Community food drive aids St. Joseph's Home for the Elderly

On April 17, the Palatine Knights of Columbus came together at the Little Sisters of the Poor St. Joseph's Home for the Elderly, in Palatine, to sponsor a Food and Needed Items Donation Drive.

The Palatine Brother Knights, and their families, are grateful for the outpouring of community support for the drive.

Grand Knight Rick Deyhle and event Director Mark Nannini brought together 34 volunteer Knights and Friends of Knights to help unload vehicles and sort donations of food and needed essentials for the home onto rolling metal racks.

Thanks to the community's generosity, the value of donations for the residents of St. Joe's surpassed $17,000.

More than 220 vehicles and three bicycles came to St. Joe's, arriving over four hours, and bringing food and needed items to support St. Joe's Home. The list included cereals, saltine crackers, graham crackers, wrapped snack packs, salad dressings, coffee, tea, bottle drinks and juice, plus canned fruits and many other food items. Essentials included paper towels, napkins, toilet paper, shampoo and conditioner, face masks, non-latex gloves, wash cloths and hand towels. Also needed was Clorox bleach, Lysol wipes, postage stamps and AA and AAA batteries.

Interested in donation? Donations are always welcome and you can find the Urgently Needed Items list at: www.littlesistersofthepoorpalatine.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Urgently-Needed-Items-3.17.21.pdf.

Greeting the donor vehicles were the Little Sisters of the Poor, who gave a cheerful reception and a most sincere thank you to the donors. They also passed out a thank you flyer signed by the Sisters, employees and residents. One of the signers was resident Father Tom Rzepiela, Pastor Emeritus of St. Thomas of Villanova Parish and Chaplain Emeritus of Palatine's Knights of Columbus Holy Ghost Council #4977.

The Little Sisters were so pleased and grateful to see such wonderful support for their home and the donations that were made by so many.

St. Joseph's Home for the Elderly in Palatine, 80 W. Northwest Highway, is one of two homes operated by the Little Sisters of the Poor in the greater Chicago area. The other home is St. Mary's Home in Chicago.

The year 2016 marked the 50th anniversary of St. Joseph' Home in Palatine. The Palatine St. Joseph's Home has a 5-Star rating. St. Joseph's Home for the Elderly has 67 residents, 17 Little Sisters and 118 employees.

Thank you again Palatine community. Oh ... what a day it was.