In the largest community effort of its kind, more than 450 volunteers came together in Romeoville to ensure “no man, woman, or child will go hungry,” the basic promise of an annual food drive that keeps the community united.
Supporters of every denomination and age group came out to either drive through the neighborhood, knocking on doors collecting food or to become a part of the organized chaos of sorting and packing the thousands of items to be donated.
Organizer Deb Eischen told volunteers to take pride in knowing that, through their gener
osity, more than 17,350 items were collected which resulted in a total of 694 boxes of food that was divided among four food pantries.
“Although food donations just slightly decreased, monetary donations increased ($2,000), which allowed us to financially assist six food pantries now, with enough to help two food pantries again in the spring,” said Eischen. “This has helped to insure that no man, woman, or child will go hungry during this holiday season and these trying times. I am always amazed at, and truly blessed with, such a caring community. God bless you always!”
It is the collective spirit of all those involved that becomes contagious, say repeat volunteers.
“I started out in the ‘soup room,’ my wife brought me along to help put and now every year, that’s where I head–the soup room, there is no reason I wouldn’t come out to help–you just do it,” said Bill Weber, one Romeoville resident.
For some it was the first year to see the procession of cars coming in with trunkloads of food, collected by the many teenagers knocking door to door despite the cold, windy temps, and into shopping carts galore, taken via assembly line to be sorted into the many rooms dedicated to a particular food staple; and for others it’s been 20 years in the making.
For the Austriacu’s it’s a family thing—coming out “to give back in some small way.”
And with a chorus of, “It just feels good to do this; We need to help our neighbors,” there was an equal amount who were there because they had once received and now it was a time to give a hand up to others.
“With today’s economy, you never know when you may be on the other side of it,” said one volunteer.
Organizer Denise Armbruster said that’s what sets this collection apart—the spirit of a community that comes together to take care of their own.
“I ask people, what does hungry or homeless look like to you,the reality is, it can be me, or your next door neighbor—you don’t have to go far to know people are hungry. Often times it is those that know what it is like to go hungry and do not what anyone else to know what that feels like.”
The event, which has become tradition for many families, is sponsored by area churches including St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church, Community Christian Church, United Presbyterian Church and The Rock Church, and newcomers the Church of High Point and the Church of Bolingbrook.
“On behalf of the entire Harvest Saturday Committee, we would like to extend a heartfelt thank you for donating to the Harvest Saturday Food Drive. We’d also like to thank the 450+ volunteers that this project couldn’t happen,” said Eischen.