Elgin groups join to fight hunger

Elgin service agencies and churches might join together to battle hunger.

The Salvation Army is working with the Rotary Club of Elgin and the Elgin Cooperative Ministries - a coalition of churches that run the Elgin Soup Kettle - to possibly open a community food warehouse.

If accomplished, the move will centralize where people can drop off and pick up food, especially in winter months when the need becomes more acute.

"There is an increasing number of people coming to get food in Elgin and it's really beginning to be a serious situation," Salvation Army Major Ken Nicolai said. "The need for food in Elgin is more serious that we would imagine. People are going two towns away to find food."

The groups began working together, Nicolai said, after learning from the Willow Creek Food Pantry in Hoffman Estates that one-third if its recipients came from the Elgin area.

Nicolai said he hopes to find an in-kind donor of warehouse space so the large pantry can open in coming months.

Mike Warren, president of Elgin's Rotary Club, said the group has donated $6,000 to area food pantries over the past several years. Consolidating pantries could make it easier to help people, he said.

"It sounds like there can be some really good synergies," Warren said. "Rotary has been behind it because it's been a growing need in our community with the unemployment. We want to be part of the solution."

According to the Illinois Department of Employment Security, Elgin's unemployment rate for August, the most recent information available, was 11.8 percent. That is an improvement from the 13.6 percent unemployment rate in July.

Overall, Illinois' rate is 10.5 percent for September. Elgin's September figures will be released by the state Thursday.

Rev. James Marks of Bethesda Church of God in Christ and chairman of Elgin Cooperative Ministries, could not immediately be reached for comment.