The following information is provided by Danville Area Food Pantry Director Chuck Brooks.

History | Guidelines | Inventory | Volunteers

Introduction

In 2007, the Danville Area Food Pantry served over 3,500 families or 8,116 individuals. We had almost 700 new families that had never been to the Food Pantry before. We are still seeing a number of families that have faced a plant closing or layoff. We are also seeing a number of seniors that now have the children and grand children moving back in with them. These numbers seem to increase every month.

The Danville Area Food Pantry coordinates its efforts with the Salvation Army. We are open three days a week with the Salvation Army being open the other two. Below are the guidelines for the Danville Area Food Pantry. We also coordinate efforts with the American Red Cross to help any fire or disaster victims in our community.

History

The Danville Area Food Pantry was formed in 1982 to help meet the emergency food needs of the unemployed in our community. At that time a group of local unions, churches and social service agencies got together to develop an agency that could work with the unemployed of our area, many of whom were facing unemployment for the first time. It was thought at that time that the food pantry would only be needed for a short time. Unfortunately, the Danville Area Food Pantry is serving more people today than ever before.

The Danville Area Food Pantry had very humble beginnings. Starting out in a former Kentucky Fried Chicken Restaurant next to the YWCA/Women’s Shelter, the food pantry relied mainly on donated food and donations with client referrals to the pantry coming from a wide variety of social service agencies.

A need for a more permanent social worker and the need of the YWCA to raise the old Kentucky Fried Chicken Restaurant led to a partnership with the Salvation Army in the late 1980’s where the Salvation Army would house the food pantry in on of their buildings and the Salvation Army case worker would do all of the intake for the food pantry and refer clients there.

In April of 1998 the Danville Area Food Pantry moved to a larger facility in the Danville Township Building. It was thought at the time that this would allow us to be more visible in the community and allow for more food storage. At that time a partnership was formed with the Danville Area Community Services Council to handle the client intake for the pantry with Danville Township donating the pantry space. In August of 2000 we moved into our new location. With the near doubling of the number of people served we had outgrown the small space in the Township building. The Danville Township #2 Building located at 141 N. Walnut Street has three times the space for clients. We also use half of the second floor for food storage. Danville Township workers help with the food distribution and handle all of the intake.

The Danville Area Food Pantry supplies each client with a five day supply of food which also includes government commodities when available.

The Danville Area Food Pantry holds two major food drives each year. The first is held the second Saturday in May. We work with NALC Branch 825 and the letter carriers food drive. Over the years more than 200 tons of food have been collected with half going directly to the food pantry. The second is the Frostbite Marathon which is held at County Market the first weekend of December each year and is sponsored by WDAN/WDNL and County Market. The goal this weekend is to fill a large Pepsi truck with food. As successful as this is, the food collected that weekend will only last a month.

All of the food and money raised in the community, stays in our community helping those in need.

Guidelines
Adopted March 16, 1998

The Danville Area Food Pantry is open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. in the Danville Township 2 building located at 141 N. Walnut St., Danville. Our service area is Vermilion County, Illinois and Western Indiana. Below are the guidelines for the Danville Area Food Pantry:

All applicants must provide the following information with each visit:

1. Must have a picture ID

2. Must have a Social Security card or other form of ID for each household member.

3. Must show proof of current residence.

2. Emergency/Crisis needs must be demonstrated for each visit. Living on a fixed income does not constitute an emergency.

3. Clients can only receive emergency services once in a 60-day time period.

4. The Danville Area Food Pantry is not intended to supplement food stamps. However, in case of an emergency, verified by an Illinois Department of Public Aid caseworker, assistance may be granted.

5. Persons who fraudulently use the Food Pantry, or give false information to receive food, will be ineligible for at least 6 months.

6. Persons who are eligible can apply at the Danville Township #2 Building, 141 N. Walnut Street, Danville, during regular food pantry hours.

7. All applicants have the right to an appeal any decision.

Inventory

The Danville Area Food Pantry works very hard to maintain our inventory so that our customers receive the same basic food items every visit. We partner with County Market in Towne Centre to be able to purchase the food we need at the best prices. In addition to the weekly bread purchases we make, the following nonperishable food items are distributed.

In addition to the above, we also distribute other donated food items and products donated by local companies like Full Fill, Hawkeye Foods and many others.

Volunteers

The Danville Area Food Pantry uses a number of volunteers to help with the food drives and every day operations of the food pantry. All of the money raised by the Food Pantry is used to purchase food. Below are a few of the ways that the Danville Area Food Pantry works:

• Danville Township provides all of the space for the Food Pantry to both operate and store food at no charge
• Danville Township employees staff the Food Pantry during the time it is open
• Peer Court provides workers during food drives and some of the sacking
• Green Meadows Girl Scouts Troop 39 provides workers during food drives
• The U of I Extension office provides nutritional information to our customers
• Yearly Food Drives
• Letter Carriers Food Drive the Second Weekend of May
• Frostbite Marathon at County Market the First weekend in December
• Halo Project food drive in the local schools
• Monthly financial donations from local churches, community groups, unions and individuals