Food pantry in La Salle gearing up for annual Christmas meal distribution

Think of all of the shopping trips and ingredients you’ll be using to prepare Christmas dinner for your family. Imagine shopping for 650 families.

Approximately 1,800 people are relying on the Illinois Valley Food Pantry to provide them with something special for Christmas. The pantry needs donations of instant potatoes, canned vegetables, turkey, and ham. They’re also accepting cake mix, frosting and cash.

Donations can be dropped off five days a week.
Or If would like to receive food assistance, register with the pantry by Wednesday. Distribution will be Saturday, December 20.

You can find the pantry in the 100 block of Marquette Street in La Salle.

Fill the Mayflower food drive returns to Hy-Vee Saturday

It’s going to be a busy weekend for grocery shopping. When you’re picking up items for Thanksgiving dinner, buy a few extras for the Illinois Valley Food Pantry.

The annual food drive known as Fill the Mayflower will go from 9am-3pm Saturday at Hy-Vee in Peru. You’ll see personalities from Classic Hits 103.9 WLPO, 96.5 The Wolf, and 99.3 WAJK collecting food items and packing them into a large truck. The food will be brought to the pantry in downtown La Salle.

The food drive is important for the pantry because it happens on the same day as the Thanksgiving distribution. An estimated 2,200 people receive food from the IV Food Pantry. The food donated tomorrow will help the pantry restock and prepare for Christmas.