Faced with surging demand and costs, the Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry will no longer be handing out free hams and turkeys for Christmas and Thanksgiving.
The past three years, lines have snaked around the block at First United Church of Oak Park, as pantry clients showed up in droves to grab the main dish for the holidays. The food pantry bought about 800 hams and turkeys the first year, but they'd have to buy twice as many in 2011 to satisfy the need.
Kathy Russell, the executive director of the food pantry, said they spent $16,000 last year on the program, and would need to spend even more this year.
"There's no way we're going to be able to buy 1,600 turkeys. That would be way outrageous," she said. "Plus, we need to focus on feeding all these people on a regular basis because they're coming to us for their daily sustenance."
With the $16,000 the food pantry spent last year, along with the $24,000 they spent a couple of years ago on holiday food certificates, they're instead focusing on serving clients' hunger on a daily basis.
However, the food pantry is giving its clients items for their holiday dinners in the most recent allotment, including sweet potatoes, gravy, corn and cranberries.
Russell emphasized that supporters shouldn't rush in to donate turkeys to try and keep the program alive. Rather, they're seeking monetary donations as they're just starting to ramp up their annual fundraising drive, asking for contributions by the end of December.
The food pantry has much greater buying power than the average consumer, Russell said, as $1 in donations can buy $8 in food from the Chicago Food Depository. Rather than donating one turkey, a similar cash donation would allow the food pantry to feed three families for two weeks, she said.
To make a donation, visit oprffoodpantry.org/donate, or mail a check to 848 Lake St., Oak Park, IL 60301.
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