Story posted Friday, December 4, 2009
Village Delivers Holiday Help For Hungry
By RICHARD MAYER Assistant Managing Editor
Mt. Prospect Human Services Dept. staff members say they are pleased with how food distribution for local needy families went this past Thanksgiving.
"It went beautifully and we ended up with four bags of food per family," said Deputy Director of Human Services Jan Abernethy. "We were fearful we would only be giving two or three."
The village assisted approximately 108 families or 483 people and had an additional 40 families on the waiting list that couldn't be helped.
"We are supposed to max out at 100 families but we push it a little more," commented Abernethy. "We are already full for Christmas, but for those in need that we can't help, we try and find other places to help them out such as a church that is hosting a dinner."
Abernethy said the Human Services Dept. is receiving numerous donations for Christmas and "hopes" to be able to give four bags to needy families.
As of Tuesday, Dec. 1, Abernethy said each family will receive two bags of food, but she "hopes" that will increase over the next couple weeks as more donations arrive.
"Every day now people from churches and schools are bringing stuff in," commented Abernethy.
On distribution day for Thanksgiving (Nov. 23), Abernethy said so many people were coming in with food that some of it had to be brought upstairs to store.
Abernethy said the food pantry shelves are somewhat stocked now that Thanksgiving is over---more so than this time last year.
"People who have enough in their lives are feeling they have to help others and I am definitely sensing their generosity and seeing it," said Abernethy.
Prospect High School along with some churches have already helped replenish the food pantry for Christmas.
Distribution for Christmas will be Monday, Dec. 21. Since there is not enough freezer space at village hall, Abernethy is asking anyone who is donating perishable food such as hams or turkeys to not bring it to village hall until Dec. 21.
"If people can drop those items off early in the morning like 8:30 or 9 a.m. that would be very appreciative," said Abernethy. "That day, we have a big push (people coming in for food) in the morning followed by a short lull, and then it picks up again in the afternoon."
Village staff asks that other non-perishable items be dropped off by Dec. 15 but will take items up to Dec. 21.
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