Danville Police and Firefighters braved the cold today (Tuesday, December 3, 2019) to help stock some local food pantries. They collected food and monetary donations outside the food pantries at Holy Family Church at 444 East Main Street and St. James United Methodist Church at 504 North Vermilion.
Nancy O’Kane co-chairs the Vincent De Paul Food Pantry at Holy Family Church. She says there are a lot of local people who need the help….
[O’Kane says the Vincent De Paul Food Pantry at Holy Family also offers help with utility bills and medicine. (You can click on the photos to enlarge them.)
‘’We probably see between 30 and 40 people a week. Sometimes that could be a day on a Tuesday and/or Thursday. So, there are several pantries in town but what we give away isn’t going to last the entire month,’’ said O’Kane. ‘’So while they may have a Link Card, there may not be much on that Link Card. So we’re just here to fill in the gaps, as are the other food pantries in the area.’’
O’Kane says there are ways the public can help….
‘’We always need the staples. We always need cereal. We need oatmeal, spaghetti sauce, peanut butter – we like to give the proteins – fruits and vegetables. We try very hard to give healthy things. That’s why our relationship with the Eastern Illinois Foodbank, so we’re able to have the healthy things,’’ said O’Kane. ‘’They have produce. They have milk. They have yogurt – things like that.’’
Neuhoff Media’s Danville radio stations (WDNL 102.1 fm and WRHK 94.9 K-Rock) teamed with the police and firefighters in the effort to help stock the food pantries. Items collected stay local to be distributed. And O’Kane notes the money that is collected helps buy more food through the Eastern Illinois Foodbank.
(Note: You can click on the photo to enlarge it.)
