Urgent fundraising needs in McHenry County as giving lags for some Christmas charity efforts

At Huntley’s Grafton Food Pantry, volunteers still can “adopt a family” to help make the holidays brighter for those in need.

The McHenry Knights of Columbus Council 1288 needs additional cash donations so it can provide new winter coats, boots, mittens and hats to children in need in McHenry County.

And McHenry County mayors and police departments have been recruited to ring the bell for The Salvation Army’s Love Beyond Christmas Red Kettle campaign. With barely 10 days left to go, the local Salvation Army has only reached 30% of its $213,000 fundraising goal, officials said.

The three local nonprofit agencies are only a few of those asking for help getting through to the new year, in some cases with donations lagging.

“We, at this point, have several different ways for people to donate,” said Kelly Bohn, who is helping to coordinate the Knights of Columbus' 15th annual Coats for Kids Drive. The drive gives away winter wear Dec. 21 at St. Mary Catholic Church at 1401 N. Richmond Road in McHenry.

Last year’s fundraiser successfully raised $20,000 for winter clothing, and this year, the goal was set at $25,000, Bohn said. But so far, the organization is about $10,000 short of its goal.

“We got a late start this year” with fundraising, as a longtime donor was unable to do as much for various reasons, Bohn said. The money they do raise allows the Catholic charity to go to the local Mejier and Kohl’s stores to purchase the needed coats at a discount.

The plan is to do the last shopping day Tuesday, but funds need to be replenished for that, Bohn said. Donations to the program are accepted online via the Square app, at a GoFundMe page, Coats for Kids Drive – McHenry, IL Please Support! Checks made out to the Coats for Kids program can be mailed to Floors MD LLC, 1113 Rocky Beach Road, Suite CHHS, Johnsburg, IL 60051.

“It feels nice knowing we can give back.”

—  Vanessa Roman, Huntley High School student

At the Grafton Food Pantry, volunteers are asked to sign up to help a family and then purchase as much of the family’s holiday wish list as possible. The deadline to adopt a family and get donations for the program to the pantry is Dec. 20, board member Harriet Ford said.

This year, students from the Huntley High School National Honor Society contributed to the wish lists of about 200 people through the adopt-a-family program, dropping off their donations earlier this week.

“It feels nice knowing we can give back,” said Vanessa Roman, who helped organize the student effort.

The pantry still needs donations for the current season’s food program to serve the 185 families expected, Ford said, adding that a $30 donation pays for a holiday meal for a family of eight.

Each dollar donated to the food pantry enables them to purchase $8 of food, she said. The personal care, paper and cleaning products their families also need must be purchased from retail locations, so cash always helps there.

Ford invited volunteers to adopt a family at graftonfoodpantry.org/adopt-a-family. Those in need of help should contact the food pantry at info@graftonfoodpantry.org.

Capt. Pablo Rivera at the Crystal Lake-based McHenry County Salvation Army said that by this time last year, the organization had raised about 50% of the bell-ringing campaign’s goal.

“Down 20% from that is very short,” Rivera said.

The group also is in need of bell ringers.

“We are only at 15% of volunteers compared to last year about this time,” Rivera said.

Funds raised by the local Salvation Army stay local for programs such as rental and utility assistance. The local Salvation Army works with township assistance programs to help meet needs beyond what the township can fund, Rivera said.

“If the township can only give $500, we come up with the $700 or $800 they need to make that month’s rent” and keep people in their homes, Rivera said.

If people don’t have cash to donate when they see a bell ringer outside their retail stores, each kettle is fitted with a sign and a QR code that will bring them to the donation website. Or, people can donate at salarmycl.org and sign up to ring the bell for two hours via registertoring.com.