Uniting for the Holidays bringing meals to people in need in Elgin Tuesday

Five hundred Elgin-area families will receive dinner for the holidays thanks to the United Way.

"Uniting for the Holidays" is billed as a "festive drive-through event" where dinners and other necessities are being distributed to people in need on a first-come, first-served basis.

The event will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15, at the Elgin Sports Complex, 709 Sports Way.

Six suburban sites are hosting the pop-up events. In addition to Elgin, there will be one in West Chicago at 4 p.m. Dec. 16 at Leman Middle School, 238 E. Hazel St. Events were already held in Palatine, Des Plaines, Chicago Heights and Blue Island.

Mark Seigle, president of Seigle's Cabinet Center and the Seigle Family Foundation, is the sponsor of the Elgin event and said he's "thrilled it's in Elgin because it's my hometown and the need is critical here."

"The demand for it will exceed the amount of food we will have, which is unfortunate," Seigle said. "Right now food insecurity in Elgin is upward of 20% of our population."

Seigle said he's been on the board and involved with the United Way for about 40 years. Typically for the holidays the United Way hosts community dinners; that option wasn't possible this year because of the pandemic. But the United Way of Elgin did not hold an annual dinner before it merged with United Way of Metro Chicago last year.

Seigle said he and about 50 volunteers will pass out the holiday dinners, consisting of turkey and traditional trimmings. They'll also be passing out first-aid kits with personal protective equipment, totes, backpacks, diapers, books and flu vaccine vouchers, among other things.

And Seigle said a special volunteer could be on hand.

"You never know where Santa's sleigh may take him, but we're hoping he's able to carve out some time."