6th Annual Dinner/Fashion a Huge Success for Pantry

The 6th and final Dinner/Fashion Show at Casa Royale, benefitting the Self Help Closet and Pantry, was held October 11, 2012. This has been our only BIG fundraiser for the year for the past 6 years. In addition to the delicious meal served by Casa Royale, there was a large and delightful array of item on the raffle tables in the hallway and many wonderful silent auction items in the banquet room. The fashions were provided by Dress Barn in Mt. Prospect Plaza. A good time was had by all!  Our grandest thanks go out to Patty O'Brien and her committee (and her husband Pat) for all their hard work on this tremendous event for the past 6 years. Patty and her husband don't even live in Des Plaines, but they work so hard for us. This year this event raised $8500 for the Pantry. Thanks you to all who attended and to all those who contributed money or items for the raffle and silent auction tables. And thank you to AlphaGraphics for donating the printing of the programs for this event.

Thank you!!!

We are sending a big thank you out to Sam's Place in Mount Prospect. A monetary collection from the their customers last December and a large donation from owner Al Marinakos to Feed the Children in Oklahoma City resulted in a big delivery to the Pantry in mid July. 400 cartons of non-perishable food and toiletries were first delivered to DSC Logistics (Wolf Rd. in Des Plaines.) Our friends at DSC were gracious enough to store most of these cartons until we were ready for them at the Pantry. Two Men and a Truck donated their time and manpower to transfer the cartons from DSC to the Pantry. We truly appreciate all the suuport from Sam's Place, DSC Logistics and Two Men and a Truck. We could not do the job we do nearly as well without the behind the scenes support of groups like these. Thank you all.

Thank you to many groups and businesses for supporting the Pantry during the recent holiday season.

• ·       Tony Cimbalo and other patrons of The Bar in Des Plaines who donated food and cash from a special event on Nov. 11.
• ·       Home Warranty of America for their donations of food and gift cards.
• ·       Walgreen's, whose three Des Plaines locations housed Red Barrels for a fall food collection.
• ·       Local churches such St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church, the Bridge Community Church, St. Stephen's Catholic Church, First Congregational, Trinity Lutheran, St. Martin’s Episcopal and several others for going above and beyond with their holiday donations.
• ·       The Des Plaines Chamber of Commerce for promoting food collections for the pantry at the December "Winter Wonderland" event at the Frisbie Senior Center and at the annual holiday luncheon.
• ·       Bishop Plumbing for providing turkey dinner donations during the holidays.
• ·       Our neighbors at Juno Lighting for their year-round support through food and financial donations.
• ·       The Daily Herald for its employee holiday food drive in the newspaper's Arlington Heights office.
• ·       The daughter of longtime pantry volunteers Richard and Betty Limp who makes donations in her parents' honor.
• ·       Des Plaines Elks Lodge 1526 for their year-round support of food, funds and clothing.
• ·       The Des Plaines Kiwanis, Optimist, and Rotary Clubs for their loyal support.
• ·       The Emergency Nurses Association for their food drive efforts.
• ·       The American Society of Safety Engineers and the Lattof YMCA for being very productive Red Barrel sites!
• ·       Abbott Molecular for hosting a hugely successful holiday food drive!
• ·       Omnicare Pharmacy, General Cable, Integrity Payment Systems, PCI, ITW and SRDS for their donations of food and clothing.
• ·      North School and Terrace School for thier very successful holiday food drives. Forest School for their many Market Day donations.
• ·       Creative Corners Preschool and Kiddie Junction for their holiday food collections.
• ·       Rivers Casino for their very successful employees’ food drive.
• ·       Gas Technology Institute (GTI) for donating the cash proceeds from their “in-house” garden which yields wonderful produce for their employees to buy.
• ·       Jewel-Osco at Lee & Oakton for a $1200 shopping spree for Pantry necessities
• ·       The Produce Angel who donates lots of fresh fruits and veggies for our clients twice a week (Thanks, G.S.!)
• ·      And we are continually grateful to Panera Bread, Dominick's, Aunt Millie's Outlet and Jimmy John's for the donations of the wonderful baked goods we distribute to our clients every Tuesday and Saturday.

Directly from the Director. . . . . . .

As you read this issue, you'll notice the names of many local businesses, individuals, schools and other groups that helped to make the holiday season brighter for our food pantry clients.  Although it would be impossible to list the names of everyone who donated their time, food, funds and more over the past few months, please know that your contribution - whatever shape and size - has made a difference in someone's life so THANK YOU! 

If you would like to learn more in 2012 about this organization at 600 E. Algonquin Rd. that receives your donations, feel free to schedule a visit by calling me at 847/337-1443.  Happy New Year!

. . . . Debbie Walusiak,   Exec. Director