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Will County and the city of Joliet are partnering with ShareFest Will County to host a Free Food Giveaway on Saturday to help with recovery from last week’s severe storms.
The offices of Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant and Joliet Mayor Terry D’Arcy reached out to ShareFest this week to set up the event following reports by many residents that the extended power outages after the storms July 14 and 15 forced them to throw away food in their refrigerators and freezers, Director of Communications for the Will County Executive Office Mike Theodore said.
The drive-up event will be from 9 a.m. to noon at the Will County Office Building, 302 N. Chicago St. in Joliet, and food will be delivered on a first-come, first-served basis.
“I invite anyone who has been negatively impacted by last week’s severe weather to attend this event aimed at helping residents restock their shelves,” Bertino-Tarrant said. “I appreciate our partnership with the city of Joliet and ShareFest Will County, which made this event possible.”
“Many residents are still recovering from the storms and need food assistance, so I’m thankful we could work with our county leadership and volunteers to get that accomplished.”
— Joliet Mayor Terry D’Arcy
Theodore said this is the third time the county has partnered with ShareFest in the past two years, and the organizers are expecting a high turnout based on past response and the extreme circumstances.
“In 2023, we gave out food for 938 families, and in May this year, we had 534 families come out,” Theodore said. “We can assume based on the countywide storm that there will be a lot of people interested in this event.”
Although an exact amount of food that will be provided is not known, Theodore noted that ShareFest said it has filled its new storage facility in New Lenox with nonperishable food.
“It’s going to be more than usual,” he said.
In addition to the government partnerships, Saturday’s free food event also is receiving support from the Northern Illinois Food Bank, Helping Hands and the Will County Emergency Management Agency.
ExxonMobil also has donated 300 $15 gift cards to help residents restock groceries after storm-related power outages, which will be given out with food on a first-come, first-served basis.
“Joliet has always been a city filled with people who want to help those in need,” D’Arcy said in a statement announcing the event. “Many residents are still recovering from the storms and need food assistance, so I’m thankful we could work with our county leadership and volunteers to get that accomplished.”
Registration or pre-approval is not required for this event. Attendees are asked to enter the County Office Building parking lot from the northeast entrance on Scott Street, where volunteers will line up their vehicles before they are packed with groceries.
Residents with mobility issues or who are not able to attend can have another resident pick up food for them in addition to supplies for themselves.
“We have a great location downtown,” Theodore said. “It was not very difficult for us to coordinate. We have been working with the mayor’s office to make sure that Gary Cheney and ShareFest have all the resources and volunteers they need to make it a success.”
For information about the event, to learn more or to sign up as a volunteer for future event, contact the Will County Executive’s Office or visit the ShareFest website.