Day of Caring opens fundraising campaign

On Friday, Sept. 10, the Day of Caring will launch the United Way of Elgin's 2010 campaign. The event will start with a breakfast celebration sponsored by Grand Victoria Casino in the Fox River Room beginning at 7:30 a.m. Reservations are required.

For the third year, United Way's Day of Caring will focus on conducting a communitywide food drive. Food pantries nationwide have continued to experience a sharp increase in demand for emergency food assistance.

Elgin area food pantries serve a wide range of clients, from working families with children to elderly residents on fixed incomes to the newly unemployed. Last year, more than 2,000 boxes of food were collected, but due to the significant increase in demand, these donations lasted pantries only a few months.

Drop off donated food items to the United Way office, 2022 Larkin Ave. or any Elgin fire station. Donated food will be delivered to seven area food pantries: Bethesda Church of God in Christ, Centro de Informacion, Community Crisis Center, All People's Interfaith Food Pantry, Salvation Army, South Elgin Food Pantry and Two Rivers Head Start. For details, call (847) 741-2259 or e-mail Elissa Kojzarek at ekojzarek@uwelgin.org.