Park Ridge church, Jewel store help feed more than 200 families for Thanksgiving

Nov. 23--More than 200 families received turkeys and other food to make a Thanksgiving meal this year, thanks to a Park Ridge church, community donations and a local grocery store.

St. Paul of the Cross Catholic Church'sSocial Service Ministry held a drive-up food distribution on Nov. 21 for 215 households, each of them served by the church's food pantry. The turkeys and accompanying food items -- potatoes, stuffing, vegetables and cranberry sauce --were provided by the Park Ridge Jewel store through customer donations to the store's ongoing Holiday Bucks promotion, said Adrienne Timm, director of St. Paul's Social Service Ministry, and Mary Frances Trucco, spokeswoman for Jewel-Osco.

Separately, pies were also provided to families by the Park Ridge Kiwanis Club, Timm said.

In the past, church volunteers would help food pantry clients choose from items donated by parishioners in order to plan their Thanksgiving dinners, but this year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, an alternative plan was needed, Timm acknowledged. After reaching out to the manager of the Park Ridge Jewel store, the partnership was ultimately born.

"It all went extremely well this year," Timm said, adding that without the donations, 215 families "most likely would have gone without the traditional food we all enjoy on Thanksgiving Day."

The St. Paul of the Cross Food Pantry is distributing food this year to as many as 240 households that are approved clients, compared to 150 at this time last year, Timm said.

"It amounts to about 900 individuals we are feeding," she said.

The increase in need is largely driven by job losses caused by the pandemic, Timm explained, with many of the clients working in the food, hotel and travel industries. One client, who lost his job at a rental car agency when business dried up due to a drop in travel, is also caring for a family member who is being treated for a serious illness and does not have medical insurance, Timm said.

"These are people who were already struggling," she said. "When sickness happens or an accident happens and they have lost their job, that really makes it tough."

The food pantry serves residents in Park Ridge, Niles, Des Plaines, Rosemont and Chicago'sEdison Park neighborhood. In addition to nonperishable food donated by parishioners and the community, clients receive fresh vegetables from the parish's community garden, which is staffed by volunteers.

St. Paul of the Cross Social Service Ministry plans to partner again with the Park Ridge Jewel store to provide clients with Christmas hams, Timm said. At the same time, the church is changing the way it holds its annual Adopt a Family program by asking parishioners to buy gift cards instead of specific presents for families in need this year.

Roughly 800 Walmart gift cards in denominations of $25 and $50 are needed and will be provided during the Christmas meal distribution, Timm said.

"We hope to return to the real Adopt a Family next year," she said. "People are really missing it. Our parishioners miss the shopping."

For more information about the St. Paul of the Cross Food Pantry, visit spc-church.org/outreach/feeding-the-hungry.

jjohnson@chicagotribune.com

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