Planners hoping for food 'over'drive in 25-ton challenge
Officials with Church of the Holy Spirit in Schaumburg offered their religious education students an ambitious challenge: trick-or-treat for the hungry, rather than for candy.
"I don't know if they'll take us up on it, but we threw it out there," said Sr. Marianne Supan, outreach minister.
Likewise, religious education students at St. Peter Damian Church in Bartlett are being asked to bring a nonperishable food item each time they go to class, this month and in November, which could result in a mountain of canned goods.
Students at St. Luke's School in River Forest already have, officials say. In response to their food drive, they have collected 1,000 pounds of food stuffs, or roughly half a ton, so far.
All three sites are participating in the 25 Ton Food Drive launched this month by Amate House, in partnership with the Archdiocese of Chicago.
Other local collection sites include St. Alphonsus Church in Prospect Heights, St. Philip the Apostle Church in Addison, St. Patrick Church in Lake Forest, Lake Forest Bank & Trust, Highland Park Bank & Trust, and North Chicago Community Bank.
Amate House is a nonprofit service-based organization that draws college graduates to live in community in one of three Chicago neighborhood areas. They volunteer with local human service agencies and teaching at underserved schools.
As part of the organization's 25th anniversary - and to underscore their mission of service - officials announced plans to collect at least 25 tons of food, to provide assistance to more than 600 food pantries in Chicago, and its suburbs.
At the very least, Amate House leaders hope the drive will elicit a greater response than for a normal food drive.
"Through Amate House's direct service work within the community, we have come to understand the tremendous need for food," says John Lucas, executive director. "A pantry that takes days to fill, will empty in just four hours."
Supan says Church of the Holy Spirit volunteers have to limit families to coming once a month to their parish food pantry. As it is, she says, their numbers have doubled.
"We usually see 32 families a week," Supan says. "Last week, we had 72."
Food collected at the suburban sites will stay in the suburbs, says Ed Vogel, Amate House project coordinator.
Consequently, food collected at St. Peter Damian Church will go to the Hanover Township food pantry, while the canned goods donated to Church of the Holy Spirit and St. Alphonsus sites, will to their own parish food pantries.
Food donated to the Lake County sites will benefit the food pantry at the Catholic Charities office in Waukegan.
How to donate food
What: Amate House 25 Ton Food Drive, to benefit suburban pantries
When: Now through Nov. 1
Where: St. Alphonsus, 411 N. Wheeling Road, Prospect Heights; Church of the Holy Spirit, 1451 Bode Road, Schaumburg; St. Peter Damian, 109 S. Crest Ave., Bartlett; St. Philip the Apostle Church in Addison; St. Patrick Church in Lake Forest; Lake Forest Bank & Trust, Highland Park Bank & Trust; and North Chicago Community Bank.
More information: www.amatehouse.org