Community Corner
Area Girl Scouts Pitch in to Help Area Food Pantries
Girls fanned out over three communities to collect goods, raise awareness about hunger.
Area youngsters might have taken Saturday to play soccer, do their homework or run errands with the folks.
But many - young girls all - harnessed their energy and brought in untold hundreds of non-perishable food items to benefit food pantries in their communities.
This year's annual Girl Scout food drive resulted in an estimated 21,000 pounds of food and more than $300 in donations for the Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry in Oak Park. About 400 girls, plus 40 troop leaders and parents picked up food at 17,000 homes in the area, said Lisa Files, who coordinated this year's food drive.
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The girls did a pretty fantastic job, said Paula Berg, the manager of the Pantry, which monthly serves an average of 1,500 families. Berg noted the donations would last about two weeks.
"They were really into it. The older girls were helping the younger ones. They really did well," Berg said. The pantry is situated in the basement of First United Church of Oak Park, 848 Lake St.
Find out what's happening in Oak Park-River Forestwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
In Forest Park, about 70 girls and seven leaders and parents got food at 3,000 homes. Seven grocery carts were filled to the brim with items for the Forest Park Food Pantry, situated at the Howard Mohr Community Center, said Teri Blain, co-manager of Girl Scouts Service Unit 409. The center is located at 7640 Jackson Blvd.
"They did great," said Bridget Dowdle, a food pantry volunteer. "It's definitely going to help us make it through Thanksgiving." The pantry serves 75 families monthly.
