As part of a holiday-time fundraiser, Vernon Township partnered with a Wendy’s restaurant in Buffalo Grove to raise money for the township food pantry – an effort expected to help feed families now and into the summer months when donations tend to wane.
As part of the fundraiser, township officials instructed customers on Dec. 16 to show a digital flier at the fast food restaurant, located at 300 W. Half Day Road, so that 30% of their purchase cost – whether drive-thru, carryout, or dine-in – would be donated to the food pantry.
“The Vernon Township food pantry’s numbers remain high. Before the pandemic, we served 75 families a month on average. Today, we currently serve more than 160 families every two weeks,” said Barrett Monie, the Vernon Township director of constituent affairs. “Donations are higher during the holiday season, but we use them to supplement the food pantry all year long. The summer months are a particularly sparse time at our food pantry, and we count on donations during the holiday season to get us through that time.”
Event organizers explained to Pioneer Press that the flier was promoted through mailings to previous donors, on the township website and social media platforms such as the township Facebook page.
The partnership with Wendy’s is part of the chain’s “Give Back” program, a community-based program to help address hunger and food integrity on local levels, as well support programs around foster care, adoption, youth and families needs, and more, according to a township news release announcing the fundraiser.
Organizers explained that Wendy’s is expected to disclose results of the fundraiser – number of participants and money raised – to township officials approximately 30 to 45 days after the event. The proceeds will go towards such in-demand food pantry staples as cereal, pasta, pasta sauce, diapers, paper towels and toilet paper.
As the number of residents served by the food pantry grows, officials express gratitude for community support.
“We serve residents throughout Vernon Township, including seniors, families with small children, and everything in between. The COVID-19 pandemic, inflation, and the influx of Ukrainian refugees have brought us increased numbers in food pantry usage that we don’t foresee going down anytime soon,” said Monie. “While the holiday time offers great opportunities to help the Pantry, we would appreciate it if residents kept us in mind throughout the year- especially during the summer months when donations are low.”
Monie said monetary donations are always accepted, and with every $1 given, up to $8 worth of food can be purchased through the township’s partnership with the Northern Illinois Food Bank.
Township officials anticipate hosting even more fundraising events this year.
“[In 2023] we did two restaurant fundraisers at Panera and Wendy’s for the first time. We also did a direct mail brochure fundraising appeal for the first time this year. We will be exploring more creative ideas for fundraising events going into 2024,” said Monie.
Kaitlin Mikrut is a freelancer.
