Elk Grove Township food drive celebrates 25 years

For two and a half decades, Carole Dankers has helped local Elk Grove families during what she considers the "off months" of donating.

Dankers, the founder of a food drive that feeds into the Elk Grove Township food pantry, said that people do a lot of donating during the holidays, but the need is also very large at other times in the year. This is what inspired her to start a June food drive in 1986.

During that first year, she gathered around 19 bags of groceries and $40 in donations. Last year, those numbers were up to 109 bags, $280 in donations and $65 in gift cards to help 47 families.

Canned food is the first thing that comes to mind for many people about food drives, but there is much more to it than that, according to Dankers.

"There are so many needs outside of the can," said Dankers.

She has also seen numbers rise in recent years of families in need, especially in the past year, which she attributes to the troubles with the economy.

While this drive initially started in her Elk Grove subdivision of Windemere, Dankers is looking to get the rest of the community involved, as well as make this a family effort.

"I strongly believe that it benefits children to learn to give back from an early age," said Dankers.

To get the community motivated, she sends out two sets of around 400 letters to let people know about the drive each year. She said it was disappointing that only 12 percent of the subdivision donates, but it is understandable given the recent economic hardships.

In recognition of her work, the first Elk Grove Community Spirit Award, for which citizens nominate a person for their contribution to the community, was given to Dankers in 1998.

To donate to the food drive, drop off your donation at the Elk Grove food pantry, 2400 S. Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights, or contact Dankers at (847) 891-6134.