Aurora churches, businesses, groups partner to hand out 350 Easter baskets

Posted March 30, 2021 11:00 pm

Submitted by Al Benson

The Easter Bunny, aka West Aurora High School senior Irene Robles, hands out plastic eggs Wednesday, March 24, during a drive-through giveaway of 350 Easter baskets at Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry in Aurora. Courtesy of Al Benson

Three hundred and fifty families served by an Aurora food pantry received early Easter baskets on Wednesday, March 24.

Aurora churches, businesses and community groups partnered to hand out baskets to families served by Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry in a drive-through distribution at the pantry Wednesday morning.

Rebecca "Becky" Dunnigan, pantry community outreach and program coordinator, said baskets were filled with toys, books, bubbles, chalk, kites, candy and filled plastic eggs. The items were placed in colored baskets wrapped in cellophane.

A dozen students from Rosary High School in Aurora helped load baskets into pantry families' vehicles. Irene Robles, a West Aurora High School senior, donned an Easter Bunny costume to hand out plastic eggs.

Volunteers from St. Athanasios Greek Orthodox Church in Aurora completed basket assembly Monday at the pantry. St. Athanasios volunteers represented the church's Philoptochos Chapter. New England Congregational Church volunteers began basket assembly Friday.

Fifteen area groups donated items to the baskets.

Donors and gifts were: Aurora Public Library Foundation, books; Amazon delivery, Aurora, toys; Fannie May, Aurora, chocolate candies; New England Congregational Church, Aurora, artificial grass for baskets; It's Fit Time and New Horizon Christian Fellowship, Aurora, jelly beans; Leave Me Bee and New Horizon, soap bubbles; O'Donnell Elementary School Girl Scout Troop 4340, Aurora, kites; Community Christian Church, Aurora, kites; Rosary High School Rotary Club, Aurora, kites; Grace Pointe Church, Aurora, sidewalk chalk; Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry, Aurora, Lucky Charms marshmallows and M&M's; Kim Grant Realtor, Oswego, plastic eggs; and John Greene Realty, Naperville, baskets and plastic eggs.

Dunnigan said, "This was an event done probably 20 years ago, we resurrected it." She stressed the event was "sold out" in advance with registration at capacity. According to Dunnigan, a Christmas-themed event is being considered for December.

On March 22, volunteers, including, Sarah Hicks, second from right, of Aurora, and Sue Manos, Sherry Haralambopoulos, and Lou Halkias, all of Naperville, assemble Easter baskets for 350 families served by Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry. The pantry distributed baskets in a drive-through March 24. Courtesy of Al Benson

Students from Rosary High School in Aurora load Easter baskets into a family's vehicle at a drive-through distribution of 350 free baskets March 24, at Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry in Aurora. Courtesy of Al Benson

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