Princeton Rotary Club to hold Stock the Shelves food drive Sept. 16 in Princeton

The Princeton Rotary Club will host a Stock the Shelves food drive from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 16, at Rotary Park, located at 13593 Bicentennial Drive in Princeton.

During the event, the club will accept non perishable food for the Bureau County Food Pantry. No expired food is allowed.

Food being collected includes popcorn, soup, fruit, vegetables, rice, canned fish and meat, pasta, broth, coffee, sugar, crackers, Hamburger Helper, peanut butter, macaroni and cheese and more. Sugar-free and low sodium items are also accepted.

Cash or check donations will also be accepted. For every $1 donated, the pantry is able to buy $10 worth of food from the River Bend Food Bank.

Bureau County Food Pantry Director Vanessa Hoffeditz said that as of July 2023, more than 1,547 households including 3,181 individuals in 10 cities in Bureau County have been helped.

“We are seeing a shift in the composition of the households using the food pantry,” Hoffeditz said. “At the beginning of the pandemic, we saw more retirees on fixed incomes versus households with children; and this trend has continued. We are also experiencing an increased use of the pantry due to the termination of pandemic SNAP benefits and the increase in inflationary food costs.”

President of the Princeton Rotary, Joe Park, said that supporting meaningful community service projects is one focus of the Princeton Rotary Club.

“Our goal is to collect 1,200 pounds of food to support this increased need,” Park said. “Donations will become part of the food pantry’s second helping program, which is weekly support to those in need of additional food resources.”

For more information about the event, contact Community Service Chair Cathy Foes at 815-876-4481.