Hundreds get gifts of warmth, food

The people in line Monday at Murphy School in Round Lake Park weren't waiting for an iPhone or the video game "Halo."

For the 300 Round Lake-area families, the gift of food and coats will stay with them a lot longer.

The Northern Illinois Food Bank and The Chapel in Grayslake teamed up to host the third mobile food pantry and coat giveaway this year.

The event was a huge success, said Rachel Snyder, domestic missions manager for The Chapel.

"People really seem grateful for the help," Snyder said. "Our goal is to make sure people don't have to choose between paying the gas bill and eating or buying coats. Unfortunately, that does happen."

Through donations, The Chapel had enough food and clothing for about 300 families, she said. Some 340 families attended the first event in June.

Families are given a box when they arrive and are told to fill it with food from the food pantry. They are also invited to walk among the tables of coats, clothes, shoes and toys to pick through as needed.

Snyder said more than 1,000 people were expected to attend the charity event.

"I'm not sure if it seems to be getting worse out there because we only started this in June," she said. "But I do know it can be rough out there and everyone should pitch in to help wherever possible."

More than 100 volunteers from northern Lake County volunteered to take part in the event.

The smiles said it all, said volunteer Jeannine Kiley, the resident coat captain.

"It's exhilarating to help a child walk out with a coat they need," Kiley said. "But, its heartbreaking when the coats run out and people can't get one. We can only do what we can."

Connor Donahoe, 10, a fourth-grader from St. Bede's Catholic School in Ingleside, said this event is always fun for him.

"It's tough to lift heavy boxes for people outside, but it's still fun," he said. "I'm happy to help out people who need it."