Des Plaines Community Foundation, businesses serve Thanksgiving dinner
The Des Plaines Community Foundation; T-Bob's Smoked Bar-B-Q, 1165 S. Elmhurst Road; and Sysco Foods Chicago worked together to provide and deliver Thanksgiving dinners.
As a result, more than 200 families, homebound seniors and people with disabilities had a very happy Thanksgiving.
According to Rosemary Argus, executive director of the Des Plaines Community Foundation, turkey dinners were delivered to those in wheelchairs, on oxygen and the blind, who have difficulty leaving their homes.
"This is our sixth year making the meals and delivering the turkey dinners," Argus said. "It was T-Bob's and my idea, as well as local churches. It's a group effort.
"T-Bob's owner Ted Roombos and his family and staff have donated their time every year to help on Thanksgiving," Argus added. Roombos roasts all the turkey breasts for the dinners every year.
Lacey Belle Argus and her schoolmates from Maine West made Thanksgiving Day "We Care About You Cards," which were included with the meals.
"There are a lot of good people in Des Plaines," Rosemary Argus said. "Every member of the Des Plaines Community Foundation is a volunteer. We have no paid employees."
According to Rosemary Argus, the list of people who were served through the Thanksgiving Day program consisted of Des Plaines residents who requested assistance by calling the Neighbors Helping Neighbors hotline at (888) 646-8898.
Everyone on both the Neighbors Helping Neighbors list and the Des Plaines church lists were called to confirm they would be home on Thanksgiving Day and wanted a cooked meal delivered.
Sysco Foods provided 80 pounds of turkey breasts, vegetables and potatoes. T-Bob's roasted the turkey. Volunteers packaged the corn, sweet potatoes, main entree, bread and pumpkin pie.
"A special thank you to all who donated, and a special thank you to Board Trustee, Jan Goczkowski for securing many of the volunteer drivers," Rosemary Argus. "All the Des Plaines Community Foundation trustees made this day possible. There were many happy individuals who received Thanksgiving meals."
More than 75 local volunteers, including a large number from Sysco Foods, delivered meals between 10 a.m. and noon Thanksgiving Day.
The Engineering Department at the City of Des Plaines made the map of the routes for the volunteer drivers.
"This is a really touching program to provide for these families," said Rosemary Argus. "We appreciate all the volunteers' hard work on Thanksgiving Day. This is one of the most satisfying things that we've done."
Neighbors Helping Neighbors also delivered on about 500 requests for help from Des Plaines residents in need this year. The NHN Program links community volunteers with residents in need of transportation to medical appointments, grocery shopping, yard and home care, installation of emergency response boxes, wheelchair ramps and decks.
The foundation raises funds to identify, link and mobilize assets to support the service programs of the Des Plaines Healthy Community Partnership Programs, whose activities improve the lives of those that live and work in Des Plaines.
The foundation is a 501c3 organization and funds are obtained from individuals, businesses, and corporate tax-deductible contributions, as well as from other foundations.
For information on becoming a student volunteer, visit www.DPCharties.org or www.desplainescommunityfoundation.org. Future volunteers can call Rosemary Argus at (847) 297-4932 or (847) 525-5566.
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