Kane County Farm Bureau holds annual shopping spree for local food pantries

The whistle rang, and they were off.

Kane County Undersheriff Amy Johnson and Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser, with shopping carts decked out in glittery tinsel, took off down the aisles of the Jewel-Osco in Batavia for the Kane County Farm Bureau’s 23rd Check Out Shopping Spree.

Johnson collected $2,838.96 worth of non-perishable food for Support Over Stigma in St. Charles. Mosser, meanwhile, collected $2,020.42 worth of food for Elgin’s Community Crisis Center.

Johnson may have claimed victory over Mosser, but there were no losers.

Peanut butter, soups and pasta sauce were the most sought-after items.

Johnson and Mosser participated in the shopping spree to give back to the community.

“To do it in a fun way that will actually get people to see what a need there is in the community,” said Mosser.

Support Over Stigma is a nonprofit dedicated to providing mental health support to current members of the military, veterans, first responders and their families.

Support Over Stigma Founder and CEO Zoeie Kreiner said, “Most people don’t know that right now we have five National Guard units from the state of Illinois currently deployed, and those families are now operating on half the budget as single parents trying to make ends meet.”

“It’s not enough just to feed them at Christmas and Easter," she said. "We need to feed them all year long, and the dollar doesn’t stretch as much as it used to."