Illinois Valley Food Pantry is delighted to report that we provided holiday food baskets to numerous families for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

This endeavor wouldn’t be possible without the annual “Fill the Truck” challenge held by the Illinois Valley Auto Group.

These baskets contained all the necessary food items for their festive meals. The Christmas basket included a selection of breakfast foods in addition to the ingredients for the holiday feast. The Thanksgiving basket offered a choice of Turkey or Turkey Breast, along with mashed potatoes, stuffing mix, gravy, cranberries, Jell-O, fruit cocktail, dinner rolls, canned vegetables, canned yams, milk, and a delectable dessert. Similarly, the Christmas basket included a choice of Ham or Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing mix, gravy, Jell-O, fruit cocktail, dinner rolls, canned vegetables, pancake mix, syrup, eggs, milk, and a delightful dessert.

The Illinois Valley Food Pantry is happy to announce that 3,292 pounds of food was collected for the Pantry during the NALC “Stamp Out Hunger” food drive that took place on Saturday, May 13th, 2023! The Pantry also received $140.00 in monetary donations!

Thank you to everyone in our community and across the country that donated to this annual food drive to help Pantries stock their shelves.

Thank You to all of the postal workers who volunteered their time to go around picking up the food donations and delivering to the Pantries. Your generosity is greatly appreciated!!

A very special Thank You to our local postal workers (especially Mark Zymunt!) Even as Mark was dealing with a recent death in his family, he still found the time to volunteer his services in many aspects with this food drive to help the Illinois Valley Food Pantry! Your kindness and support to our cause is always so very much appreciated!!!

Pictured above with the Pantry Director, Mary Jo Credi,  Left – Sara O’Dell -Cubmaster,  Back – Kathy Ricci and Center – Daniel Ricci

This morning of March 13, 2023, the Illinois Valley Food Pantry received a wonderful surprise of over 1,002 pounds of non-perishable food items from the Peru Cub Scout Pack 3709! The Peru Cub Scouts donated the food from the food drive they sponsored over the weekend. The Scouts collected $68.00 in monetary donations along with the food donations which helped with our Easter distribution.

A big heartfelt THANK YOU to the Peru Cub Scouts for all your hard work!!!