Season of Giving Gets Under Way

It’s a time to give thanks, and for local organizations, it’s a time to give back.

The Romeoville Lions Club spent last weekend helping feed 13 area families in need, just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday.

“Members from the club got together early Sunday morning and shopped for turkeys and all the fixings to prepare a Thanksgiving dinner,” Lions President David Bird said in an email. “We included items like milk, eggs, potatoes, bread and, of course, pumpkin pie.”

Club members spent the day distributing the meals, including several turkeys that were donated to the group, to local families.

Meanwhile, a Romeoville grocery store helped the DuPage Township Food Pantry provide dinners for 10 families this Thanksgiving.

“The demand has been crazy,” food pantry staffer Tracey Mayfield said. Despite providing more than 1,300 meals during its , the pantry was still left with a waiting list of area families who were unable to afford a holiday dinner this year.

Thanks to the help of Jewel-Osco Store Director Joe Stariha, the pantry had 10 more holiday feasts to distribute on Wednesday.

“This is perfect,” Mayfield said as she and coworker Sherrie Penrod arrived at the Weber Road grocery store to pick up the boxed meals, which included frozen turkeys, stuffing and more.

Stariha said the store will help out again for this year’s Christmas distribution.

“We’re doing to do this again,” he said, adding his goal is to be able to provide 15 meals for next month’s distribution.