Lake County can feed 15,000 for a day

If an average person can live on 4 pounds of food a day, a group of Lake County churches collected enough canned food in October to feed 15,000 people for a day or one person for 41 years.

Possibly the largest food drive ever held in Lake County wrapped up last weekend, amassing more than 63,700 pounds of food and personal items during the month.

Last year, more than 40,000 pounds of food was collected in a similar drive, but that one didn't cover the whole county, organizers said.

Catalyst, a coalition of Lake County churches and the drive's main sponsor, coordinated the massive volunteer effort involving 25 churches as part of ShareFest 2007.

Volunteers canvassed neighborhoods dropping off 20,000 bags at county households for residents to fill up. Roughly 26,000 Jewel plastic bags were inserted in the Daily Herald, a ShareFest co-sponsor.

This year, donations will go to St. Charles-based Northern Illinois Food Bank, which will distribute the food to 47 Lake County food pantries, and one in McHenry County.

"This is one of the larger food drives that has ever been done for us," said H. Dennis Smith, food bank executive director. "It really speaks well of the collaborative efforts of the (churches). They are able to bring attention to the hunger needs that exist. They did a superb job."

Organizers are thrilled with the success and imagine it will grow further.

It began four years ago with a little red wagon that volunteer food drive coordinator Karen Shoopman of Gurnee dragged around her neighborhood collecting 100 cans.

"This is the first time it's ever been done on a countywide basis," she said. "God has had his hand on this project because there are so many people who have helped us. It is bigger than we could ever imagine. The model could definitely be done anywhere."

Though this drive is over, the need for food is constant.

According to the food bank, Lake County has 49,015 people living at the poverty level, which represents 7.1 percent of the county's population. Poverty level for a family of four is $20,650.

"If you think in terms of what you might be able to purchase with that money, that won't go far living in Lake County," Smith said. "This food will be of great value."

Though it will make a difference, the food collected through this drive is a drop in the bucket in terms of the county's needs, Smith said.

Last year, the Northern Illinois Food Bank distributed more than 3 million pounds of food in Lake County.

Before Sept. 11, 2001, the agency gave food to an average of about 1,100 households in Lake County as part of a federal emergency food program for people at 125 percent poverty and below. Today, the agency distributes food to roughly 5,000 households.

"The reality is we need this kind of thing to occur literally every week to be able to provide the food that's needed," Smith said. "We need 60,000 pounds a week to meet the need that exists in Lake County."