Food Pantry is physically located at the township offices, funding is separate and tax dollars are not used to provide the service.

This makes the volunteers that much more important.

"There is a growing need for assistance, and we are reaching out to these families and individuals through churches and newspaper articles so that we may serve them better. We are still in need of volunteers and donations, especially of household and personal grooming items," Ford said.

Rossi said that even though the need continues to grow, the pantry will continue to serve all of the township's residents in need.

Helping out anyone who might be hungry was Ruth's goal when she started the pantry, and it is one that still continues.

"We want those in need to know they are not alone in their struggle," Rossi said.