Bobbie Ellington

St. Lawrence and our greater community mourn the loss of a wonderful woman and a tremendous volunteer. 

A member of the parish since 1974, Bobbie participated in virtually every aspect of parish life: on the altar guild, as a lay Eucharistic visitor, in EFM, as a Hope Food Pantry volunteer, and a cherished member of Seeking Sophia. She will be dearly missed by the vestry, having served faithfully as our clerk for many years.  

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made in Bobbie's name to Hope Food Pantry.

The Hope Food Pantry began 2021 with a record number of neighbors receiving food bags in a drive through format. The pantry was open every Saturday at the beginning of the pandemic and made the decision in early 2021 to close on the first Saturday of each month giving time to thoroughly clean, shop for those hard to find items, and restock the shelves. In September Hope Food Pantry made the decision to bring back a “Choice” format. Our neighbors are able to once again come into the Narthex and select their items from tables of food. By allowing just 4 neighbors at a time we have been able to socially distance and provide the opportunity for people to choose their own food instead of being handed a pre-packed bag. 

In 2021 The Hope Food Pantry was open 34 Saturdays and distributed 1784 gallons of milk, 711 dozen eggs and over 73,000 pounds of shelf stable food, produce, meat, bread and personal care items. Baby and adult diapers are also available as needed.   All has been made possible by the pantry volunteers who have continued to show up, cheerful and enthusiastic, despite the ongoing challenges of the pandemic and regularly changing procedures!

Hope Food Distribution Services also provides continuing support to El Puente Latino food pantry in Waukegan, the Lake County Haven, the Roberti Community House, and the SHARE market, a food pantry serving the students at the College of Lake County.

The Hope Food Pantry is working to meet the need today and into the future.  We can do it with your help. To sign up for 2022 volunteer spots, please use the link on our website, www.thehopefoodpantry.org

Donate

While the Hope Food Pantry seeks donations of specific items, monetary donations continue to be the best way to help the food pantry effort.  As a member of the Northern Illinois Food Bank and its purchasing power, donations to Hope Food Pantry stretch a little further. Several employers in the area are matching or even doubling donations made to help the Covid-19 pandemic. Please check with your employers to see if this is available! Copies of the IRS 501(3)C Determination Letter are available for "Hope Food Distribution Services, NFP" if needed.

Visit www.thehopefoodpantry.org to donate online.  

Volunteer

There are many ways to volunteer at HFDS. Volunteers are needed on Friday afternoons to pack bags, Saturday mornings to staff the food pantry, and during the week to help with donation pick ups from our retail partners. Small groups are welcome.  

Learn more at https://thehopefoodpantry.org/.

Garden for Hope

Plant an extra pot or row of veggies at home.  Produce will be collected weekly and offered to guests of the Hope Food Panty.  All vegetables and herbs are appreciated.  If you’re looking for ideas; cherry tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, kale, chard, zucchini, green beans, cucumbers, parsley, and cilantro are easy to grow and produce a lot of great food. CLICK HERE for more information.

Additional Volunteer Opportunities 

Volunteers are needed every Thursday at the Drive-Thru pantry of Emmanuel Faith in North Chicago. This is an easy way to really help our community. Hours are 2:30-4:30 Thursdays. Masks and gloves provided, social distancing strictly enforced. It is not uncommon to give out 175 pre-packed boxes which are received with much gratitude. Families are welcome to volunteer together, just no children under 12 please. Contact hfds@stlawrencechurch.org to volunteer or donate. Thank you!