The Wesley Food Pantry, founded in 2006, is an organization here on campus and at Parkland College that collects food and redistributes it to the less fortunate. The poverty rate in Champaign County is higher than that of even Cook County, and far higher than the national average, which makes the pantry a necessary part of the community. The Wesley Pantry started serving over 10,000 people each year in 2009 and their membership in the Eastern Illinois Food bank makes it possible to feed each person for a week for only $6.50.
The American Marketing Association has started a drive to collect canned food and other non-perishable items that they will then donate to the Wesley Food Pantry. We are collecting items until November 17th and after this day the items will be donated. So far, we have collected enough food and items for up to 4 families. If we can do that in just a short period of time, we are hopeful that we can collect enough items to support this charitable organization and the people in the community who benefit greatly from the pantry.
I want to take a second to show my appreciation of not only this food drive, but also all the other efforts to help across the nation. Canned food drives have and the efforts of food pantries across the country have improved the lives of countless people living below the poverty line, all because people shared their resources and came together to make a difference.
The amount of effort it takes for a person to get involved is very minimal compared to the amount of satisfaction you get and help given to the community. The more you can get involved in food drives that AMA or any other local organization are putting on, the sooner you will feel good knowing that you are helping people who need it. With a little help from everyone we can improve the lives of people in our own communities. Whether you want to donate your time or food, The Wesley Food Pantry is a great organization to get involved with on our campus.
If you would like to read more about Wesley Pantry and how to get involved you can visit their website here.