Food pantry volunteer president 'feeds more than just the tummy'

Mary Graziano doesn't work 30 hours a week at the FISH Food Pantry in Carpentersville for personal gain.

She does it for the couple struggling to feed their nine children under the age of 11. She does it for the families who have to choose between paying their rent and feeding their kids. She does it for the lonely senior citizen who religiously shows up every month for good conversation.

"Sometimes it seems like it's overwhelming, but it's so gratifying when you can see the results," Graziano said of her volunteer position as president of the pantry. "It's all worth it."

Only two weeks after retiring in 2004, Graziano and her husband, who are Dundee residents, started volunteering at the pantry, a nonprofit that serves Dundee Township residents in need of food, supplies, hygiene products and more. Graziano later became secretary and then president in 2011 - a role that takes up much of her time both in and out of the pantry.

Between the food pickups, the fundraising - the pantry runs entirely on donations - and the time she spends working in the pantry, "there's no end to what goes on," Graziano said.

But she's not alone. There are 75 regular pantry volunteers, she said, all of whom play a critical role in helping the families they serve.

In 2014, the pantry served 6,375 families, which amounts to more than 32,000 individuals. Graziano said they're on track to meet a similar need this year.

Though many families go to the pantry for essential food items, some find solace in other products offered, Graziano said. Women will often go through a box of cosmetics, for example, and pick out items that will make them feel better about themselves, she said.

"That's kind of what we're here for. You really feed more than just the tummy," Graziano said. "There's a lot more to being hungry."

For information about the FISH Food Pantry, call (847) 428-4357.

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