Food pantry at Crystal Lake elementary school vandalized, police say
Crystal Lake police on Thursday reported a food pantry outside Canterbury Elementary School was vandalized, showing images of food that had been dumped onto the ground and destroyed in a Facebook post announcing the incident.
"Not only is this shameful and cruel but we can all agree that this is unacceptable in Crystal Lake. Canterbury has asked that we all keep a special eye on the Food Pantry while this is being investigated," police wrote on social media.
Canterbury was the first of the Crystal Lake Elementary District 47 schools to establish a school-based food pantry in 2017 to help combat food insecurity for families in the area.
Since then, a second outdoor food shed pantry was added at Canterbury after resident Shannon Trocki noticed items disappeared quickly and purchased a second, larger shed to place at the school in November.
Through a community fundraising effort led by Trocki, two food sheds each for District 47's Lundahl and Bernotas middle schools and a second shed for Hannah Beardsley have been purchased, as well, according to the Northwest Herald.
Donations for the pantries at Lundahl and Bernotas middle schools will be accepted starting this fall.