Senator Don Harmon and AT&T recognize the Pantry’s exemplary work as an investment in Illinois.
Apr 27, 2010
Senator Don Harmon and AT&T recognize the Pantry’s exemplary work as an investment in Illinois.
The Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry recently received a $5,000 “Investing in Illinois” award from telecommunications giant AT&T. These funds will to help the Pantry implement a new “client choice” distribution model.
Recommended for the award by State Senator Don Harmon, the funds will aid in shifting the Pantry from a system of providing clients with pre-chosen foods, to allowing personal selections from a variety of options – research shows that such a model reduces waste and increases efficiency.
AT&T Director of External Affairs Jerry Mytych presented Executive Director Kathy Russell with a check at a small ceremony held on-site; State Senator Don Harmon, who had recommended the agency for the award, was also in attendance.
Mytych spoke of his company’s commitment to giving back to the community, saying “there are many wonderful nonprofits… but you have to decide where you think we can make the biggest impact.” “If you can’t have nutrition, you can’t be healthy, you can’t find a job, you can’t help your family – so I thought, bottom line, [the pantry] was a fantastic choice.”
As volunteers continued to sort and bag food, Harmon spoke of his respect for the Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry: “I’m so grateful to the food pantry for all the work they do…. The fact that [they] been so pro-active is a testament to the wisdom here.” Harmon in particular praised the agency’s collaboration with similar organizations, saying that “when you have local models of success, you have to reward them…. There are all sorts of demands on government for services but if we can’t feed people, what else matters?”