It was about 2 years ago that Andrea Hensgen got a true taste of the importance of and need for the Sauk Valley Foodbank.
Hensgen was new to her job as the executive director of the food bank. On Jan. 9, 2019, she rounded up a small crew of employees and volunteers for an impromptu food giveaway.
“We had a lot of extra produce and we thought, ‘Well, it’s a Monday, let’s have a giveaway. Let’s see what happens,’ “ Hensgen said. “We had so many people, it was blocking traffic. The police came out. It was a really exciting morning, but we still gave out food. After that, we decided to move it to Saturday.”
For a little more than a year, the Sauk Valley Foodbank served 100 to 150 families each Saturday, she said. A crew of 15 part-time workers and the same number of volunteers were able to handle set-up the previous day, the actual giveaway, and then the clean-up afterward.
The game-changer for the organization came in February and March, when the COVID-19 pandemic started to ramp up. As more and more people lost their jobs, the need for food increased. Once-a-month giveaways turned into just about every Saturday.
“For the previous 3 months, we’ve given out more than 1 million pounds of food,” Hensgen said. “The same time last year, it took us 7 months to give out that same amount of food. We’re doubling or tripling what we’re doing.
“Everyone here is working harder, faster and longer hours. Our employees are volunteering certain days just because the need is huge right now.”
On Nov. 21, people started lining up at 5:30 a.m. for a 10 a.m. giveaway. Distribution was supposed to be from 10 a.m. to noon; the last car finally left with groceries at 3:30 p.m.; 535 families received food.
“Our rule is, if you’re in our parking lot by noon, you will receive food,” Hensgen said. “We’re not going to run out. If we run out of one thing, we will substitute something else.”
Hensgen arranged an emergency food giveaway Friday; 143 families turned up at the food bank at 801 Plant Road, despite having little notice it would be happening.
The following day, it was the usual Saturday bedlam. Cars again started lining up about 5:30 a.m., and 542 families were served. The last car came through at 2 p.m., and clean-up lasted until 5 p.m.
Aldi, Kroger and the Walmart Distribution Center donate items to the food bank, while some food must be purchased from other sources. Providing food for this many families in need is not cheap.
The Sauk Valley Foodbank relies on local corporate monetary donations, and those businesses would prefer to remain anonymous, she said. Private donations, large and small, also are a good source of income.
“A lot of our donations are individuals, especially now that they know we’re here and what we’re doing,” Hensgen said. “It might $5. It might be $100. We had one, it was $7, and it was three children – a 6-year-old, a 4-year-old and a 3-year-old – who donated money they had saved from birthdays and things like that so that kids would have food in their house. That one hits me.”
Food banks like the one in Sterling not only distribute food directly to families in need, Hensgen noted, but also to smaller food pantries.
“We’re very fortunate in the Sauk Valley area because most small areas do not have a food bank,” Hensgen said. “If we weren’t here, you’d have to go to Rockford, you’d have to go to the Quad Cities – there wouldn’t be anywhere close by. That’s why we’re here.”
Two local food pantries that benefit from food banks are the Dixon Community Food Pantry, 2001 W. Fourth St., and the Loaves and Fish Food Pantry at Church of the Brethren, 409 W. Brayton Road in Mt. Morris.
Delores Kness has worked at the Dixon food pantry for 41 years, the last 15 as president. Food donations have been down slightly of late, because churches that normally would donate items have not been open because COVID-19, she said.
That’s not to say there isn’t plenty of food to be had. The shelves are fully stocked and volunteers are willing and able to pass boxes of food to those waiting in their vehicles.
Unlike the Sterling food bank, the Dixon food pantry could use a few more patrons.
“That’s what I’m wondering, is where are all the hungry people,” Kness said. “In the news, we see cars lined up for miles getting food, but not in Lee County.
“Friday, we had 16 families getting food. That’s all of Lee County. I don’t know if they all have a Link card and they use that, but we’re here. We have turkeys to give away. We’ve got chicken. We’ve got plenty of food, but we need people. They will get enough food to last 7 to 10 days.”
Distribution is from from 1 to 3 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Donations are accepted at 8 a.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and 9:30 a.m. Wednesday and Friday.
The Riverbend Foodbank in Davenport is the Dixon Food Pantry’s main supplier, with some items occasionally purchased from Sauk Valley Foodbank. Riverbend makes a delivery the third Wednesday of each month.
Monetary donations have been plentiful, and appreciated.
“I have one lady that donates $5 a month by collecting her pennies, and then the next guy may donate $500. We appreciate from the $5 to the $500,” Kness said.
“At Christmas time, everybody thinks of us. It’s during the summertime we get a little slim. The donations we get in December and into January, we save to help during the summer months.”
Kness actually takes groceries to one man who uses a wheelchair. Home deliveries are frowned upon right now, but for Kness, that’s not the point.
“We’re here to feed the hungry. No person in Lee County should go hungry when our doors are open.”
That same theme applies farther east in Ogle County, which is served by Loaves and Fish. Co-director Barb Diehl has seen an uptick in those who rely on that pantry for food, from about 25 to 30 families on distribution days a year ago to 35 to 45 now.
“In the last few months, we have been busier,” Diehl said. “When the initial stimulus payments came out, I think we had, I don’t want to say a drop, but we did not see an increase when people were getting stimulus money. Since that has run out, we have definitely seen an increase in our service.”
Six area churches, the Pinecrest Community and the Mt. Morris Senior Center support Loaves and Fish Food Pantry. There are some corporate monetary donations, but the bulk of the money is donated privately. Items that need to be purchased come from the Northern Illinois Foodbank in Geneva and the Sullivan’s grocery store in Mt. Morris.
“Our donations have been fantastic,” Diehl said. “The community has been so generous. We’ve had as many donations as we know what to do with. We’re able to purchase anything that we need to give away, so that’s been fantastic.”
A recent cancellation of the Mt. Morris Christmas Cantata, which annually donated some proceeds to Loaves and Fish, was a mere speed bump on the group’s road to success.
“I think people have more than made up for those donations, I would have to say,” Diehl said. “People who contributed normally through that [Cantata] have contributed in other ways because we have not seen a drop in our donations. We’ve seen a real spike in them. People who have it are being generous and sharing. People who need that help are getting it.”
Distribution is from 4:30 to 7 p.m. the first and third Thursday of the month and from 2 to 4:30 p.m. the second and fourth Monday.
In addition, the Northern Illinois Foodbank also has deployed mobile pantries.
On Nov. 16, 147 families got food at Church of the Brethren in Mt. Morris. In October, the mobile pantry was at the Leaf River Methodist Church, where 77 families were served. More mobile pantries are planned for January and February.
Lori Wolff oversees a crew of about 50 volunteers who make the Loaves and Fish Food Pantry hum.
“The volunteers are remarkable,” Wolff said. “They’re very dedicated. They’re good team members. They’re very hard-working. Some days are busier than others, and everybody just picks up the pace. We’re awesome.”