By: Carole Sharwarko
H-F Chronicle July 10, 2020
Volunteers unloaded bags of food so that donors could stay inside their air conditioned cars on a sultry Wednesday morning, during a food collection for South Suburban Family Shelter.
The event was organized by the local group of Juf Tikkun Olam Network of Volunteers (TOV) within the Jewish United Fund. About a half-dozen volunteers stood in front of South Suburban Vineyard Church in Flossmoor, welcoming locals who signed up to put together food for a meal.
TOV requested that donors bring a full complement of ingredients to create one entire meal of either breakfast, lunch or dinner. They offered sample menus:
- Breakfast: Box of pancake mix, bottle of syrup, jar of peanut butter, jar of jam, two cans of fruit
- Lunch: Box of rice, two cans of pinto beans, can of diced tomatoes, can of corn, package of fruit cups
- Dinner: Two boxes of pasta, two jars of pasta sauce, two cans of vegetables, two cans of beans, jar of applesauce
“Because of COVID, many different organizations and food pantries are shut down, and families in need aren’t getting the same kind of help,” said Amy Bloomberg, a volunteer who organizes south suburban activities for JUF.
The food was destined for the kitchens of SSFS clients. The organization, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary, provides comprehensive services to families experiencing domestic violence.
Food drive participants signed up to donate a certain number of meals, Bloomberg said, and the list included more than 100 meals committed.
However, volunteer Aaron Latman said quite a few people pulled up with cars holding more than promised — whole trunkloads of food, said the junior at H-F High School.
Latman said he volunteers often around Homewood and Flossmoor, collecting needed service hours while getting a sense of satisfaction by helping the community.
“I’ve helped SSFS out as a volunteer in the past, so this is not my first rodeo,” Latman said. “It’s just two hours; I’m more than happy to help.”
Latman and other volunteers unloaded grocery bags from the drive-by donors, then sorted the items into paper sacks lined up on the grass. The bags teetered, filled with jars of peanut butter, bottles of syrup and canned vegetables, beans and meat — important protein, Bloomberg said.
Volunteer Tracey Levy said she heard about the food drive from Bloomberg, and was excited to participate in a local nonprofit event. She’s a member of the Society of Women Engineers and also Junior League, and said she misses attending in-person events with those organizations.
“We’ve been doing virtual events, but it’s not the same,” Levy said. “This was a way I could be here physically helping.”
Staff and volunteers from SSFS helped load up the donated food — enough to fill five cars — to be delivered directly to its counseling office and to clients in its Sanctuary Program.
SSFS events coordinator Brittany Williams called the collection turnout “amazing,” and said the agency is storing additional food at its Homewood administration office for later distribution.
“It’s such a great feeling to know our clients won’t have to worry, and that we have such strong support from the community,” Williams said.