It was a fight, but it was for a good cause.
From Nov. 16 to Dec. 14, the staff at the Joliet Job Corps Center competed to see which department could collect the most non-perishable food for the food pantry at Joliet’s Forest Park Community Center, 1017 Woodruff Road.
Here’s how it worked: the employees from the Center Director, Finance and Administration, Education and Training and Social Development departments bought food and brought it to the Center.
The cans, boxes and bags were counted each week, and each department was awarded first, second, third or fourth place for that time period.
It was an effective way to gather a donation, said Center Director Christine Sanchez.
“Our staff are very giving to our students every day. This was a good way to have a healthy competition between departments and give back to the community,” she said.
At the end of the event, a total of 865 items had been collected, and the Center Director department had won.
The winning wasn’t the important thing, of course. Helping the needy in the Center’s community was the real goal of the Food Feud.
On Dec. 16, Joliet Job Corps Center students Deon Washington, James Tucker and Erik Morales loaded a van with all of the food and took it to the pantry.
Bettye Gavin, director of the Forest Park Community Center, said the donation really would help the pantry’s clients.
“The Forest Park Community Center’s food pantry was established to help eradicate hunger in our area. We have the opportunity to service about 550-560 families per month, and we distribute canned food on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays,” Gavin said. “We are serving thousands of people.”
And she thanked the three students for the work they did loading and unloading the food.
“I give them my highest praise for their efforts and community service,” Gavin said. “We appreciate the Joliet Job Corps Center and look forward to a continuing partnership.”