Food Pantry Opens at Rich Township High School
Rich Township High School District 227 recently opened a food pantry that will serve the students, faculty and families at the school district. PHOTO PROVIDED BY RTHS 227
A new food pantry has opened at Rich Township High School’s Fine Arts and Communications Campus in Richton Park.
The food pantry is the idea of Betsy Williams, Director of the Food Service Department for Rich Township High School District 227. Williams said the opening of the food pantry was the culmination of a dream. She started giving away food during the holidays 25 years ago.
Williams said she was inspired to do the food pantry by Elmer Washington and his wife. She called them inspirational people. The Washingtons also gave a $500 donation to start the food pantry. Williams’ grandchildren have helped her pack food for years.
The food pantry will not only serve the students of Rich Township High School District 227, but also the staff at the school district. Williams hopes that outreach will go out to the feeder schools as well. Since the food pantry opened on Nov. 8th, more than 100 families have been served.
The food pantry is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. Families can place an order online and pick up at the pantry site once a month.
Dr. Johnnie Thomas, Superintendent of Rich Township High School District 227, said one of his missions with the school district is to ensure everyone is cared for. Thomas took time to acknowledge Williams. He said there isn’t a day that goes by where she isn’t fighting for the young people at the school and making sure they have what they need.
“The beautiful thing about this project is that it brings the community together,” Thomas said. “We’re a community and we’re a community that is showing a lot of love.”
Richton Park Village President Rick Reinbold said that food insecurity is not just a regional problem, but a national problem, and the food pantry is definitely fulfilling a need.
“This is just the beginning of something that is going to grow and serve more and more of our families,” Reinbold said.
The food pantry at the high school has the support of the Greater Chicago Food Depository and DOT Foods. Greater Chicago Food Depository will be supplying all the food for the pantry. DOT Foods donated $7,500 for the food pantry.
“I can’t tell you how much this support means to us because the things we can’t get from Greater Chicago [Food Depository} we will be able to get with this support,” Williams said.
Rich Township Supervisor Calvin Jordan said the food pantry is much needed. He also offered his support to the food pantry.
“It’s very important to me to be able to give back,” Jordan said.
There will be annual food drives for the food pantry. Items that can be donated included breakfast cereal, soups, canned fruits and vegetables, pasta and sauce, potatoes, rice, noodles, pancake mix, macaroni and cheese, as well as syrup, toilet paper and bar soap.
For more information about the food pantry at Rich Township High School, visit www.rich227.org/page/food-pantry.
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