April Food Day Event Seeks to Break Record for Donations

Park, Ill. – The South-Southwest Suburban Regional Office of United Way ’s annual April Food Day event is setting its sights on raising more than 30,000 pounds of food to be given to seven local food pantries.

Local food pantries estimate that the need for food and toiletries has more than doubled in the past five years. While many individuals think of food pantries during the harsher winter months, need is typically higher in spring and summer as donations decrease and supplies diminish.

The Chicago Southland hospitality industry is helping lead the food drive this year for April Food Day (describe – a national effort to increase food donations for hungry families just when donations typically start declining. The Chicago Southland Convention & Visitors Bureau and 32 hotels, park districts and municipalities throughout the Chicago Southland region will be collecting food from March 1 – April 1, 2016.

“Last year our goal was to raise 12,000 pounds of food and we raised more than 30,000 pounds for our local food pantries,” said Jim Garrett, President / CEO for the Visit Chicago Southland. “It’s inspiring when the Chicago Southland bands together for such a great cause and we encourage everyone to donate.”

On April, 1, 2016, all collected food will be taken to the Tinley Park Convention Center, in Tinley Park, Ill., from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Donated food will be packed up and delivered to pantries that include, Respond Now Chicago Heights, Ford Heights Community Service Organization, Richton Park Food Pantry, Catholic Charities –South Holland, Restoration Ministries—South Holland, LBD Enterprises—Hazel Crest and Together We Cope—Tinley Park. For the latest information on the event or to find the nearest drop-off locations, please visit LiveUnitedChicago.org/AprilFoodDay.

The Chicago Southland Convention & Visitors Bureau is the official destination management and marketing organization for Chicago’s 60 south and southwest suburbs. The Visit Chicago Southland markets the Chicago Southland region as a destination for leisure, meetings and conventions, group tour and sports events. For more information, go to VisitChicagoSouthland.com.

About United Way of Metropolitan Chicago

United Way leverages expertise, connections and resources to transform individual lives and entire neighborhoods. We advance the common good on both a regional and neighborhood level by focusing on the building blocks for thriving people and communities: a good education, financial stability, access to quality health care and ensuring basic needs are met. United Way has exceeded or is close exceeding significant community-impact goals set for the year 2020 for connecting 200,000 individuals to a primary care physician, helping 50,000 underachieving middle school students enter high school on track for graduation, and improving financial stability for 100,000 households. Additional information is available at www.LIVEUNITEDchicago.org.

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