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Community Corner

Girl Scouts to Lead One-Day Drive for Local Food Pantries

Girls in Forest Park, Oak Park and River Forest to be out in force on Oct. 27.

Girl power will be unharnessed Saturday Oct. 27 as scouts from all over the area will be taking part in a massive one-day drive benefitting area food pantries.

As many as 500 girls of all ages from Forest Park, Oak Park and River Forest will be collecting bags from front stoops and porches and taking them to pantries in Oak Park and Forest Park where goods will be sorted.

The effort, which has taken place for at least 15 years, has become one of the largest one-day food drives in the area, organizers said.  

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“We are looking for anything – from nonperishable food to cleaning products and toiletries. We are so appreciative of what people do,” said Paula Berg, the manager at the Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry. The pantry is in the basement of the First United Church of Christ, 848 Lake St., Oak Park.

Door hangers with info about the effort will be placed on each residence in all three communities shortly before Oct. 27. And on the day, girls will pick up bags between 9 a.m. and noon, load them into cars and vans and deliver them to the Oak Park or Forest Park.

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Older scouts will sort in Oak Park; volunteers will do the same in Forest Park, where the pantry is in the Howard Mohr Community Center, 7640 Jackson Blvd.

 The following Monday and Tuesday, the Concordia University football team will do additional sorting in Oak Park.

There might not be a specific badge given for working on this project but it gives them something incredibly meaningful, said Lisa Files, of Oak Park, who’s been organizing the effort for about 10 years.

“Collecting the food is a way of giving the youngsters a tangible, meaningful experience and helping them feel they are dealing with the problem of poverty,” said Files, the leader of a Cadet troop at Grace Lutheran Church and School. “Girl Scouts try to help kids have an orientation of service and think about their communities.”

Over the years participation by the Scouts has been pretty steady. But Files said contributions have been on the decline, from 40,000 pounds in 2008 to 26,000 pounds last year. That’s a concern because in recent years Oak Park has had to cut back on the communities it serves and donations from the Greater Chicago Food Depository has gone down, Files said.

Berg and Karen Dylewski, who oversees the Forest Park Pantry, are hopeful that a whole lot more people will step up to the plate.

“There are just as many seniors as families who are need, Dylewski said. “A lot of people in town want to help take care of our needy.”

The Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry will take donations from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. The Forest Park Food Pantry will accept food from 6:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. weekdays. 

Money also will be accepted. Berg said the funds will go a long way.

“For every dollar we spend at the Greater Chicago Food Depository we get $10 worth of food,” Berg said.

Checks can be made payable to the Oak Park and River Forest Food Pantry or to the Forest Park Food Pantry.

For more information call the Oak Park pantry at 708-386-1324 or the Forest Park pantry at 708-771-7737.

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