The Salvation Army pantry receives freezer donation
Tri-Cities, IL (August 28, 2015) – Eight new, stainless steel, commercial freezers line the wall of The Salvation Army’s Food Pantry. Due to a generous donation from an anonymous donor, The Salvation Army was able to upgrade and increase their available freezer and cooler space, but the freezers are a physical reminder of the power of community demonstrated in the Food Pantry every day.
Open five days a week, The Salvation Army Food Pantry provides food for more than 500 families in the Tri-Cities area each month. The pantry is run almost entirely by the 30 regular volunteers, who not only give their time, but also connect with families on a personal level – remembering their names and needs, helping them find additional resources for their family.
The shelves are stocked through generous donations from local churches, such as St. John Neumann Catholic Church of St. Charles, Geneva United Methodist Church, and Christ Community Church in St. Charles.
A partnership with the Northern Illinois Food Bank connects the pantry to local retailers, such as Jewel, Costco, and Blue Goose Market, for donations of fresh produce distributed twice a week.
“The pantry is really a great example of different parts of the community coming together,” said Lt. Betsy Clark, corps officer at The Salvation Army. “Each volunteer, donor, and business knows that they are working to help make life better for families here in the Tri-Cities. I think that’s what motivates them to be so generous with their time and resources.”
Belen Hood, community & family services director for The Salvation Army, remarked, “The best part of the food pantry is the people. Our volunteers know what service they are providing and they are the ones that make it happen.”
The freezer donation impacted not only the Tri-Cities area, but the Greater Chicago Region as well. The replaced freezers were distributed to Salvation Army pantries across the region, providing much needed resources for seven other communities.
Those interested in supporting The Salvation Army Food Pantry as a volunteer or through a donation can contact The Salvation Army at (630) 377-2769 or by visiting www.satricity.org.
About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in London in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for 130 years in the U.S. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. Eighty-two cents of every dollar The Salvation Army spends is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.satricity.org.